Addy 
Addly 
Goalify 
Monet 
Reviso 
Key takeaways
- Free shipping is not a law of ecommerce. It is a discount on fulfilment. If your average parcel costs more than the lift in AOV, you are buying orders with shipping.
- Heavy, low-price, or made-to-order goods often should not run a threshold at all. Show a delivery estimate and a paid rate instead.
- A threshold set below the cost of the average parcel is a leak, not a goal.
- Alternatives that often win: flat rate, free on this collection, or a progress bar aimed at a gift rather than postage.
The internet treats free shipping as mandatory. Your P&L does not. A threshold that sits under the real cost of the box is not a growth lever. It is a recurring discount you forgot to name.
When a threshold is the wrong product
Skip store-wide free shipping, or set it very high, when:
- Average parcel cost is a large share of AOV (heavy goods, bulky packaging, cold chain).
- You drop-ship internationally and postage is a surprise until checkout.
- Orders are frequently a single low-price item that will never reach a sane threshold.
- You already lose money on the first unit and make it up on repeat — then you are stacking two discounts.
In those stores a progress bar toward "free" trains people to add junk they will return, which is worse than paid shipping.
What to run instead
Honest paid rates plus a delivery date. "Arrives Thursday · $6.50" converts better than a fake free that appears as $8.00 at checkout.
Collection-level free shipping. The light, high-margin line can carry a bar. The heavy line cannot. Two policies beat one lie.
A gift goal, not a postage goal. If you want the psychology of a threshold without giving away fulfilment, unlock a sample, wrap, or accessory. You still get the "I'm $9 away" behaviour. You do not pretend DHL is free.
If you already promised it
Do not rip the bar out this afternoon. Raise the threshold toward a number that clears parcel cost plus a margin of safety, grandfather the old number in ads until they expire, and move the bar copy to remaining amount so the new number still feels like a task.
Free shipping is a campaign you can choose. It is not a feature of Shopify.
Frequently asked questions
Doesn't everyone expect free shipping?
Many shoppers prefer it, especially in the US. That is not the same as "it is profitable for you". If your category is furniture, food, or international drop-ship, the expectation is weaker than the cost.
Can I offer free shipping only on some products?
Yes, and you should if the rest of the catalogue cannot absorb postage. A collection-level promise is more honest than a store-wide bar that excludes half the SKUs in the small print.
What do I put in the cart instead of a shipping bar?
A delivery estimate, a clear paid rate, and if you still want a goal, a free gift or a quantity break that does not pretend postage is free.
Is "free shipping" in ads a problem if I do not offer it on the store?
Yes. Do not advertise a threshold you do not honour. That is a policy problem, not a cart-app problem.
