# Free shipping for students and teachers in Shopify

To give students and teachers free shipping, tag each verified customer in Shopify, for example `Student` or `Teacher`, then create an automatic shipping discount with **Customer tag Contains** and both tags in that one condition. Tagged customers who sign in at checkout get the discount on every order without a code. Shopify's own free shipping discount can be limited to customer segments, but it has no customer tag condition and makes every eligible rate free. [RM: Advanced Free Shipping](https://apps.shopify.com/better-free-shipping) reads the tag at checkout and lets you pick the rates and the discount, such as free Standard or $3 shipping. It costs $9.90 USD every 30 days, with a 7-day free trial, billed by Shopify.

## What the customer gets

In this example the store has two rates: Standard $8.90 and Express $24.90.

- **Qualifies.** A customer tagged `Student` signs in and checks out a $28 cart. Standard and Express are both free. The customer pays $28.
- **Doesn't qualify.** The same student checks out as a guest. A guest has no tags, so with Standard they pay $28 + $8.90 = $36.90.
- **Doesn't qualify.** A signed-in customer without either tag pays the same $36.90.

## Set it up

1. Verify the customer, then tag them in Shopify admin: open the customer under **Customers** and add the tag `Student` or `Teacher`. See Shopify's guide to [using tags](https://help.shopify.com/en/manual/shopify-admin/productivity-tools/using-tags). If you already use a verification tool that adds tags to customers in Shopify, its tags work the same way.
2. In the app, click **Create Shipping Discount**.
3. Under **Discount method**, choose **Automatic discount**. New discounts start on **Discount code**, and the method can't be changed later. Enter a **Title** such as "Free shipping for students and teachers". Customers see it at checkout.
4. In **Conditions**, click **Add condition** and choose **Customer tag**. Keep **Contains**.
5. Type `Student` and press Enter, then type `Teacher` and press Enter. **Contains** matches a customer with any of the tags.
6. In **Discount setup**, set **Delivery type** to **Shipping**, **Which rates** to **All shipping rates** and **Discount value** to **Free**.
7. Click **Create discount**.

![A Customer tag condition set to Contains, with the tag VIP added](/images/customer-tag.png)

The screenshot shows the tag VIP. Type your own tags in its place.

## Include students who check out as guests

Customer tags only match customers signed in to their account at checkout. Two ways to reach everyone you've verified:

- **Ask them to sign in.** Once you've verified them, tell them by email to sign in at checkout for free shipping.
- **Use a customer segment.** In Shopify admin, build a [customer segment](https://help.shopify.com/en/manual/customers/customer-segmentation) of customers with your `Student` and `Teacher` tags under **Customers → Segments**. In the discount, go to **Customers**, choose **Specific customer segments** and pick it, and leave out the **Customer tag** condition. Shopify matches segments by the email or phone number entered at checkout, so guests with the same email are included.

## Variations

- **$3 shipping instead of free:** set **Discount value** to **Fixed Price** and enter 3. Standard becomes $3, so the $28 cart costs $31. A rate already under $3 stays as it is.
- **Free Standard, Express at full price:** set **Which rates** to **Choose specific rates** and select Standard. A student who picks Express pays $28 + $24.90 = $52.90.
- **Back to school only:** under **Active dates**, set a start date and tick **Set end date**. The discount switches on and off by itself.
- **Students and teachers over $20:** add **Cart total Is at least 20** in the same rule group. Both must pass.
- **Different rewards for each:** create two discounts, one with **Customer tag Contains** `Student` and **Fixed Price** 3, the other with **Customer tag Contains** `Teacher` and **Free**. Each discount has its own single tag condition.

## Good to know

- **To keep the list current,** remove the tag when a customer's status ends, for example after graduation. Their next checkout pays normal shipping.
- **To cover both groups in one discount,** put both tags in one **Customer tag** condition. Use one Customer tag condition per discount.
- **To exclude someone as well,** use a Shopify customer segment that leaves them out.
- **To keep the discount when they use a sale code,** tick **Shipping discounts** under **Combinations** on that code in Shopify admin.
- **To test it,** sign in to a test customer account with the tag. In **Test mode**, also use `ABC123` as the shipping first name.

## Related

- [Free shipping for military and first responders](/guides/free-shipping-for-military-and-first-responders.md)
- [Free shipping for staff and ambassadors](/guides/free-shipping-for-staff-and-ambassadors.md)
- [Schedule free shipping](/guides/schedule-free-shipping.md)
- [Conditional free shipping on Shopify](/conditional-free-shipping.md)

[Install RM: Advanced Free Shipping from the Shopify App Store](https://apps.shopify.com/better-free-shipping).