While running a Shopify store, if you feel like you want to "increase sales" or "raise your average order value," one effective approach is a free shipping campaign using a "free shipping bar." Using a free shipping bar lets you achieve even greater results than simply offering free shipping alone.
This article explains what a free shipping bar is, its benefits, and recommended apps you can install on your Shopify store.
Whether you've already implemented a free shipping campaign or are considering introducing one, we hope you find this article useful.
What Is a Free Shipping Bar?
A free shipping bar is a notification feature typically displayed as a slim banner at the top of a site. It clearly shows customers how much more they need to spend to qualify for free shipping, such as "Only ¥XX more for free shipping!", encouraging them to make a purchase. It's simple, but since "free shipping" is such an appealing offer to customers, many stores have adopted it.
Depending on the theme, the announcement bar that comes as a standard feature can also be used to provide shipping-related information. However, what makes a free shipping bar more effective at encouraging purchases is its ability to change the displayed message based on the total amount of items added to the cart.
Initial display
When there are no items in the cart, it shows the condition for free shipping, such as "Free shipping on orders over ¥5,000."
Progress display
When a customer adds items to their cart, it calculates and displays the remaining amount to the goal in real time, such as "Just ¥1,500 more for free shipping!"
Goal achieved display
Once the total cart amount meets the condition, the message switches to a congratulatory one, such as "Congratulations! Free shipping applies to your order."
By providing optimal information tailored to each stage of the customer's purchasing process, a free shipping bar functions not just as a simple notification, but as a promotional tool that naturally encourages customers to add "just one more item" to their order.
2 Benefits of Adding a Free Shipping Bar to Shopify
Here are two main benefits of adding a free shipping bar to your Shopify store.
1. Increased Average Order Value (AOV)
The first benefit is an increase in average order value (AOV).
Many customers tend to view shipping fees as an extra cost. So when they realize they're "just a little short of free shipping," a psychological effect kicks in: "If I have to pay for shipping anyway, I might as well add one more item."
For example, suppose a store offers free shipping on orders over ¥5,000, and a customer's cart currently totals ¥4,500. Upon learning that a ¥500 shipping fee will be charged, many customers will start looking for an additional ¥500 or more worth of products.
As a result, the average order value naturally increases.
2. Preventing Cart Abandonment
In online shopping, "cart abandonment"—when customers leave the site after adding items to their cart—is a major problem. According to one survey, one of the main causes of cart abandonment is discovering that shipping fees apply at the final stage of checkout.
Source: Zaoriku Inc. Survey
A free shipping bar presents shipping-related information to customers early in the purchasing process. By displaying a message like "Free shipping on orders over ¥XX (a shipping fee applies below ¥XX)," it also makes clear that a shipping fee will be charged if the condition isn't met. As a result, it can help prevent cart abandonment and boost sales.
The blog article below introduces cart abandonment countermeasures you can implement on Shopify. Please use it as a reference.
A Free Shipping Bar Is Not a Standard Shopify Feature | Available via Apps
A "free shipping bar" that changes its message based on the total cart amount is not included as a standard Shopify feature.
Of course, you can set up shipping rules in the Shopify admin, such as "free shipping on orders over ¥5,000." However, a bar feature that communicates that condition to customers in real time, showing "just ¥XX more for free shipping," needs to be set up separately.
Custom implementation through programming is possible, but the most practical and easy option is to use a Shopify app.
The benefits of using an app are as follows:
- No specialized knowledge required: You can set it up intuitively from the admin without any coding.
- Highly functional and customizable: In addition to changing colors and fonts, some apps come with a variety of features.
For those without programming skills in particular, implementing this via an app is the easiest and most effective option.
4 Apps for Adding a Free Shipping Bar to Shopify
Here are 4 apps that let you add a dynamic free shipping bar to Shopify.
Essential Free Shipping Upsell
Image source: Essential Free Shipping Upsell | Shopify App Store
Essential Free Shipping Upsell is an upsell app with advanced features. What sets this app apart is that it displays a free shipping bar not only at the top of the page but also on the cart and product pages, letting customers know "how much more until free shipping" in real time. It can also visually display progress toward free shipping, almost like a gauge filling up.
