Make it easy for customers to claim free gifts on Shopify (no app required)

Running a free gift promotion is one of the most effective ways to boost average order value and encourage customers to complete their purchases. But on Shopify, there’s no native way to directly add a free gift to a customer’s cart when they qualify without using a paid app. Here is a simple, app-free approach to help customers easily claim their free gift and make your promotion more visible and successful.

Why you might want to offer free gifts

Adding a free gift to orders is a proven way to increase spend, move extra inventory, and delight your customers. You can encourage larger orders, stand out from the competition, and run unique promotions like “Spend $50 and get a free mug” or “Buy 3, get a sample free.”

How to set up your free gift discount

Start by making sure only eligible customers can get the free gift. Shopify’s “Buy X Get Y” discount lets you control the rules for who qualifies.

1. Go to Discounts in your Shopify admin.
2. Click Create discount and select “Buy X get Y”

1. Set your requirements (such as “Customer spends $50” or “Customer buys 3 items”).
2. Under “Customer gets”, choose your free gift product and set the quantity.
3. Set the discount to “Free.”
4. Add usage limits if you want to cap the number of gifts.
5. Set your promotion dates.
6. Save the discount.

How to let customers know about your offer

If shoppers don’t see your promotion, they won’t take advantage of it. Adding a clear announcement bar at the top of your store can boost participation and reduce questions.

1. In Shopify admin, go to Online Store > Themes and click Customize.
2. Find or add the announcement bar section.
3. Write a message like “Spend $50 and get a free gift—just add it to your cart.”
4. Save your changes.

How to let customers add the free gift to their cart

Since Shopify doesn’t add the gift automatically, the easiest way is to let customers add it with a single click right from your product page. Add a Custom Liquid block to show a message and a “Add free gift to cart” button.

1. Go to Online Store > Themes > Customize.
2. Open your product page template.
3. Add a new “Custom Liquid” block to the product details area.
4. Paste in this code:

{% comment %} customize these variables below {% endcomment %}
{% assign gift_message = 'Spend over $x and get a free gift!' %}
{% assign gift_variant_id = 1234567890 %}
{% assign button_color = '#000000' %}

<div class="free-gift-notice" style="text-align:center; margin:20px 0;">
  <p>{{ gift_message }}</p>
  <form action="/cart/add" method="post" enctype="multipart/form-data">
    <input type="hidden" name="id" value="{{ gift_variant_id }}" />
    <button type="submit" style="background-color: {{ button_color }}; color:#ffffff; padding:10px 20px; border:none; border-radius:4px; cursor:pointer;">
      Add free gift to cart
    </button>
  </form>
</div>

1. Change the gift_variant_id to match your gift’s variant ID (see next section).
2. Update the gift_message and button_color to fit your brand and promotion.

How to find your variant ID with the .json method

Every Shopify product has a variant ID, even with no visible variants. Here’s the fastest way to find it:

1. Go to your storefront and open the product page for your free gift.
2. Add .json to the end of the product page URL, and make sure to remove anything extra at the end, such as ?variant=XXXX.
   For example:
   https://yourstore.myshopify.com/products/free-gift.json
3. Press enter. Search the page (Ctrl+F or Cmd+F) for “variants”.
4. Afters “variants,” you’ll see “id”: followed by a long number. Copy that number. That’s your variant ID.

Note: You’ll also see a “product_id” number in the JSON, but you must use the “id” number found under “variants.” The “product_id” will not work for this button

How to customize your button’s look and text to update your offer or match your store’s branding:

• Change gift_message for your promo message.
• Change button_color to any hex color, like #007bff for blue or #e91e63 for pink.

How your customers get the free gift

With the code in place, customers can click “Add free gift to cart” right from your product page. If they meet the discount conditions, the gift will be free at checkout. If not, it may show the regular price so make your announcement clear about how to qualify.

Example: clearing out seasonal inventory with a free tote bag

1. Create a tote bag product and hide it from your main collections.
2. Set up a “Buy X Get Y” discount for orders over $60 with the tote bag as the gift.
3. Add an announcement bar that promotes your free gift offer.
4. Place the “Add free gift” button on the tote bag’s product page.
5. Test your promotion to make sure the tote bag is free at checkout for qualifying orders.

Running a targeted free gift promo like this helps move extra stock, encourages bigger orders, and keeps customers coming back for more.

Ready to build even better promotions?

If you want more advanced rules like per-customer limits, regional restrictions, or combining gifts with order limits, DC Order Limits gives you full control inside Shopify. Mix and match order limits and promotions for total flexibility.
Install DC Order Limits on your Shopify store and try it free with our 3-day trial.