Offering free gifts is an effective strategy for businesses to drive higher sales, move slow-moving inventory, and boost customer satisfaction. 

In some ways, Shopify’s default feature for this promotion can be limited in customization and flexibility, often falling short of meeting specific business needs. This is why many turn to third-party apps for more advanced options. Yet, for some, especially those just starting out, the decision can be overwhelming. 

In this post, by taking Salepify as an example to represent the third-party apps, we’ll walk you through both approaches, offering detailed guidance to help you make the right choice for your free gift promotion.

Comparison: Shopify default Buy X Get Y and third-party providers 

Shopify's built-in discount features offer simplicity and ease of use, which is perfect for those just starting out or with limited needs. However, for businesses looking to tailor their discount strategies more closely, third-party apps step in with a vast array of customizable options. These apps can seem complex at first glance, but they unlock a world of possibilities for promotions and sales strategies, catering to the unique demands of growing brands.

Understanding the pros and cons of each approach is crucial in selecting the right discount management method that aligns with your business objectives and operational capacity. A comparative overview can shed light on these aspects, steering you towards an informed decision that enhances your store's appeal and customer satisfaction.

	With Shopify	With Salepify
Setup Duration	Quick and easy	Time-consuming at first (has lots of advanced options to customize)
Cost	Free	Costly (depends on each app’s subscription fees)
Features’ Diversity	Limited	More diverse (built to resolve the limitation of Shopify default configuration)
Customization	Limited	Offer personal customization depending on customers’ needs.
Technical Knowledge and Requirement	Optional	Optional (required for the advanced setup using codes)
Support Availibility	From the Shopify support team	From the 24/7 support team
Free Gift Options Display	Do not show up the options	Display the options in the popup or embedded block

 

Giving free gifts using Shopify's Buy X Get Y

The Buy X Get Y configuration in Shopify can be set up in two ways: either as an automatic discount or as a discount code. However, when using this feature to offer a free gift, customers typically prefer the automatic discount option for a smoother checkout experience. Therefore, this post will walk you through the process of creating a free gift offer using the automatic discount feature of the Buy X Get Y promotion.

First of all, please remember to keep your free products having adequate inventory. If the inventory of free products drops to zero, then the products display as being sold out and customers cannot receive it as a free gift. 

Setup guidance

To navigate to the rule setting, you can start from your Shopify Admin > Discounts > Create discount > Buy X get Y 

Buy X Get Y

• Under METHOD, select Automatic discount.
• In the Title section, enter a name for the automatic discount (e.g: Free gift - Summer sale).

Customer buys 

• Purchase type: choose either the “Minimum quantity of items” or “Minimum purchase amount”.
• Quantity: Set the number of items that the customer must buy or the amount of money that the customer must spend to be eligible for the discount.
• Any items from: choose whether you want to include products or collections as the qualifying items. After that, use the “Search” field or the “Browse” button to add products or collections to the promotion. 

Customer gets 

• Quantity: Set the quantity of items that the customer must add to their cart to get the free gift discount.
• Any items from:  Choose whether you want to include products or collections as the discounted items. If the product or collection is the same as the one set in the Customer buys section, then the lower-priced item that the customer chooses is the item that the customer gets at a discount. After that, use the “Search” field or the “Browse” button to add products or collections to the promotion. 
• At a discounted value: choose “Free” or “Percentage discount” and set it at 100%
• Optional: Check Set the maximum number of uses per order and then enter the maximum number of times that this promotion can be applied to an order.

Availability

• This discount is automatically applied to all sales channels.
• If you want to apply this free gift discount to Point Of Sale, please tick the “Also offer on Point of Sale (POS Pro locations only)” option.

Combinations

• To let customers combine this discount code with other discount codes, you can select the discount types you want by ticking the option below. It’s possible to choose all options. 
• Product discounts
• Order discounts
• Shipping discount

Active dates 

• Start date: Use the calendar to set the start date for the discount.
• Start time (EDT): Use the clock to choose the beginning time for the discount
• Set end date: If you want to set an end date for the discount, then click the option and use the calendar to choose when the discount will end. If you don't choose an end date for your discount, then it will have no expiry. 

Summary

• You have a chance to revise all of the settings you have made above. Once you think there’s nothing wrong with the setup, click “Save”.

Giving free gifts using Shopify third-party apps (Salepify) 

The Shopify App Store offers a plethora of apps designed to help businesses quickly and efficiently create free gift programs. Each app on the market may differ in interface and possess unique features tailored to their individual design, enhancing the user experience. This article will exemplify the process of creating a free gift discount using a specific third-party app, providing a clear illustration of the setup process. 

