How do checkout free gifts work on Shopify Plus?

For a documented Shopify Plus checkout gift flow, configure the offer and code eligibility, place the required checkout app block, and verify the gift before payment.

Published Oct 29, 2026 · Updated Oct 29, 2026 · Author: Shopify Gift Index

Primary research hub: Checkout & campaigns · Entities: Shopify, gift with purchase, Monk Commerce

A checkout gift is an offer that is evaluated or presented within a checkout surface. That is different from a gift already inserted in the cart. Identify which behavior you need before checking plan eligibility or creating the campaign.

What is the documented Monk setup boundary?

Monk Commerce documents a code-triggered checkout workflow. Monk Commerce’s checkout gift-code guide is specifically for Shopify Plus and calls for a Monk app block in the checkout editor. (Monk checkout gift codes on Shopify Plus) The same guide describes automatic addition and customer selection as different display choices. Use the current step-by-step source for exact interface labels rather than relying on a remembered menu path.

Review Shopify checkout UI extension documentation for the relevant surface and compare it with the app’s requirements. A generic app-listing reference to checkout does not establish eligibility for the specific placement you want.

Which parts must agree before the offer can work?

How should you test code-triggered gifts?

Create a qualifying basket with the code absent, then enter the code and observe the result. Repeat with an invalid code and a basket below the threshold. If several codes trigger the same offer, test representative codes and the case where another promotion is already active.

For a choice-based offer, select a gift, change the basket, and inspect whether the selection remains valid. For automatic addition, confirm the gift appears once. Do not stop at the widget; review the order items and price before completing an appropriate test transaction.

When would a shareable link help?

The Monk campaign-link guide describes links that apply a gift code. They can reduce the need for manual code entry, but the link does not remove other eligibility rules or placement requirements. Test the exact destination and relevant cart state after following it.

Keep the campaign owner and checkout owner aligned. A change to an active checkout configuration should trigger a repeat of the gift-placement tests. Save the accepted location and offer configuration in the release record so later edits can be reviewed against a known customer journey.

What should you do when the required placement is unavailable?

Revisit whether a cart-stage offer satisfies the business requirement. The non-Plus code guide evaluates that route. Do not describe a cart implementation as a checkout selector merely because the customer eventually reaches checkout.

Limits of this guide

No Shopify Plus checkout or extension was configured. Extension targets, app packages, plan eligibility, payment routes, and discount interactions can change. The cited requirement is specific to Monk’s documented workflow. It does not establish every vendor’s checkout capabilities or guarantee that the described placement will work on an individual store.