FREE MERCHANT TOOL
Free shipping threshold calculator.
Test a candidate threshold against an existing order. Include the customer’s current shipping charge and any extra cost of sending a larger basket.
YOUR SCENARIO
Difference per modeled order: $1.00.
Compare contribution per order.
- Current basket and shipping charge
- $15.00
- Basket at your threshold, with free shipping
- $16.00
- Difference per modeled order
- $1.00
The threshold order contributes more than the current order under these assumptions.
A merchandise subtotal of $57.50 would at least match the current order’s contribution at the same margin and your proposed shipping cost. That is $12.50 of additional merchandise above the current basket.
This assumes a shopper buys the candidate basket. It does not predict bigger carts or more orders. Existing larger orders may receive free shipping without spending more. Fixed overhead, app fees and any costs missing from your margin are excluded.
Calculated in your browser. Entries are not uploaded or saved by this page. Download a CSV to keep your scenario; reloading resets the example.
The comparison behind the numbers
Current order contribution = merchandise subtotal × contribution margin + customer shipping charge − current shipping cost. Threshold order contribution = threshold × the same margin − shipping cost at that threshold.
The matching subtotal is the amount needed to leave the same contribution as the current order. It assumes the same product margin and the shipping cost you entered. This is a cost comparison, not a recommended threshold or a prediction that shoppers will spend more.
Why the shipping charge matters
Suppose a $45 basket has a 40% contribution margin, costs you $8 to ship, and the customer pays $5 for delivery. That order contributes $15. A $60 basket with the same margin and $8 shipping, offered free to the customer, contributes $16.
Here the extra merchandise must replace the $5 shipping charge you stop collecting. If shipping the larger basket costs more, that increase must also be covered. Dividing the full shipping cost by margin alone would answer a different question.
What about shoppers already above the threshold?
They may qualify for free shipping without adding anything. Compare the cost across actual orders, including customers who already qualify, before deciding whether the promotion makes sense.
Check destinations, weights, discounts and returns separately. A single example cannot capture your store’s product mix or shipping zones. Use contribution margin after product and variable selling costs, not product markup. Fixed overhead and app cost are outside this per-order model.
Use the result with Meter
Meter displays a cart progress bar and creates a matching Shopify shipping discount. The current release supports USD stores and Online Store 2.0 app blocks. It does not select a different threshold for each destination or convert currencies; check checkout eligibility and shipping costs for the destinations you serve.
Free includes 100 tracked views per calendar month. Growth is $5 USD per 30 days with no monthly tracked-view limit. Both support up to 100 campaigns and have no percentage or per-order fees. A bar view does not establish an extra sale.
For broader shipping-policy considerations, see Shopify’s guide to free shipping. The calculator above uses the explicit comparison described here.