In the world of influencer and affiliate marketing, creative and enticing offers can make all the difference in driving conversions and increasing customer loyalty. Shopify’s Buy X, Get Y discount type is a powerful tool that Shopify brands can leverage to achieve these goals.

This guide will walk you through setting up these discounts in Shopify and connecting them to Aspire offers to easily generate unique Buy X, Get Y promo codes for your members.

How does Buy X, Get Y work?

Buy X, Get Y promotions are a popular way to not only incentivize new customers to purchase but also reward returning customers. You can use them to increase sales, boost brand awareness, and clear out slow-moving inventory.

One common variation is the Gift-With-Purchase (GWP) or Buy One, Get One (BOGO) strategy, where brands entice customers by offering a free item upon meeting a specific purchase threshold. For example:

“Buy 2 T-Shirts, Get 1 Free”
“Spend $50, Receive a Free Gift”

Another approach involves offering a product at a discounted rate, such as Buy One, Get One Half Off. For example:

"Buy 1 T-Shirt, Get 1 50% Off"

Why Use Buy X, Get Y Discount Codes?

Encourage higher Average Order Values (AOV)
By setting a minimum purchase requirement (Buy X), you can motivate customers to spend more to unlock the free or discounted product (Get Y). Influencers and affiliates can promote these offers as a way for customers to maximize their value, leading to higher commissions for your partners and increased revenue for your brand.
Create a sense of urgency
Limited-time Buy X, Get Y offers tap into FOMO (fear of missing out), driving quick purchase decisions and higher conversion rates. Influencers can use their platforms to amplify this urgency through countdowns and call-to-action posts.
Clear out slow-moving inventory
Launch end-of-season sales to clear out slow-moving inventory or offer discounts to build excitement for new product releases. Use Buy X, Get Y offers to turn limited-time offers into must-have deals that inspire repeat purchases.

Check out this blog post for more information!

How to Setup Buy X, Get Y Offers

Part 1: Create a Buy X, Get Y Discount in Shopify

Follow these steps to create a Buy X, Get Y discount in Shopify. If you already have one set up, skip to Part 2.

From your Shopify admin, navigate to the Discounts tab.
Click Add discount.
Select Buy X, Get Y as the discount type.
Under Method, select Discount code.
Enter a name for the discount code or click Generate to create a random code.

Note: The discount code entered here is not the one your members will promote. Instead, unique codes for each member will be generated later in Aspire. We recommend using a randomly generated code to minimize the chances of it being used inadvertently, as this code will remain active. The name of this discount code will also serve as the discount group name in Shopify.
In the Customer buys section, configure these settings:
- Select Minimum quantity of items or Minimum purchase amount.
- Enter the number of items customers must buy or the amount they must spend to qualify for the discount.
- In the Any items from section, select Specific products or Specific collections. Use the search field or click Browse to add products or collections. To remove an item, click the X.
  
  In the example below, the customer must buy at least 1 pair of shoes from the "Shoes" collection in order to qualify for the promotion.
In the Customer gets section, configure these settings:
- Set the quantity of items customers receive a discount on.
- In the Any items from section, select Specific products or Specific collections. Use the search field or click Browse to add eligible products or collections. To remove an item, click the X.
- In the At a discounted value section, select Percentage, Amount off each, or Free.
- To set a maximum number of uses per order, check Set the maximum number of uses per order and specify the limit.
  
  In the example below, the customer gets 1 bucket hat for free with their qualifying purchase.
In the Eligibility section, choose who can use this discount: everyone, specific customer segments, or specific customers.
To limit discount usage, select an option under Maximum discount uses:
- Limit number of times this discount can be used in total: Set a maximum number of uses across all customers.
- Limit to one per customer: Restrict the discount to one use per customer.
To let customers combine this discount code with other discounts, select the eligible discount types in the Combinations section.
In the Active dates section, set a start date and optionally an end date. If no end date is set, the discount will not expire.
Click Save discount.
Copy the numerical ID in the URL after /discounts/ from your browser's address bar. You'll need this ID to set up the offer in Aspire.

For more information on Buy X, Get Y discounts, please see Shopify’s help article.

Part 2: Create a Promo Code Offer in Aspire

From your Aspire account, go to Reporting > Sales Tracking.
Click Add Offer and select Promo Code Offer.
Complete the Promo Code Offer Details and Manage Payouts sections.
In the Offer Type section, select Connect Existing Buy X, Get Y Offer from the drop-down.
In the Shopify Discount ID field, paste the ID you copied from your Shopify admin.

Need help finding this? From your Shopify admin, go to the Discounts tab and click on the Buy X, Get Y discount you wish to connect. Copy the numerical ID in the URL after /discounts/ from your browser's address bar.
Enter a Promo Code Group Name and select a Naming Strategy.
Click Create Offer.
Connect the offer to a project with the Promo Codes stage or add members via the Sales Tracking dashboard. Codes will be generated using the discount settings and active dates in Shopify, which can be updated anytime. Reporting and payouts will be handled in Aspire.

ℹ️ Important: With Buy X, Get Y promotions, the free or discounted item will not be automatically added to the customer's cart. They need to add all eligible items to their cart before they move to checkout. This includes the items that they need to buy to qualify for the discount, as well as any items that they get as part of a promotion.

It's important to clearly communicate this to your partners so they can mention this in their messaging to their followers.

Frequently Asked Questions

How can I edit the Buy X, Get Y settings?

You can edit the discount settings and active dates by going to the Discounts tab within your Shopify admin. The "Buy X" and "Get Y" settings cannot be edited in Aspire at this time.

Can I use Discount Links, SecureCodes and/or CreatorStores in combination with Buy X, Get Y promo codes?

Yes, you can enable discount links along with SecureCodes and/or CreatorStores when using a Buy X, Get Y offer.

Do Buy X, Get Y discount codes apply to subscription purchases?

This depends on the settings you choose when creating the offer in Shopify. You can select one-time purchases, subscriptions, or both.

Can I edit the offer type for an existing offer?

No. Once members have been added to an offer, you cannot change the offer type to connect a Buy X, Get Y offer from Shopify. If you want to switch the promo codes from Amount Off to Buy X, Get Y, you must deactivate the codes within the existing offer and then recreate them in a new offer.

Can customers stack Buy X, Get Y codes with other discount codes?

This depends on the settings you choose when creating the offer in Shopify. To enable code stacking, ensure that "Allow customers to combine with other discount codes" is selected in the Combinations section.

How can I activate/deactivate a code, refresh a code name, or change the payout for a member?

Click into the offer within your Sales Tracking dashboard, select the member(s), click "Manage Offers for Members" (pencil icon), then select the action you wish to perform.

Why is the Promo Code Group Name field disabled?

This field sets the discount group name in Shopify. Since Buy X, Get Y offers are created directly in your Shopify store, the discount group name is already assigned and cannot be edited from Aspire.

Can we use this feature if we have multiple Shopify stores connected?

Yes. You will need to create a Buy X, Get Y discount in each Shopify store, then copy the discount IDs for each one. When creating the offer in Aspire, you will toggle on "Enter discount id of secondary stores" under Connect other shopify stores discounts. Then, select the connected Shopify stores you want to sync the codes to and enter the corresponding discount IDs.