What is a free shipping threshold?
A free shipping threshold is the cart subtotal a shopper has to reach for delivery to be free, for example "Free shipping over $50." Below the line, shipping is charged; at or above it, shipping is waived. Stores use it as a lever on order size, giving shoppers a reason to add one more item rather than pay for postage.
Example
Say your threshold is $50 and a shopper's cart sits at $42. She faces a choice: pay a $6 shipping fee, or add an $11 item and pay nothing for delivery. Most shoppers add the item. The cart goes from $42 to $53, and the "extra" she added often carries more margin than the shipping you waived. You traded a $6 fee for $11 of order.
Set the line just above your average cart. Too high and shoppers give up; too low and you waive shipping on orders that already cleared it.
On Shopify stores
On a Shopify store, you set the threshold in shipping settings as a free rate above a subtotal. It works on its own, but stays invisible: nothing on the cart tells the shopper she is close. The lift comes from a progress bar, "You're $8 away from free shipping," in the cart drawer where the decision happens. So most stores pair the Shopify rate with a bar that counts the gap down as items go in.
Related terms
Free shipping thresholds with Sledge
Sledge's cart drawer shows a free-shipping progress bar that updates as the shopper adds items, turning your Shopify threshold from a hidden rule into a visible nudge at the moment of decision. Pair it with a one-tap product suggestion and the gap closes itself. The cart that finishes the sale.
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