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Where should your free shipping bar actually sit?
$50? $75? Most stores pick a number that feels right and quietly subsidize orders they were getting anyway. Enter three numbers and get the threshold where the math works.
-Break-even order size
-Recommended threshold
-AOV lift needed
The logic, in one paragraph
Free shipping is a discount that costs you your shipping rate. An order covers it when the gross margin on the order exceeds the shipping cost, i.e. order value ≥ shipping ÷ margin. Set the visible bar above both that break-even and your current AOV (15-30% higher), rounded to a clean number, so shoppers stretch to hit it instead of collecting a subsidy on the order they were already placing.
Common questions
How far above AOV should the threshold be?
15-30% above current AOV is the range that reliably moves cart behavior. Below AOV you subsidize existing orders; more than ~40% above and most shoppers give up on reaching it.
What if my break-even is above the sensible threshold?
Then blanket free shipping does not fit your margins yet. Options: free shipping on specific high-margin collections, a flat rate that covers part of the cost, or raising AOV with bundles first.
Should I show a progress bar in the cart?
Yes. "You are $12 away from free shipping" is the mechanism that makes the threshold work. Without it, most shoppers never know the target exists.
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