More visible free-shipping threshold: +2.4% conversion, inconclusive
Test run byClean CommitCRO agency
Commentary byLiftArchiveOur analysis, not theirsMaking the free-shipping threshold more prominent on product pages showed a 2.4% higher conversion rate and 5.5% more revenue per visitor, but the result was not significant.
Clean Commit ran this test for an anonymized Shopify store and published it in its A/B test library.
The idea came from post-purchase survey answers that named delivery cost as something that nearly stopped customers from buying.
- Conversion rate: +2.4%. The variant had a 74.6% probability of beating the original, well short of significance.
- Revenue per visitor: +5.5%, and average order value: +3.0%. Both moved in the direction the hypothesis predicted.
- Orders: +1.6%.
- Desktop conversion rate rose 13.5%, but on only 9,563 desktop visitors, so treat that split with care.
- Inconclusive overall: no metric reached significance after 27 days.
The change
The variant replaces a low-key threshold note with a prominent one.
Simplified mockup drawn by LiftArchive from the shared screenshots.
Control
The product page showed the free-shipping threshold, but it was easy to miss.
Variant
The threshold was given more visibility on the product page. The change was based on post-purchase survey feedback about shipping costs.
Why it likely came out this way
Our reading of the result, not the practitioner's claim.
- Customers had said delivery cost nearly put them off. Making the threshold easier to see speaks directly to that worry.
- A visible threshold may nudge some shoppers to add an item, which would explain the small rise in order value.
- The effect, if real, looks small. Small effects need more traffic or time than this test had to confirm.
Caveats: Ran 27 days without reaching significance; Clean Commit labeled it a positive signal, not a proven win. The total visitor count was not shared.
Who ran it
Clean Commit ran this test for a Shopify store (anonymized) and published the results (Clean Commit A/B test library). The numbers are theirs; the summary and commentary on this page are ours.
Read the original case study on Clean Commit →
How to run this test on your store
- Hypothesis
- If we make the free-shipping threshold more visible on product pages, then conversion rate and order value will rise because shoppers who worry about delivery cost see how to avoid it.
- Primary metric
- Revenue per visitor
- Guardrails
- Conversion rate
- Average order value
- Add-to-cart rate
- Who should test it
- Stores whose customer surveys or support tickets mention shipping cost as a concern, and that already have a threshold. If your customers don't raise shipping cost, look for a bigger problem first.
Questions
How do I know if shipping cost is hurting sales?
Ask. This test came from post-purchase survey answers where customers said delivery cost nearly stopped them buying.
Is a 2.4% lift worth acting on?
Only with caution. With a 74.6% chance of beating the original, it is a lead to retest, not proof.
Why look at desktop and mobile separately?
Effects can differ by device. Here desktop moved most, but the desktop sample was small, so the split is a hint rather than a finding.
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