--- title: "How do I set up a free gift that adds itself to the cart?" description: "Create a Free gift in SMART Bundles: trigger, gift tiers, gift price and eligibility. The gift adds itself to the cart on every page of your store." url: "https://smart-bundles.io/help/free-gifts/set-up-a-free-gift" updated: "2026-11-02" product: "SMART Bundles App & Upsells" section: "Help center / Free gifts" --- # How do I set up a free gift that adds itself to the cart? In SMART Discounts, click **Create new discount**, pick **Free gift** under **Free gifts**, choose a **Trigger**, pick the gift product in **Tier #1** and click **Create**. Once the cart reaches the tier, the gift is added to the cart by itself on any page of your store, and it's removed when the cart stops qualifying. This needs the SMART Discounts app embed on in your theme. ## Before you start - **Turn on the app embed.** The gift is added by the app's script in your Online Store theme, so the SMART Discounts app embed (**Deal widget** in App embeds) must be on in the published theme. If it's off, the app offers **Turn on app embed** when you pick Free gift. See [Turn on the app embed](https://smart-bundles.io/help/getting-started/turn-on-the-app-embed). - **Publish the gift product to the Online Store.** Otherwise the editor warns: "This product isn't active on your Online Store, so the gift can't be added to carts." - **Keep the gift's normal price.** The discount makes it free only while it's earned. Added by hand to a cart that doesn't qualify, it costs the full price. ## Step by step 1. Open **SMART Discounts** in your Shopify admin, click **Create new discount** and pick **Free gift** under **Free gifts**. 2. Enter a **Discount name** (only you see it). Leave **Application method** on **Automatic**, or choose **Code** for a gift that needs a code ([Free gift with a discount code](https://smart-bundles.io/help/free-gifts/free-gift-with-a-discount-code)). The method can't be changed after the first save. 3. In **Trigger**, choose **Cart value** or **Items in cart**. To stop giving the gift on large carts, tick **Set a maximum cart value** or **Set a maximum number of items**. 4. Under **Counts toward the tier**, keep **All products** or choose **Specific products** and pick them. Tick **Require all of these products** if the gift needs every listed product in the cart. 5. In **Gift tiers** > **Tier #1**, enter the **Minimum cart value** (or **Minimum items**) and the **Free quantity** (1 to 10). Click **Select gift product** and pick the **Variant** if there are several. A tier always adds that one variant. 6. Set the **Gift price**: **Free** (the default), **Percentage off** or **Fixed price** per unit. The **Checkout label** (default "Free gift") shows at checkout next to the gift, so rename it for a paid gift. 7. Click **Add tier** for more tiers, up to 5. See [Free gift tiers](https://smart-bundles.io/help/free-gifts/free-gift-tiers). 8. In **Eligibility**, set **Customers** (by tags or all), **New customers only** and **Markets**. See [Customer eligibility](https://smart-bundles.io/help/cart-discounts/customer-eligibility). 9. Check **Combinations** (all ticked by default) and **Active dates**, read the **Summary**, and click **Create**. With a start of now, the gift is live once saved. ## What the shopper sees - The gift shows up as its own cart line at the tier's Free quantity, with your checkout label at checkout. The app refreshes your theme's cart drawer or cart page quietly and never opens the drawer. - A raised gift quantity is set back to the Free quantity. A gift the shopper deletes isn't added again in that browser tab while the cart stays at that tier. - When the cart drops below the tier, the gift is removed. A checkout click during a cart sync is held for a moment until the sync finishes. ## How the gift is priced - Free gift is a product discount on the gift line only, for the tier's Free quantity. - **Fixed price** sets each gift unit to that price. If the gift already costs that or less, nothing is taken off: a discount never raises a price. - Amounts are in your store currency and converted at Shopify's rate. If you sell in other currencies, the globe button next to an amount sets an exact amount per currency. See [Markets and currencies](https://smart-bundles.io/help/getting-started/markets-and-currencies). ## Limits - Never in Shopify POS, and no gift in flows that skip the cart, such as Buy it now. See [Free gift not added to the cart](https://smart-bundles.io/help/free-gifts/free-gift-not-added-to-cart). - No progress bar or "spend $X more" message. - Shoppers can't choose between gifts. For a choice, use a [Buy X get Y discount](https://smart-bundles.io/help/cart-discounts/buy-x-get-y-discounts): the shopper adds the option they want. - The checkout label has one language. - Each automatic Free gift counts toward Shopify's limit of 25 active automatic discounts, which includes app discounts ([Shopify Help Center](https://help.shopify.com/en/manual/discounts/discount-methods/automatic-discounts)). - Gifts inside a bundle are set up in the bundle editor (**Add gift** on an offer card, or **Extras** > **Progressive gifts**) and are added only on pages that show the bundle widget: see [Progressive gifts](https://smart-bundles.io/help/bundles/progressive-gifts). **Give a gift that adds itself to the cart** Install SMART Bundles, click Create new discount and pick Free gift. The app is free: one plan with everything included. [Install SMART Bundles App & Upsells on the Shopify App Store](https://apps.shopify.com/smart-automatic-discounts). ## Frequently asked questions ### Do I need to set the gift product's price to zero? No. Keep its normal price. The Free gift discount makes it free (or sets your gift price) only while the cart qualifies. ### Does the free gift show on the product page? No. The gift line is added to the cart on whatever page the shopper is on when the cart qualifies. See [Free gift](https://smart-bundles.io/features/free-gift) for the other gift options.