Discount Center: Buy X for Y
Buy X for Y is the discount type behind "3 for 2" deals and similar offers. The customer buys a set number of products, and the cheapest one (or more) is free or discounted. The store applies it automatically — there's no code.
This type is only available if Buy X for Y is enabled for your store. If you don't see it as an option, contact support to have it turned on.
How the rule works
A Buy X for Y discount has one rule, made of two parts:
- Number of products to trigger — how many qualifying items the customer needs in the cart (the "X").
- Discount — what they get on the cheapest item(s) once they hit that number.
The discount can be one of three kinds:
Discount kind | What the number means | Example |
|---|---|---|
Cheapest free | How many of the cheapest items become free | Trigger 3, value 1 → "3 for 2" (1 of every 3 free) |
Percent | Percentage off the cheapest item | Trigger 3, value 75 → 75% off the cheapest of every 3 |
Fixed amount (kr) | Kroner off the cheapest item | Trigger 3, value 50 → 50 kr off the cheapest of every 3 |
The discount always lands on the cheapest qualifying item in the cart. That's what makes "3 for 2" work — the customer pays for the two most expensive and gets the least expensive free.
Setting up the rule
- On the discount's detail page, find the X for Y rule card and click Edit rule.
- Set Number of products to trigger.
- Choose the discount kind (Cheapest free, Percent, or Fixed amount) and enter the value.
- Write a Description — this is shown to the customer in the cart as the discount line label, so write it the way you want them to read it (for example "3 for 2 on socks").
- Save.
As you edit, a live Customer sees preview shows how the deal reads — for example "Buy 3, cheapest item free". Use it to sanity-check the rule before saving.
What it applies to
A Buy X for Y discount targets products the same way the other types do — all products, specific products, a category, or manufacturers.
Unlike quantity discounts, Buy X for Y has no per-tier price columns on its product list. The discount lands on the cheapest item in the qualifying cart, so there's no fixed per-product price to show.
Tips
- For a classic "3 for 2", use Cheapest free with a trigger of 3 and a value of 1.
- For "buy 2, get the cheaper one half price", use Percent with a trigger of 2 and a value of 50.
- Write the cart description clearly — it's the only text the customer sees explaining why their total dropped.