To ship subscription orders free, create a shipping discount and set Purchase type to Subscription purchases. Then choose whether only the first payment, a set number of payments, or every renewal ships free. Shopify’s own free shipping discount offers a purchase type only on discount codes, and it makes every eligible rate free. RM: Advanced Free Shipping sets the purchase type on automatic discounts too, lets you pick the rate, and adds a Has subscription condition for carts that mix subscriptions and one-time items. The app is $9.90 USD every 30 days, with a 7-day free trial, billed by Shopify.

What the customer gets

In this example a coffee roaster sells a bag at $40 one-time, or $36 on a monthly subscription. Standard shipping is $8.90.

  • Qualifies. A customer subscribes to one bag. Standard shows $8.90 crossed out and free. The customer pays $36.
  • Doesn’t qualify. Another customer buys the same bag once. The customer pays $40 + $8.90 = $48.90.
  • Every renewal. With Discount applies to all recurring payments, 12 monthly boxes save the subscriber 12 × $8.90 = $106.80 in shipping.

Set it up

  1. In the app, click Create Shipping Discount.
  2. 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 on subscriptions”.
  3. Leave Conditions empty, so every subscription order qualifies. Or add one, such as Cart total Is at least 30.
  4. In Discount setup, set Delivery type to Shipping, Which rates to All shipping rates and Discount value to Free.
  5. In the Purchase type card, set Applies to to Subscription purchases.
  6. Under Recurring payments for subscriptions, choose Limit discount to the first payment, Limit discount to multiple recurring payments (2 or more), or Discount applies to all recurring payments.
  7. Click Create discount.

The Create shipping discount page in RM: Advanced Free Shipping with Automatic discount, a Cart total Is at least $100 AUD condition, Free on All shipping rates, and the Purchase type card set to One-time purchases

The screenshot shows a new discount with Applies to still on its default, One-time purchases. Change it to Subscription purchases in step 5.

Variations

  • Only the first box ships free: choose Limit discount to the first payment. “First payment” means the first order of each subscription, not the customer’s first order ever.
  • Only carts made entirely of subscriptions: add the condition Has subscription with Subscription only.
  • One-time orders only, never with a subscription in the cart: set Applies to to One-time purchases and add Has subscription with Does not contain subscription. This also leaves out mixed carts.
  • Half-price shipping instead of free: set Discount value to Percentage and enter 50. The $8.90 rate becomes $4.45. See percentage off shipping.
  • Free Standard only: set Which rates to Choose specific rates and select Standard.
  • Both one-time and subscription orders over $50: set Applies to to Both one-time & subscription and add Cart total Is at least 50.

Good to know

  • To make sure renewals ship free, check your subscription app’s shipping settings too. Some apps, for example Loop, recalculate renewal shipping with their own settings.
  • To use this with your subscription app, the app must sell on Shopify’s selling plans. Pre-orders and try-before-you-buy plans count as one-time items.
  • To unlock the Purchase type options, your store must sell subscriptions, for example with Shopify Subscriptions. Without them, it stays on One-time purchases.
  • Subscription items count toward Cart total and Cart subtotal like any other item.
  • To check it first, switch on Test mode and use ABC123 as the shipping first name. See test a shipping discount.

Install RM: Advanced Free Shipping from the Shopify App Store.