"Buy One Get One" (BOGO) is a promotional technique in which purchasing a certain number of a specific product earns the customer an additional item for free. This promotion aims to give customers a sense of value and boost sales by increasing purchase quantities. In this article, we'll go over how to implement BOGO using Shopify, along with important points to keep in mind when setting it up.
What Is Buy One Get One (BOGO)?
Buy One Get One (BOGO) is a promotional technique in which purchasing a certain quantity of a specific product earns the customer an additional item for free. For example, "buy 2 of the same product and get 1 more free" is a typical form — the goal is to give customers a sense of value and encourage them to buy more.
2 Ways to Run a Buy One Get One Promotion on Shopify
Using the Discount Feature
This method uses Shopify's built-in discount feature. Since the discount feature is already included, it can be used for free. One downside of using the discount feature is that the discount is only applied once the customer adds the free item to their cart themselves.
With the discount feature, you can run volume discounts such as the following:
- Buy 1 or more of a specific product and get 1 of the same product free
- Buy 1 or more products from a specific collection and get 1 product from the same collection free
- Buy One Get One available only to specific customers
The blog article below covers the types of discounts available and how to use the discount feature in detail. Please take a look.
Using a Shopify App
Next is the method of using a Shopify app. This is recommended if you want to apply discounts under more complex conditions than the discount feature can handle, or if you want an item to be added to the cart automatically once the conditions are met.
The downsides include the fact that some apps charge a usage fee, and some apps may not support Japanese.
The blog article below introduces apps recommended for giveaways and BOGO promotions. Please take a look.
How to Run a Free Gift Promotion Using the Discount Feature
Difference Between Coupon Codes and Automatic Discounts
Among Shopify's discount features, we'll set up a free gift promotion using the "Buy X, Get Y" discount type.
When setting up a free gift, you need to choose between "Discount code" and "Automatic discount."
Each has the differences shown in the table below. For example, if you want to run a Buy One Get One (BOGO) promotion limited to specific members only, you'll need to choose a discount code.
Understand these differences before choosing the right method.
| Method | Automatic discount | Discount code |
|---|---|---|
| When the discount is applied | Applied automatically once conditions are met | Applied when the customer enters the discount code at checkout and the conditions are met |
| Available conditions | ・Purchase type ・Purchase amount ・Purchase quantity ・Customer segment ・Specific customer |
・Purchase type ・Purchase amount ・Purchase quantity ・Customer segment ・Specific customer |
| Usage limit | - | ・Total number of uses ・Number of uses per customer |
| Active period | ・Start date/time ・End date/time |
・Start date/time ・End date/time |
The blog article below gives a thorough explanation of the differences between discount codes and automatic discounts, beyond the "Buy X, Get Y" discount type. Please take a look.
How to Give One Free Item When a Customer Buys a Specific Product
This time, we'll create a discount where "adding 2 or more of a specific product to the cart makes 1 of them free."
⚠️ Note that the discount feature has no function to automatically add the free item to the cart, so the discount won't take effect unless the customer adds 3 or more of the specific product to their cart. If you'd like the free item to be added automatically, consider using a Shopify app instead.
Step 1: Create a "Buy X, Get Y" Discount
(1) Click "Discounts" from the Shopify admin
(2) On the discounts list page, click "Create discount"
(3) From the pop-up that appears, select "Buy X get Y"
(4) For the method, select "Automatic discount"
(5) Enter any discount name you like in the title field
* What you enter here will be displayed on the checkout page.
(6) In the "Customer buys" section, select "Minimum quantity of items"
(7) Enter the following into the input fields below it
- Quantity: 1
- Any items from: Specific products
- Purchase type: One-time purchase
- Search products: Add the target product
(8) In the "Customer gets" section, enter the following
- Quantity: 1
- Any items from: Specific products
- Search products: Add the target product
(9) For the discounted value, select "Free"
(10) Check the box to set a maximum number of uses per order
(11) Enter 1 in the input field below it
⚠️ Setting a "maximum number of uses per order" prevents an item from becoming free every time the condition is met. For example, if a customer adds 6 units of X to their cart, setting the "maximum number of uses per order" means only 1 unit of X becomes free. If you don't set it, 3 units of X become free.
(12) Set the active dates for the period you want to run the promotion
(13) Click "Save discount"
Step 2: Test the Setup
Once the discount is set up, test that it works as expected.
(1) With 2 or more of the target product added to the cart, go to the checkout page
(2) Confirm that 1 unit of the target product is free
(3) With only 1 of the target product added to the cart, go to the checkout page
(4) Confirm that the target product is not free
(5) With 2 or more items other than the target product added to the cart, go to the checkout page
(6) Confirm that no item becomes free
Once the automatic discount behaves as intended, the setup is complete.
How to Give One Free Item When a Customer Buys a Product from a Specific Collection
This time, we'll create a discount where "adding 2 or more products from a specific collection to the cart makes 1 of them free."
⚠️ Note that the discount feature has no function to automatically add the free item to the cart, so the discount won't take effect unless the customer adds 3 or more of the specific product to their cart. If you'd like the free item to be added automatically, consider using a Shopify app instead.
Step 1: Create a "Buy X, Get Y" Discount
(1) Click "Discounts" from the Shopify admin
(2) On the discounts list page, click "Create discount"
(3) From the pop-up that appears, select "Buy X get Y"
(4) For the method, select "Automatic discount"
(5) Enter any discount name you like in the title field
* What you enter here will be displayed on the checkout page.
(6) In the "Customer buys" section, select "Minimum quantity of items"
(7) Enter the following into the input fields below it
- Quantity: 2
- Any items from: Specific collections
- Purchase type: One-time purchase
- Search collections: Add the target collection
(8) In the "Customer gets" section, enter the following
- Quantity: 1
- Any items from: Specific collections
- Search collections: Add the target collection
(9) For the discounted value, select "Free"
(10) Check the box to set a maximum number of uses per order
(11) Enter 1 in the input field below it
⚠️ Setting a "maximum number of uses per order" prevents an item from becoming free every time the condition is met. For example, if a customer adds 6 units of X to their cart, setting the "maximum number of uses per order" means only 1 unit of X becomes free. If you don't set it, 3 units of X become free.
(12) Set the active dates for the period you want to run the promotion
(13) Click "Save discount"
Step 2: Test the Setup
Once the discount is set up, test that it works as expected.
(1) With 2 or more products from the target collection (and nothing else) added to the cart, go to the checkout page
(2) Confirm that 1 item is free
(1) With 2 items added to the cart, including products not in the target collection, go to the checkout page
(4) Confirm that no item becomes free
Once the automatic discount behaves as intended, the setup is complete.
In Closing
The "Buy One Get One" (BOGO) promotion is an effective sales technique that gives customers a sense of value and encourages them to buy more. With Shopify, you can easily run this promotion using the native discount feature or an app. That said, since the free item isn't added to the cart automatically by default, it's important to consider using an app if that functionality is needed.
Also, by properly configuring settings such as the "maximum number of uses per order" and clearly defining your conditions, you can prevent discounts from being applied unintentionally. To maximize the effectiveness of your promotion, it's important to tailor your conditions to your customers' needs and thoroughly test that everything works as expected.
Use BOGO to boost customer satisfaction while driving sales growth!
Finally, the blog article below introduces some of the most representative discount strategies you can run on Shopify. Find the strategy that best fits your store and use it as a springboard for boosting sales.
