How Much Should You Discount a Product Bundle?

The short version

A 10 to 15 percent discount is a good starting point for many product bundles. Before using it, check whether the bundle still leaves more money than selling one item.

A discount under 10 percent can work, but some customers may not see enough savings to choose the bundle. A much larger discount can make the offer easier to notice, but it can also reduce profit quickly.

Choose a discount that makes the bundle attractive without removing too much money from the order.

Do the math before you set the discount

Start with the cost of the products and the regular selling price.

Suppose one product costs $10 and sells for $30. That leaves $20 before shipping, payment fees, packaging, and other costs.

If you sell three products separately, the total price is $90. Now suppose you create a bundle for $75. The customer saves $15, or about 17 percent. The products cost you $30, so $45 remains before the other order costs.

If you sell the same three products for $60, the customer saves about 33 percent. The products still cost $30, so only $30 remains before the other costs.

At the $60 bundle price, the store has $15 less left than at the $75 bundle price. Check this amount before choosing a larger discount.

A simple discount range

There is no single discount that works for every store. Product cost, selling price, shipping, fees, and profit margin all affect how much you can discount.

These ranges can help you choose a starting point.

5 to 10 percent off can work when your profit margin is small or when the bundle is already useful without a large discount. A three-pack, for example, may be useful because customers can buy more of the same product in one order.

10 to 15 percent off is a good starting point for many bundles. The customer gets a clear price reduction, while the larger order may still leave more money than a single-item order.

15 to 20 percent off is a larger discount. It may work for gift sets or products with higher profit margins, but check your costs first.

20 to 25 percent off is a strong discount. Use it when your margins allow it or when you have an obvious reason to make the offer more attractive.

Over 25 percent off is a deep discount. It may make sense for a special promotion or stock-clearance sale, but it can remove a large part of the profit from a normal bundle.

The goal is to increase the order without cutting too much profit. Our guide on why product bundles work explains how the products inside the bundle affect the offer.

Show the savings clearly

Do not make customers calculate the discount themselves. Show the regular total and the bundle price next to each other.

For example:

• Regular price: $48
• Bundle price: $42
• You save: $6

Use the real prices of the products. Do not create a higher regular price just to make the discount look larger. Customers can compare the bundle price with the prices on your product pages.

How the bundle type affects the discount

Different bundle types give customers different reasons to buy. The discount does not need to be the same for every bundle.

A kit combines products that belong together, such as a cleanser and moisturizer. Customers may buy it because it saves time and makes the choice easier. A small discount may be enough, and some kits may not need a discount.

A multipack sells several units of the same product, such as three bars of soap. A 10 to 15 percent discount can be a useful starting point, but check your margin before setting the price.

A mix-and-match bundle lets customers choose the items they want, such as six drinks from a group of flavors. Customers may choose this type of bundle because they can pick the flavors, colors, or scents they prefer. A large discount may not be necessary. See Shopify Bundles vs. mix-and-match for more detail.

A gift set groups products for a person or occasion. The product choice, name, and presentation can matter as much as the discount. If you add a discount, check that it still leaves enough profit.

What can go wrong?

A bundle can increase sales and still reduce profit if the pricing rules are not clear.

Stacking too many offers is one common problem. A customer may receive the bundle discount, a site-wide discount code, and free shipping on the same order. Each offer may look small by itself, but together they can remove much of the profit. Decide before launch which offers you can combine.

Using a discount as the only reason to buy can also make the bundle weak. If the products make little sense together, a 10 percent discount may not be enough to make customers want the set. Start with products that customers already buy together or that solve the same need.

Bundling expensive products can make the last price too high for some customers. Two $80 products create a $160 starting price before any discount. If customers rarely buy both products together, lowering the price may not solve the problem. A bundle with fewer or less expensive items may be easier to sell.

A worked example

Suppose you sell candles. Your bestseller is a lavender candle for $28, and customers often buy a $12 wick trimmer and $8 matches with it. Bought separately, the three products cost $48.

You create The Evening Set for $42. The customer saves $6, or 12.5 percent. On the product page, you show the $48 regular total next to the $42 bundle price.

If a customer chooses the $42 set instead of the $28 candle, the order is $14 larger. You still need to check the cost of the trimmer, matches, discount, shipping, payment fees, and packaging to see whether the bundle leaves more money than the single candle.

If the bundle gets little interest, do not increase the discount right away. First, check whether the products make sense together, whether the bundle is easy to find, and whether the name tells customers what the set is for.

What should you measure?

After the bundle has been available long enough to gather useful sales data, check whether it is helping the store. Do not look at revenue alone. A larger order is not useful if it leaves less profit.

Start with three numbers:

1. Average order value. Are customers spending more when the bundle is available?
2. Money left per order. After product costs, discounts, shipping, payment fees, packaging, and other variable costs, does the bundle leave more money than a typical single-item order?
3. Bundle vs. single-item sales. How often do customers choose the bundle instead of buying individual products?

These numbers can help explain why the bundle is or is not working. If few customers choose it, the discount may be too small, but that is not the only probable reason. The products may not belong together, the bundle may be hard to find, or the offer may not give customers an obvious reason to buy the set.

Start with one bundle of products that customers already buy together. Test a discount of around 10 to 15 percent, show the regular total next to the bundle price, and check the order value and the money left from each order.

Once the bundle is live, see best ways to increase AOV for other ways to increase the value of each order.

Common questions

How much should I discount a product bundle?

A good starting point is 10 to 15 percent off the total price of buying the items separately. Before using that discount, check your product costs and other order costs to make sure the bundle still leaves enough profit.

Do bundles need a discount?

No. A useful kit can sell at full price if it makes shopping easier. A small discount can help when you want customers to notice the bundle next to the single products.

Is 10 percent off enough?

It can be. Show the regular total next to the bundle price so customers can see the savings. If the bundle gets little interest, check the products, name, and position on the page before increasing the discount.

Can I discount a bundle by 30 percent?

You can, but 30 percent is a deep discount. Check your costs before using it. A large discount can reduce profit and may make customers wait for another promotion.

Should a bundle discount stack with other offers?

Usually not. Combining a bundle discount with another discount code and free shipping can reduce profit quickly. Decide which offers you can combine before you launch the bundle.