Free shipping

What is free shipping?

Free shipping means the seller covers the cost of delivering a product to the customer, instead of charging a separate shipping fee. It’s often used as an incentive to encourage shoppers to complete a purchase.

Why do brands offer free shipping?

Free shipping is a powerful marketing tool in ecommerce. Many shoppers abandon their carts when they see unexpected shipping charges at checkout. By offering free shipping, businesses can reduce cart abandonment, increase conversions, and build customer loyalty.

How does free shipping work in ecommerce?

Free shipping can be applied in a few different ways:

• Sitewide Free Shipping: All orders ship for free, no minimum.
• Conditional Free Shipping: Only orders above a certain amount (e.g., $50+) qualify.
• Membership-based Free Shipping: Free shipping is a benefit of a loyalty program or subscription (like Amazon Prime).

Brands often bake the shipping cost into product pricing or absorb the cost as part of their customer acquisition strategy.

Example: A common ecommerce promotion

A clothing store might offer “Free shipping on orders over $75” to encourage customers to add more to their cart and increase average order value.

Driftcharge Tip

Test offering free shipping on select products or during key sales periods. Track its impact on conversion rate, average order value, and profit margins.

Ganesh Pawar

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Ganesh Pawar is the founder of Driftcharge, a subscription management app designed to help Shopify merchants streamline and scale their subscription businesses. With a deep focus on solving real-world pain points—like legacy account page support, flexible subscription options, and advanced analytics—Ganesh is passionate about building tools that drive growth and retention.