Who doesn’t love a great deal, especially when it’s a Buy One Get One Free offer? Undoubtedly, enticing customers with irresistible discounts can lead to significantly increased sales and loyalty. 

While manually managing these deals can be a hassle, Shopify offers a variety of apps and built-in features to streamline the process. In this guide, I’ll walk you through how to set up a Buy One Get One Free promotion on your Shopify store.

What Is A Buy One Get One (BOGO) Offer?

A Buy One Get One Free (BOGO) offer is a typical and popular sales promotion strategy to encourage sales where customers can receive an additional item for free when they purchase a specific product. 

BOGO offers are incredibly versatile and can be applied strategically in various scenarios:

• Clearing out excess inventory
• Promoting new products
• Attracting new customers
• Boosting sales during slow periods
• Seasonal or holiday promotions
• Encouraging repeat purchases
• Setting your store apart from competitors

Common Types of BOGO Offers

BOGO deals can take various forms, such as:

• Buy One, Get One Free (BOGO): The most common type, where customers receive a second item of equal or lesser value for free.
• Buy Two Get One Free: Customers receive a free item after purchasing two.
• Buy One Get One at 50% Off: The second item is offered at a discounted price, usually 50% off.
• Buy X Get Y Free: Customers buy a specific item (X) and receive another item (Y) for free
• Tiered BOGO: Offer increasing discounts or free items as customers purchase more. For example, “Buy one, get one 50% off, buy two, get one free, buy three, get two free.”
• BOGO for Specific Customer Groups: Offer exclusive BOGO deals to loyal customers, VIP members, or new subscribers to reward them.

Preparing for Your BOGO Offer on Shopify

A BOGO strategy sounds simple but successful execution requires careful planning. Here’s how to get started:

1. Define Your Goals: Do you want to increase sales volume, clear out slow-moving stock, or attract new customers? Understanding your objectives will help shape the structure of your offer.
2. Choose Eligible Products

• Consider offering BOGO with items that complement each other (e.g., shampoo and conditioner) or inventory that you want to move quickly. 
• Ensure that the “giveaway” products are in your store’s inventory system for smooth order management.

3. Plan Your Promotion Period: Decide on the start and end dates of your BOGO offer, ensuring they align with sales trends and customer behavior. Make sure the period is clearly visible in your store to catch attention.
4. Calculate Profit Margin: Factor in the cost of the free product, any discounts applied, and operational expenses to ensure you’re not sacrificing profit for sales volume.

Setting Up Buy One Get One Free on Shopify: A Step-by-step Guide

So now, let’s get into how to set up a BOGO promotion on Shopify.

Method 1: Using Shopify’s Built-in Discount Feature

Shopify allows merchants to create simple discount codes directly within the platform without needing additional apps.

There are 2 ways you can use it: Create a Buy X get Y discount code or Create an automatic Buy X get Y discount.

Here’s how to set it up:

• Go to your Shopify admin dashboard. On the left sidebar, click on Discounts
• Click on Add Discount to create a new code.

• In the menu, select Buy X Get Y as the discount type.

• You can either let the code be applied manually or automatically 
• Discount code: Create a unique code for your promotion, such as “BOGOwinter2024“.
• Automatic discount: Create a title to notify customers at checkout

• Set conditions:

In the Customer buys section:

• Choose Minimum quantity of items or Minimum purchase amount to set the requirements for eligibility.
• In Any items from, select Specific products or Specific collections and choose the products or collections for the promotion.

In the Customer gets section:

• Set the quantity of free items the customer receives.
• In Any items from, select the specific products or collections the customer can get for free.
• Under At a discounted value, choose Percentage, Amount off each, or Free for the discount type.
• Set Maximum number of uses per order to limit how often the discount can be applied to a single order.
•  Set Discount Combinations: Decide if this discount can be combined with other offers by selecting the discount types it can be used with.
•  Set Active Dates: Use the calendar to define the start and end dates for the discount. If you don’t set an end date, the discount remains active indefinitely.

•  Save the Discount: Click Save discount to create your BOGO offer.

Method 2: Using Shopify Apps

If you need more flexibility, customizations, or additional features like product exclusions, advanced reporting, or automated promotion, you can use third-party apps available in the Shopify App Store. 

