Marketing scenario
What this scenario gives you
More checkout starts and recovered carts with lower margin risk than percentage discount codes.
Exit-intent popup with free shipping for carts near profitable value or products where shipping cost blocks the decision.
When it is worth using
- carts with products but no checkout start
- stores where shipping cost often blocks completion
- brands that want recovery without constant catalog discounting
When to skip it
Do not use it when shipping cost exceeds incremental profit or for heavy, custom, and special-rate products.
Implementation plan
How to set it up
Check shipping cost
Free shipping should be available only where it still makes economic sense: by country, delivery method, parcel size, and cart value.
Trigger on real exit
The best moment is leaving cart, delivery-cost area, or product page after an interest signal, not the first seconds of a visit.
Close the path to checkout
The CTA should lead directly to cart or checkout. If the shopper has to search for where to use the benefit, the scenario loses momentum.
Margin
Free shipping is a discount, just accounted for differently
Free shipping is not free for the store. Show it only for carts with the right value, selected delivery methods, and cases where logistics cost does not consume the margin.
- Exclude countries and delivery methods with high cost.
- For low carts, use a threshold instead of unconditional free shipping.
- Do not combine automatically with another discount unless margin after promotions is calculated.
Copy
The message should remove a specific delivery objection
The best copy does not only say free shipping. It shows that the completion cost disappears now, for this cart, at this decision point. That supports a return to checkout.
- Show whether the benefit is automatic or code-based.
- Do not hide conditions: country, delivery method, minimum value.
- CTA should say: return to cart or go to checkout.
Rules example
Show free shipping to carts near decision, not all traffic
For a 180 PLN cart with 14 PLN shipping, the popup can recover a sale without a deep discount. For a 39 PLN cart, the same promise may consume margin, so a threshold or add-on recommendation is better.
- Condition: cart above minimum value and no previous free-shipping benefit.
- Exclude heavy, oversized, or special-shipping products.
- Measure margin after shipping, not only recovered order count.
Measurement
What to measure after launch
Evaluate the scenario by shopper behavior and cart impact, not by impressions alone. These metrics help you see whether the campaign supports revenue or only creates activity.
- checkout starts
- recovered orders
- shipping cost
- margin after shipping