Expert answer · 2 min read
My discount code isn't working at checkout. What are the first things I should check?
The short answer
In depth
Troubleshooting Discount Codes That Don't Work at Checkout
A discount code that doesn't work at checkout is one of the most frustrating customer experiences - and one of the most common support tickets for e-commerce stores. Most failures fall into a small set of diagnosable causes that can be resolved in minutes.
Systematic Troubleshooting Checklist
| # | Check | Where to Verify |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Code spelling and case - Shopify codes are case-insensitive but extra spaces cause failures | Ask customer to re-type code manually (not copy-paste) |
| 2 | Code expiry date - has the end date passed? | Shopify Admin - Discounts - find code - check end date |
| 3 | Usage limit reached - has the maximum number of uses been hit? | Check "Times used" vs. "Usage limit" in discount settings |
| 4 | Minimum purchase not met - is the cart subtotal above the minimum? | Check "Minimum purchase amount" setting vs. customer cart total |
| 5 | Product eligibility - are the cart items in the "Applies to" collection/product list? | Check "Applies to" in discount settings vs. customer's cart items |
| 6 | Automatic discount conflict - is an active automatic discount blocking the code? | Check if any automatic discounts are currently active in Discounts tab |
| 7 | Customer already used it - "one use per customer" limit triggered | Check if "Limit to one use per customer" is enabled and this customer used it before |
Quick Resolution for Customers
If the code genuinely shouldn't have failed (it's a legitimate campaign still running and the customer meets all conditions), you can manually apply the discount by creating an order in Shopify Admin on behalf of the customer with the correct pricing, or by issuing a new unique single-use code directly to that customer.
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