Here are 5 popular apps for setting up BOGO promotions on Shopify:

• AOV Free Gift Buy X Get Y+BOGO: Increase order value with automatic gifts, BOGO deals, and volume discounts.
• BOGOS.io Free Gift Buy X Get Y: Boost sales with BOGO deals, free gifts, and product bundles.
• Rapi Bundle Quantity Breaks: Simple BOGO offers, volume discounts, and bundles for small stores.
• Discount Buy X Get Y BOGO Gift: Dynamic BOGO deals, bundles, discounts, and upselling tools with performance tracking.
• Hextom: Ultimate Sales Boost: Over 30 sales tools, including BOGO, countdown timers, and upselling.

Steps to Set Up a BOGO Offer Using an App:

1. Go to the Shopify App Store, search for the app you want to use (use the keyword “BOGO” to get the desired app) and click Install.

2. Open the app’s dashboard and select the option to create a new offer or promotion.
3. Select the “Buy One Get One” promotion option (or similar) based on the app’s features and set its conditions such as:

• Choose the products 
• Customize the details, like product quantity, exclusions, or discounts.

4. Set start and end dates 
5. Once all the details are set, activate the promotion and monitor its performance through the app’s analytics.

How to Promote Your BOGO Offer on Your Shopify Store

To make your BOGO offer a success, it’s essential to promote it effectively across multiple channels, ensuring maximum visibility and engagement with your customers.

• Update Your Storefront: Add banners, pop-ups, and promotional messages on product pages to grab attention and highlight the BOGO offer.
• Social Media Campaigns: Announce the promotion on social media (Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok, etc.) using engaging visuals to emphasize the value (e.g., “Buy One, Get One Free!”).
• Email Marketing: Send targeted emails to your subscribers, focusing on the offer’s benefits and creating a sense of urgency.
• Incentivize Referrals: Encourage customers to share the deal with friends, offering rewards for referrals to increase reach and sales.
• Countdown Timer: Use a countdown timer on your site to create urgency and motivate quick purchases before the offer expires.

Best Practices for Running BOGO Promotions on Shopify

After all, there are some insights that we would like to share with you in order to get the best practices in running this kind of promotion.

• Be Strategic About Which Products You Choose: Don’t just pick products randomly. Focus on items that will benefit your business; the promotion feels more intentional and beneficial to both you and the customer.
• Keep the Offer Simple and Time-Limited: One of the biggest mistakes I’ve seen is making the terms of the BOGO offer too complicated. Keep it straightforward. Make sure the promotion is time-limited to encourage urgency.
• Clear Communication is Everything: Don’t just rely on your website. Shout it from the rooftops (or at least your social media channels)! Announce the promotion on your homepage, create social media posts, send email blasts, and consider running ads to reach a wider audience.
• Test and Optimize the Experience: Always test your BOGO setup beforehand. Discounts that didn’t apply correctly or didn’t show up in the cart are frustrating for customers, and it can kill the entire promotion.
• Track Results as You Go: Keep an eye on metrics like conversion rate and AOV throughout the promotion. You can adjust on the fly if needed. 
• Target the Right Customers: Not everyone is going to respond to an offer the same way. Segment your audience—maybe offer a special BOGO to loyal customers or use email campaigns to target first-time visitors.
• Don’t Overwhelm Customers with Multiple Offers: It can be tempting to run multiple promotions at once, but this can confuse customers. Stick to one clear, focused promotion at a time and make sure it is the star of the show.

Bottom Line

Setting up a buy one get one free promotion on Shopify is quite simple but such a campaign can significantly drive meaningful sales and customer engagement for your store. Start small, refine your approach, and soon you’ll see the real benefits of a well-timed BOGO offer.

FAQs

What’s the difference between BOGO and Free Gift with Purchase promotions?

While both promotions offer something extra to customers, a BOGO deal gives customers an additional item for free when they buy a specified product. In contrast, a Free Gift with Purchase promotion offers customers a free item once they meet a purchase threshold, regardless of whether it’s a direct product match.

How long should I run a BOGO promotion?

The duration of your BOGO promotion totally depends on your business goals. A limited-time offer (e.g., one week) creates urgency, while a longer promotion might help you reach more customers. However, running the promotion too long can reduce its perceived value, so it’s best to balance urgency and exposure.

How do I handle returns for BOGO offers?

Handling returns for BOGO promotions can be tricky, as customers may return the paid item but keep the free one. 

It’s a good idea to set clear return policies for BOGO promotions. You can specify that both items need to be returned together or that returns are not accepted for BOGO deals.

Can I offer different BOGO promotions to different customer groups or markets?

Yes, third-party apps allow you to create custom BOGO offers for different customer groups or markets based on criteria like location, spending behavior, or order history. This is particularly useful if you’re targeting specific demographics or geographic regions.