Merchant guide
Shopify discount code not working? Start with these checks
A Shopify merchant checklist for discount codes that fail: check dates, eligible items, minimum spend, customer rules, combinations, and cart widget settings.1. Reproduce the problem with the same cart
Record the code, products and variants, quantities, customer state, delivery destination, and exact message. Try the same code directly at Shopify checkout and stop before payment. Keep the cart and customer conditions the same so you are comparing the same scenario.
| Result | Next check |
|---|---|
| Rejected at checkout too | Review the discount in Shopify, starting with eligibility and combinations. |
| Works at checkout, fails in the popup | Note both results and contact app support. Cart and checkout may have different customer or delivery information. |
| No offer button or no visible code | Check saved app settings, theme activation, cart contents, and eligibility filtering. |
| Checkout savings are correct, cart total is stale | Reload the cart. If it persists, record the theme and any cart app involved. |
2. Review the discount itself
- Code and dates: check the exact code and whether its active period has started or ended. Expiry follows the timezone shown in Shopify admin.
- Eligible items: verify the actual variant and collection, not just the product name.
- Minimum purchase: check the required amount or quantity against the qualifying items.
- Customer and usage: confirm the customer qualifies and has not exceeded the discount's usage limits.
- Delivery: for a shipping code, check the destination and shipping-rate conditions.
Shopify's discount code FAQ explains invalid codes, item restrictions, expiry, and usage questions. Do not remove a campaign restriction just to make a failing test pass; first decide whether that cart should qualify.
3. Isolate a combination conflict
Test each code alone, then together. Include any automatic discounts already affecting the order. A successful individual test does not prove that a pair is compatible: each discount needs the appropriate combination settings.
Use the combination checklist before allowing two selections in Coupon List Lite. The app cannot override Shopify's discount rules.
4. Check the offer list settings
- Enable Show Coupon List on the storefront and select at least one active public offer.
- Check the placement options for the full cart page or the button shown while the cart has items.
- Click Save and publish; then enable Coupon offers in the relevant theme's app embeds and save the theme.
- Add a product. The button is hidden for an empty cart.
- If eligibility filtering is enabled, check whether this cart can actually qualify. Unconfirmed eligibility can hide the offer.
Follow the setup walkthrough for the complete flow. Avoid changing advanced drawer selectors until the default floating button has been checked.
5. Share a reproducible example with support
Provide your store domain, theme name and version, steps to reproduce, the error text, and whether checkout accepted the same code. Include any cart app involved. Keep passwords, private customer details, and access tokens out of the report. These details help distinguish a configuration issue from a theme or app problem.
Make active discounts easier to find