For those interested in exploring Salepify further, check it out here!

Disclaimer: Salepify has two types of free gift rules: Basic (only displayed on the product page) and Advanved (displayed on all pages, automatically removed if not eligible, and can be combined with other discounts). In this blog, we take the Advanced one as an example to give you a more comprehensive view.

General information

• Name: you can enter a name for your rule to differentiate each rule with each other (for example: Buy 2 Get 1)
• Status: decide if the rule is working or not, set the status as “Active” to make it function on your storefront and vice versa.
• Customer buys
• Expanding from the list of options from Shopify, Salepify offers more selections for businesses to decide the product groups they want to set as required items (Product Collections, Specific Products, Specific Variants, Product tags, All products). 
• Apply condition: choose either the “Minimum quantity”, “Minimum amount”, or “All selected products are required”. 
• Quantity: you will need to fill out this section if you choose one out of these two options, ““Minimum quantity” and “Minimum amount”, to set up the total quantity you want your customers to purchase. If you want each product to be bought at specific quantities, please set up further in the “Required specific quantity of selected products”. 

• Customer gets
• Number of gifts: set up the gift number that your customers can get when they have enough required products in their cart
• Rule action: you can decide to “Give customers a choice of products to add” or “Automatically add gift to cart when condition met”
• Give customers a choice of products to add: This option lets your customers choose to add their free gift to the cart manually. We provide you with the option of hiding free items that are out of stock.
• “Automatically add gift to cart when condition met”: You can decide the products to be added to your customers’ cart according to the inventory or your selection
• With the Advanced rule, we offer store owners with the ability to “Automatically remove gift from cart when conditions not met”
• Set a maximum number of uses per order: Set a limit on how many times the offer can be used if the conditions are met multiple times.

• Advanced setting: Decide customer types and country types that can see and get the free gift
• Country targeting
• Customer targeting
• Active dates: Similar to Shopify, you can set up the duration of the free gift event based on the start and end dates.

Display settings

Salepify offers businesses the choice of displaying their free gift promotion under the embedded block or popup (on all pages). This will immediately grab the attention of visitors, making them aware of the special offers without requiring them to search for promotions. It also creates a sense of urgency and encourages customers to take action, increasing the likelihood of completing a purchase. 

• Show type and Show on pages
• If you choose the “Popup” section, you are able to decide on which pages your free gift popup will be displayed. 
• If you choose “Do not show”, your popup will be hidden from all pages.
• Besides, we give you options to customize the popup outlook to make it match your theme style. You can choose the background, button, and text color, and also have ability to change the default and help text based on what you want. If you need any further personal customization, do not hesitate to contact the support team!

Add block

• Adding the app's block to your theme to allow the Free Gift functionality to work properly on your storefront (all pages or those pages you choose)

Confirmation

• You have a chance to revise all of the settings you have made above. Once you think there’s nothing wrong with the setup, click “Save”. 

 

What should I consider when moving our free gift promotion to a third-party provider?

Assessing Your Business Needs

When deciding between Shopify’s default features and third-party apps, a business must assess its unique requirements. Shopify’s built-in features may suffice for many stores, but as your business expands, you might find that your needs outgrow Shopify’s standard offerings. It is essential to evaluate whether a third-party app can provide the additional functionality your business requires, ensuring it addresses the specific challenges your store faces.

Budget Considerations

Budget is another critical factor in choosing third-party apps. Costs can increase significantly with additional features or usage volume, so it’s vital to assess whether the app’s pricing structure aligns with your budget. Planning for long-term expenses can help avoid unpleasant surprises as your business grows.

Importance of Customer Support

While reviews can offer insights into the app’s functionality, the quality of customer service is even more important. Efficient customer support can be invaluable when issues arise. You should look for reviews highlighting positive interactions with support teams and their ability to resolve problems promptly.

A lower rating shouldn’t automatically disqualify an app, but it’s essential to investigate whether reported issues have been resolved and if the app’s team is responsive to feedback.

Evaluating Benefits and Additional Features

Finally, evaluate the extra benefits and features that third-party apps might offer. Many apps provide free trials, allowing you to test whether the app meets your business needs before making a financial commitment. Customization options can also enhance the app’s value by tailoring its functionality to better suit your store. 

Conclusion

Deciding between Shopify's Buy X, Get Y feature and external apps like Salepify hinges on your unique business requirements. When choosing, weigh your immediate needs, growth trajectory, budget, and desired customization level. For new businesses, Shopify might suffice, but for more complex needs, an external app could significantly boost customer satisfaction and sales.