In addition, it can display related products alongside the free shipping bar, enabling effective upselling and cross-selling. Note, however, that the app's admin dashboard is not available in Japanese.
This app offers a 7-day free trial.
| Pricing Plan | Free | Starer | Essential | Professional |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | $9.99 | $14.99 | $29.99 |
| Max monthly impressions | 1,000 | 10,000 | 50,000 | Unlimited |
| Features | Unlimited top bar boosters Unlimited product page boosters |
All Free features Geolocation targeting Product exclusions |
All Starer features Unlimited cart page boosters Add upsell products Analytics |
All Essential features All premium features |
Free Shipping Bar
Image source: Free Shipping Bar | Shopify App Store
Free Shipping Bar is an app provided by the Japanese company Huckleberry. It displays a fixed free shipping bar banner at the top of the store, dynamically switching the message based on the cart amount. Colors and text are fully customizable, and emoji can also be added.
This app can be set up in Japanese and is available for free.
Free Shipping Bar & Upsell.amp
Image source: Free Shipping Bar & Upsell.amp | Shopify App Store
Free Shipping Bar & Upsell.amp is also developed by the Japanese company and.d, and can display the remaining amount to free shipping in a bar format on any page, including product pages and the cart.
You can adjust the wording, colors, and corner rounding down to the smallest detail, and even show different remaining-amount messages depending on the shipping destination. It can also recommend products to help make up the difference based on the unmet amount.
This app offers a 7-day free trial.
| Pricing Plan | BASIC | ADVANCE | PRO |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly fee | $4.99 | $9.99 | $19.99 |
| Features | Free shipping bar/block display | All BASIC features Shipping profile integration Product recommendation feature |
All ADVANCE features Popup display feature |
Goal Banner | Free Shipping Banner
"Goal Banner | Free Shipping Banner" displays a banner whose content changes based on the total cart amount, automatically showing messages like "Just ¥XX more for free shipping" or "Free shipping achieved!" The banner's wording, target amount, and design are all freely customizable, and the content updates in real time every time a product is added or removed.
This app offers a 7-day free trial and is available for $3.99 per month.
The blog article below explains the features, recommended functions, and setup method of Goal Banner | Free Shipping Banner in detail. Please use it as a reference.
[Bonus] RuffRuff Order Bonus Is Recommended for Running Free Shipping Campaigns
A "free shipping" campaign is an effective way to stimulate customers' purchasing motivation, but simply making shipping free isn't always enough. If you want to run an effective free shipping campaign, we recommend "RuffRuff Order Bonus."
This app lets you combine free shipping with a variety of conditions.
- Based on subtotal amount | Example: Free shipping on orders over ¥10,000
- Based on customer information | Example: Free shipping for Gold members and above
- Based on product information | Example: Free shipping when a specific product is included
- Based on quantity | Example: Free shipping on 3 or more items
- Based on purchase count | Example: Free shipping on first orders
- Based on time period | Example: Free shipping for a limited time during Golden Week, etc.
Since these conditions can be combined in multiple ways, you can implement a free shipping campaign that aligns with your own e-commerce marketing strategy.
RuffRuff Order Bonus can be set up with simple operations, without editing any code, so even those without programming knowledge can use it. The settings screen is also available in Japanese, and Japanese-language customer support is available, so beginners can use it with peace of mind.
The app is available starting at $9.9 per month, with a 3-day free trial. If you're considering a free shipping campaign, please give it a try.
Use a Free Shipping Bar to Boost Your Average Order Value!
This article explained what a free shipping bar is, the benefits of adding one, and Shopify apps you can use to implement it.
Using a free shipping bar can help increase average order value and prevent cart abandonment. However, since a free shipping bar isn't a standard Shopify feature, we recommend implementing it via an app.
Please use this article as a reference and consider adding one to your store.
Finally, the blog article below introduces other types of banners you can display on Shopify besides the free shipping bar, along with banner apps. Please use it as a reference.
