How to give a discount on preorder products
EZ Preorder & Back In Stock can take a percentage or a fixed amount off every preorder item automatically, with no discount code. You set one discount in Configuration → Discount, and Shopify applies it in the cart and at checkout to every item added with EZ Preorder's preorder button, under the title you choose. It runs as a Shopify automatic discount named EZ PreOrder Discount.
Available on: Professional and Scale plans. On the Free, Core and Growth plans, the Discount tab shows Upgrade to Professional and its fields are disabled. A discount saved on a higher plan stops applying at checkout if you move to a lower plan, and starts again if you upgrade.
Where to find it: EZ PreOrder → Configuration → Discount (under Conversion).
How to set up a preorder discount
- In EZ PreOrder, go to Configuration and click Discount under Conversion.
- In Type, choose Percentage or Fixed Amount. No Discount means the feature is off.
- Enter the value. For Percentage, enter a number from 1 to 100. For Fixed Amount, enter the amount in Amount.
- Enter a Title, such as "Early Bird Discount". Shoppers see this title next to the discount in the cart and at checkout.
- Click Save in the save bar.
If you leave Title empty, shoppers see the value instead, such as "10% OFF" for a percentage or "5 OFF" for a fixed amount.
Which items get the preorder discount
The preorder discount applies to every cart item that EZ Preorder added as a preorder. Those items carry the line item property type: preorder, which EZ Preorder adds when the shopper uses:
- the preorder button on a product page,
- the preorder button in featured product sections and in quick add on collection pages,
- the Featured Pre-Order Section block,
- the Custom Pre-Order Page,
- the preorder button with Direct to Checkout turned on.
Items added any other way do not get the discount. That includes items added with your theme's normal add to cart button when no preorder is active, cart links, other apps, draft orders and Shopify POS.
The discount applies to all qualifying items in the same way. You cannot give different discounts to different preorder products. Free gift items from free gifts never get the preorder discount, because they are already made free.
How the discount amount is calculated
- Percentage takes that percentage off each qualifying cart line. A 10% discount on a line of two $50 items takes $10 off.
- Fixed Amount takes the amount off each qualifying cart line once, not once per unit. A $5 discount on a line with a quantity of 3 takes $5 off that line, not $15.
How the preorder discount appears in Shopify
When you first save a discount or free gift, EZ Preorder creates an automatic discount named EZ PreOrder Discount in your Shopify admin under Discounts. It handles both the preorder discount and free gifts.
- Keep it active. If you deactivate it, preorder discounts and free gifts stop applying, and saving in EZ Preorder does not turn it back on. Reactivate it in Discounts.
- If you delete it, change a setting on the Discount or Free Gifts tab in EZ Preorder and save, and it is recreated.
- It counts toward Shopify's limit of 25 active automatic discounts.
How preorder discounts combine with other discounts
The EZ PreOrder Discount is set to combine with product, order and shipping discounts. Shopify only combines two discounts when each of them allows the combination, so another discount or code must also be set to combine with product discounts.
Only stores on the Shopify Plus plan can apply two product discounts to the same item. On other plans, when the preorder discount and another product discount both apply to the same item, Shopify applies the better one. See Shopify's Discount combinations for the full rules.
Settings
| Setting | What it does | Default |
|---|---|---|
| Type | No Discount, Percentage or Fixed Amount. No Discount turns the preorder discount off. | No Discount |
| Percentage | Percentage taken off each preorder line, 1 to 100. Shown when Type is Percentage. | Empty |
| Amount | Amount taken off each preorder line once. Shown when Type is Fixed Amount. | Empty |
| Title | Name of the discount shown to customers in the cart and at checkout. | Empty (shows "10% OFF" style text) |
How to turn off the preorder discount
Set Type to No Discount and click Save. Preorder items are no longer discounted. The EZ PreOrder Discount stays in your Shopify admin because it also runs free gifts.
Limitations
- One discount for all preorder products. Per-product discounts are not available.
- Only items added as preorders. The discount needs the
type: preorderproperty that EZ Preorder's preorder buttons add. - Fixed amounts apply once per line. A fixed discount is not multiplied by the quantity.
- Plan check at checkout. The discount only applies while the store is on the Professional or Scale plan.
- Shopify's automatic discount limit. A store can have at most 25 active automatic discounts, including the EZ PreOrder Discount.
Troubleshooting
The preorder discount does not appear in the cart or at checkout. Check that you are on the Professional or Scale plan and that Type is not No Discount. Check that the item was added with the preorder button: open the cart and look for the type: preorder property on the item (some themes hide it, but it shows at checkout). Then check that EZ PreOrder Discount is active in your Shopify admin under Discounts.
Saving the discount fails with "Failed to save. Please try again." Your store may already have 25 active automatic discounts. Deactivate one you no longer need in Discounts and save again.
A fixed discount is smaller than expected on multiple units. A fixed amount comes off each cart line once, whatever the quantity. Use a percentage if the discount should grow with quantity.
A discount code removes the preorder discount. The code is a product discount that does not combine with product discounts, or both apply to the same item on a store that is not on Shopify Plus. Shopify then applies the better discount. Change the code's combination settings in Discounts if both should apply.
The banner says the discount only works from the product page. The discount works for items added with any EZ Preorder preorder button, including collection quick add, featured sections and the Custom Pre-Order Page. It does not apply to items added in other ways.
Frequently asked questions
Do customers need a discount code for the preorder discount?
No. The preorder discount is a Shopify automatic discount, so it applies by itself in the cart and at checkout to every item added as a preorder.
Can I give different discounts to different preorder products?
No. EZ Preorder has one discount that applies to every preorder item. You can only choose its type, value and title.
Does the preorder discount combine with my other discounts?
It can. The EZ PreOrder Discount allows combining with product, order and shipping discounts, but the other discount must also allow it. Two product discounts on the same item need Shopify Plus.
Is a fixed amount discount taken off each unit?
No. A fixed amount comes off each preorder cart line once. Three units on one line get the amount off once, not three times.
What happens to the preorder discount if I downgrade?
Your settings are kept, but the discount stops applying at checkout on plans below Professional. It applies again when you return to Professional or Scale.
What do customers see?
They see the discount next to the preorder item in the cart and at checkout, named with your Title, or with text such as "10% OFF" if you left the title empty.
Related articles
- How to give a free gift with preorder products: the other offer that runs through the EZ PreOrder Discount.
- How to take deposits and partial payments on preorders: let shoppers pay part now and the rest later.
- How preorders work in EZ Preorder: where the
type: preorderproperty comes from. - Plans and pricing: which plans include preorder discounts.
- Preorder button on collection pages and featured products: more places shoppers can preorder with the discount.
- Custom preorder page: a page listing all your preorder products.