Volume discounts reward shoppers for buying more by giving them a better per-unit price as their order size grows. Instead of a flat percentage, the saving scales with quantity or order value, so the more a subscriber adds to their subscription, the more they save.
This article covers why to use order size volume discounts, when they fit, how to configure them, the customer portal experience, and answers to common questions.
Order size volume discounts are currently live on the customer portal, and we plan to extend the feature to the storefront in the coming months.
Here is how the tiers can look in practice:
Shop for $50, get 5% off. Shop for $100, get 10% off. Shop for $200, get 20% off.
Buy 2 items, get 10% off. Buy 5 items, get 20% off. Buy 9 items, get 30% off.
To help you get going, we've also put together two quick video walkthroughs for this feature:
Admin portal setup - how to configure your discounts
Customer experience - what your subscribers will see
Why use order size volume discounts?
Volume discounts give you a dedicated toolset to reward subscribers who place larger orders. You can create, configure, and display a structured discount profile tied to how many items or how much money is in a subscription order.
By tying savings to order value or quantity, volume discounts nudge subscribers toward larger orders. The incentive to add more sits right where subscribers manage their plan, which helps lift average order value.
When to use order size volume discounts?
Use quantity-based tiers when you want to reward subscribers for adding more units. For example, a coffee subscription brand can offer 20% off for 2 bags, 30% off for 3 bags, and 40% off for 4 bags.
Use value-based tiers when you want to reward subscribers for crossing a spend threshold. For example, a protein powder brand can offer 10% off at $10, 20% off at $20, and 30% off at $30.
Tier types
You can configure tiers based on either order quantity or order value.
Tier type | What it does | Example |
Order quantity | Sets discount tiers based on the number of items in the order | Tier 1: buy 2 items, get 20% off. Tier 2: buy 3 items, get 30% off. Tier 3: buy 4 items, get 40% off. |
Order value | Sets discount tiers based on the total value of items in the order | Tier 1: shop for $50, get 5% off. Tier 2: shop for $100, get 10% off. Tier 3: shop for $200, get 20% off. |
Discount types
Each tier supports three discount types.
Discount type | What it does | Example |
Percentage | Applies a percentage discount across the eligible items | 20% off |
Fixed amount | Takes a fixed amount off the order | $20 off |
Fixed amount per item | Takes a fixed amount off each eligible item | $20 off per eligible item |
How it stacks with other discounts
The volume discount is applied on the gross order value. It sits on top of any subscription-related selling plan discounts, but it is applied before any other add-on discounts.
For example, a subscriber adds 3 bags of coffee at $20 each to their monthly plan. The 10% selling plan discount applies first, bringing each bag to $18. The 30% volume discount for buying 3 items is then calculated on that reduced price, and any other discounts stack on top.
Configuring volume discounts
To create a volume discount, navigate to Loop admin > Grow > Volume discount, then click Create discount profile.
Follow these steps to set up the profile:
Add the general details. Enter an internal name to identify the profile, and a display title that subscribers see on the portal, for example "Buy more, save more!".
Choose the discount type. Select "Based on order quantity" or "Based on order value".
Add conditions to target the discount to specific subscriptions.
Set the channels. At the moment, volume discounts are only available on the customer portal. The storefront experience is coming soon!
Set eligible products. Choose whether the discount applies to all products, all products except selected ones, or specific selected products. This controls which products qualify for the discount.
Products you mark as ineligible will not have the order size discount applied, and they will not contribute toward progressing to a discount milestone.
Add recommended products. Select the products surfaced to subscribers as suggestions to help them reach the next tier, and drag to reorder them.
Add your tiers. For every tier, set the minimum amount, discount code, discount type, and discount amount. You can also set the offer label and milestone label, which control the text shown above and below each milestone bubble on the progress bar.
Set the status to Active and create the profile. Change the status to Active, then click Create discount profile.
When you activate the profile, you choose how existing subscriptions are handled.
Select Apply this volume discount to eligible existing subscriptions now to run a bulk action that applies the discount immediately, or Apply on next subscriber action to show the discount to eligible subscribers and apply it only when they next take a relevant action.
Volume discounts are applied automatically on new subscriptions once the profile is active.
After creation, the profile appears in the list under the Discount Profiles tab with its type and status.
Customizing the customer portal widget
Subscribers see a volume discount banner on the customer portal. You can change where it sits and how it looks under Loop admin > Customer portal > Themes, then click Customize.
Reposition
To reposition the banner, open the Layout tab, select Subscription details page from the page dropdown, and drag the Volume discount banner to the position you want.
Style
To customize the colors used in the banner, open the Styles tab and scroll to the Volume discount section. You can set the banner background, border, text, accent, and disabled colors to match your brand.
Customer portal experience
Subscribers see a tiered discount widget embedded within the customer portal. The widget shows the offers they can unlock by crossing the defined order size or order value milestones.
A progress message such as "Shop for $28.34 more to get 5% off" tells them how close they are to the next tier.
This places the savings right where subscribers manage their plan, so the incentive to add one more unit is visible at the moment they are editing their subscription. The result is a clear reason for subscribers to order more, which helps you increase average order value.
Subscribers can add products without leaving the portal. The Add products button in the banner opens a drawer where they can search for products, adjust quantities, and see the updated total against the next milestone.
The banner also appears inside other portal flows, so subscribers see their progress wherever they are taking action. It shows up in the drawers for upsell recommendations, item editing, swaps, and upgrades.
Storefront experience
A storefront widget is coming soon. It will surface the same tiered offers on your storefront, extending volume discounts to one-time buyers as well as subscribers.
Performance tracking
You can track how the volume discount drawer is performing from the analytics dashboard. Navigate to Loop admin > Analytics > Upsells, set the channel filter to Customer portal, and set the entity filter to Volume discount drawer.
Considerations
Please keep the following in mind when setting up volume discounts.
One profile only: You can create one order size discount profile at this time.
Bundles and prepaid subscriptions are excluded: To protect brand margins, volume discounts cannot be stacked on bundles or prepaid subscriptions as these are usually already heavily discounted.
FAQs
Where do I find volume discounts in Loop admin?
You can find volume discounts under Loop admin > Grow > Volume discounts. This feature is in beta, so the tab appears only once beta access is enabled for your store. If you do not see it, contact us to request access.
Is the storefront widget available yet?
No, the storefront widget is not available yet. Order size volume discounts are currently live on the customer portal for subscribers, and we plan to extend the feature to the storefront in the coming months, which will make volume discounts available to one-time buyers as well.
How many volume discount profiles can I create?
You can create one order size discount profile.
Can I set discount tiers based on order value instead of item count?
Yes, you can configure tiers based on either order quantity or order value. Order quantity tiers are based on the number of items, and order value tiers are based on the total value of items in the order.
Do ineligible items count toward reaching a discount tier?
No, ineligible items do not count toward the value or quantity needed to reach a milestone. Only eligible items move the subscriber toward the next tier. Volume discounts are also not applied on ineligible items.
Does the volume discount stack with selling plan discounts?
Yes, the volume discount is applied on the gross order value and sits on top of any subscription-related selling plan discounts. It is applied before any other add-on discounts.
What discount types can I use for a tier?
You can use a percentage discount, a fixed amount off the order, or a fixed amount off each item in the order.
Which plan do I need to use volume discounts?
Volume discounts are available on the Pro plan.
Need help?
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If you have any questions or need assistance, feel free to email us at [email protected] or chat with us using the support beacon at the bottom right of your screen.
Regards,
Loop Subscriptions team 🙂