Shopify cart spend discount simulator
By the Discount Prime team. Last reviewed November 7, 2026.
A cart spend discount takes a percentage or an amount off the whole order once the cart reaches a tier. Pick one of Discount Prime's templates, change the tiers and build a sample cart, including discounts other campaigns already give. The simulator applies the app's checkout rules: which subtotal is measured, whether the order discount stacks or competes, what the customer pays and the gross profit left after cost per item.
- Customer pays
- $84.00
- Order discount
- $20.00
- Gross profit
- $46.00
- Gross margin
- 54.8%
Measured: $104.00, the full cart, without free items. Tier 1 (from $100: $20 off) applies.
| Line | Product discount | Line total |
|---|---|---|
| Merino sweater1 x $64.00 | None | $64.00 |
| Wool beanie1 x $28.00 | None | $28.00 |
| Hiking socks1 x $12.00 | None | $12.00 |
| Subtotal after product discounts | $104.00 | |
| Order Discount | -$20.00 | |
| Customer pays | $84.00 | |
| Cart before discounts (gross profit $66.00, 63.5%) | $104.00 | |
| Effective discount | 19.2% | |
This cart keeps a gross profit after the discounts.
One cart, three combination settings
The Tiered Cart Discount template gives 5% off from $50, 10% from $100 and 15% from $200. The cart is a $120 rain jacket, a $35 scarf that already has 10% off from another campaign, and $30 gloves: $185.00 at full price.
| Setting | Order discount | Scarf's 10% | Customer pays | Gross margin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Combine off (default)Only the larger discount applies | $18.50 | Removed | $166.50 | 55.6% |
| Combine on, after other discounts10% of what is left after the scarf's 10% | $18.15 | Kept | $163.35 | 54.7% |
| Combine on, before other discounts10% of the original prices, on top of the scarf's 10% | $18.50 | Kept | $163.00 | 54.6% |
With Combine off, the $18.50 order discount is larger than the scarf's $3.50, so it replaces it and the customer gets one discount. Turning Combine on adds the two together, and before other discounts takes the 10% on the original prices, so it is the largest of the three. Use Combine off when you want a cart goal without double discounts on items that are already on sale.
How Discount Prime applies a cart spend discount
- One order discount per cart
- Shopify applies one automatic order discount to a cart. The tier is chosen from the cart's spend, or from its item count if you count items, and the label at checkout is Order Discount.
- The highest tier reached applies
- Tiers are set from the smallest minimum up. The cart gets the last tier it reaches, and a percentage is taken on the whole subtotal the campaign measures.
- An optional maximum is a ceiling
- A tier with an upper limit stops applying once the cart passes it, so a $35 to $90 band gives nothing at $91. Leave it empty for an open-ended tier.
- Combine off: the larger discount wins
- This is the default. The order discount is compared with the product discounts in the cart on the full cart value. If it is larger, it replaces them; if not, it does not apply. Free items, such as a free gift, stay free and are left out of the comparison.
- Combine on: before or after other discounts
- The order discount stacks on the product discounts. After other discounts takes the percentage on what is left after them; before other discounts takes it on the original prices, which gives a larger total.
- Product discounts come first
- On Shopify, product discounts are calculated first, then order discounts, then shipping. That is why the after option measures a smaller subtotal.
What the simulator leaves out
- The exact rules of the other campaigns in the cart. Enter what they take off each line instead.
- A second order campaign. With several live order campaigns, the app applies the one that gives the largest discount.
- Discount codes, shipping and currency conversion. Enter every amount in one currency. Order campaigns started by a code are not covered.
- How Shopify spreads the order discount across lines in the order details.
An estimate for planning. Test a campaign in your store before you launch it.
Build the same campaign in Discount Prime
Every scenario above is a template in the app. Pick it, set the tiers and choose whether it combines with your other campaigns. Profit Analytics then shows the gross profit of every discounted order, so you can see what the cart goal really earns.
Questions merchants ask
Does a Discount Prime cart spend discount stack with product discounts?
Only if you turn on Combine with other campaigns. With it off, which is the default, the order discount and the product discounts in the cart are compared, and only the larger one applies. A free gift stays free either way.
Is the spend threshold measured before or after other discounts?
It depends on the setting. With Combine off, the full cart value counts, minus free items. With Combine on, you choose: before other discounts uses the original prices, and after other discounts uses what is left after product discounts.
What happens when a cart passes the maximum of a tier?
That tier stops applying. A maximum on an order tier is an upper limit for the band, not a cap on the discount. Leave it empty for tiers that should keep applying however large the cart gets.
Can I run several cart spend campaigns at the same time?
Yes, but Shopify applies one automatic order discount per cart, so Discount Prime applies the campaign that gives the largest discount. This simulator covers one campaign at a time.
Is this exactly what my checkout will show?
It follows the same rules as Discount Prime's checkout discount for one order campaign, and the label is the same. Other campaigns are entered as a simple amount per line, so test the campaign in your store before launch.
Related guides
- How Shopify discount combinations work, and how to stop stacking
- Tiered pricing on Shopify: how to structure tiers
- Volume discount simulator: quantity and spend tiers on products
- Discount profit calculator: margin and break-even for one offer
Shopify's order of calculation is from its discount combinations guide. Discount Prime is our app. The rules come from its checkout discount code and test suite.