---
title: "Can I offer a discount on pre-orders?"
description: "Give pre-orders a percentage or fixed discount with no code, show the discounted price, and know which Shopify discount codes and gift cards work."
url: "https://smart-preorder.com/help/preorders/discounts-with-preorders"
updated: "2026-11-02"
product: "SMART Preorder & Back in stock"
section: "Help center / Pre-orders"
---


# Can I offer a discount on pre-orders?

Yes. In the campaign's **Payment** card tick **Apply discount** and choose **Percentage off** or **Fixed amount off**. Shopify applies it automatically to the pre-order items at checkout, with no code. Shopify's Buy X get Y discounts don't work on pre-orders.

## Add a pre-order discount

1. Open the campaign and go to the **Campaign** tab.
2. In the **Payment** card, tick **Apply discount**.
3. Choose a **Discount type**: **Percentage off** or **Fixed amount off**.
4. Enter the **Discount value**. A percentage can't be more than 100; a fixed amount is in your store currency. The value must be more than 0.
5. Click **Save**.

## How it works

- The discount is part of the campaign's Shopify purchase option, so it applies only when the item is bought as a pre-order. With **When the product is out of stock**, variants still in stock sell at the normal price.
- It works with **Full payment** and **Deposit** campaigns.
- It needs **Standard checkout** (Settings tab > Advanced > Checkout mode). With **Simple checkout** the editor refuses the save: "Pre-order discounts need Standard checkout. Remove the discount, or switch back to Standard checkout".

## What shoppers see

![Pre-order price $75.65 next to the struck-through regular price $89.00, above a Pre-order now button](https://smart-preorder.com/screens/preorder-discount.png)

*Pre-order discounts show at the theme's price: the discounted price next to the struck-through regular price.*

- With **Show discounted pre-order prices** on (the default, in the app's **Settings > Theme compatibility**), the theme's price is replaced with the discounted price and the struck-through original. **Also on collection, search and home pages** does the same on product cards.
- The payment message of a deposit campaign uses Shopify's own figures for the pre-order, discount included.
- The cart line can show the saving with the {{discount_amount}} variable (Settings tab > Cart and checkout > **Add a line to pre-order items**).
- Pre-order emails and the order page show the deposit after discounts, excluding tax and shipping.

## Shopify discount codes, automatic discounts and gift cards

|  | Standard checkout (default) | Simple checkout |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Campaign discount (Apply discount) | Works | Not available |
| Shopify Buy X get Y discounts | Don't work on pre-order items (a Shopify rule) | Work |
| Other discount codes and automatic discounts | Shopify decides whether they apply to the pre-order item; test the code in a checkout | Apply as on a normal item |
| Gift cards | Can't pay for pre-order items | Work |
| Deposits | Work | Not available (full payment only) |

Simple checkout sells the item as a normal line with a hidden pre-order note, so every payment method and discount works, but there's no deposit and no campaign discount. Shopify documents the Buy X get Y limit for pre-orders in its [Help Center](https://help.shopify.com/en/manual/products/purchase-options/pre-orders/setup).

> **Early-bird pricing with a deadline** Pair the discount with **Set end date** on the Campaign tab and turn on the **Countdown timer** on the Design tab ("Pre-order ends in"). When the end date passes, the campaign stops taking pre-orders. To keep taking them at full price, untick **Apply discount** and move or remove the end date before it passes.

**Reward early buyers** Automatic pre-order discounts with the struck-through price on your product pages. Free on the Shopify App Store. [Install SMART Preorder & Back in stock on the Shopify App Store](https://apps.shopify.com/smart-preorder-back-in-stock).

## Frequently asked questions

### Do I need to create a discount code in Shopify for the pre-order price?

No. The campaign discount is applied automatically at checkout to pre-order items. There's no code for customers to enter.

### Why doesn't my Buy X get Y code work on a pre-order?

Shopify doesn't support Buy X get Y discounts on pre-order purchase options. If you need them, use Simple checkout on that campaign; it can't take deposits or apply a campaign discount.

### Can customers pay for a pre-order with a gift card?

Not on Standard checkout campaigns. Switch the campaign to Simple checkout if gift cards must work; it takes full payment only.