What is a quantity break, and when should you use one?
A quantity break is a lower price per item when a shopper buys more of the same product. How it works, when it fits, and how to set your tiers.
By Zegsu team3 min read
A quantity break is a discount that gets bigger as a shopper buys more units of the same product. Buy one at the normal price; buy two and each costs a little less; buy three and each costs less again. You'll also see it called tiered pricing, volume pricing or a multi-buy offer.
On a product page it usually appears as a short list of options above the add-to-cart button, each showing the quantity, the price and what the shopper saves.
How a quantity break works
Here is an example for a product that normally sells for $20. The numbers are only an illustration.
| Option | Discount | Price per item | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Buy 1 | none | $20.00 | $20.00 |
| Buy 2 | 10% off | $18.00 | $36.00 |
| Buy 3 | 15% off | $17.00 | $51.00 |
Each tier lowers the price per item, so the shopper gets a better deal for buying more, and you get a bigger order from a customer who was already going to buy.
How it differs from bundles and BOGO
These offers are close relatives, and it helps to keep them apart:
- Quantity break: more of the same product, at a lower price per item.
- Bundle: different products sold together, often at a combined price, such as a shampoo with its conditioner.
- Buy one, get one (BOGO) or buy X get Y: buying a set amount unlocks another item free or discounted. It's a quantity offer framed as a gift.
- Mix and match: a quantity break that counts any items from a group, such as "any three t-shirts".
When a quantity break makes sense
Quantity breaks work best when buying more than one is a natural thing to do. Good fits include:
- Products people use up and buy again, like coffee, skincare, supplements, candles or pet food. Stocking up saves the shopper a reorder.
- Products bought in sets or for several people, like socks, phone cables, gifts or matching items for a team or a family.
- Products where a second one is useful, such as a charger for home and one for work.
They make less sense when nobody needs two, like a mattress or a one-off piece of furniture. They are also risky when your margin is thin: a discount on every extra unit can turn a profitable order into an unprofitable one.
How to set your tiers
- Start from your margin. Work out what each extra unit costs you, including shipping and payment fees, and set the deepest discount you can afford on that basis.
- Keep it to two or three tiers. A short list is easy to compare. A long one makes shoppers do maths.
- Make the middle option the easy choice. Many stores label one tier "most popular" or "best value". Only use a label like that if it's true for your store.
- Show the saving clearly. Display the price per item or the amount saved next to each option, so the shopper doesn't have to work it out.
- Check the cart and checkout. The discount must still be there when the shopper reaches the cart and checkout. A price that changes at the last step loses trust fast.
- Watch the results and adjust. Compare average order value and conversion before and after, and try a different discount or number of tiers if the numbers don't move.
Setting up quantity breaks on Shopify
Shopify's built-in automatic discounts can give a discount when a shopper reaches a minimum quantity of items, which covers a single tier. To show several tiers as options on the product page, merchants usually use an app.
Our Bundles & Cart Drawer app does this: you pick a quantity break template, see it with your own products in a live preview and publish. The discount runs on Shopify Functions, so the price stays right in the cart and at checkout without discount codes. The same app also handles bundles, BOGO, buy X get Y and mix and match offers if you want to try those next.
