Learn how to add a make an offer purchase option to your Shopify store, and why it makes sense to use an app.

Having an effective sales strategy is critical for the success of your Shopify store.

After working in inside sales for over 10 years and selling to thousands of small business owners, I’ve learned time and time again that the perfect deal can still fall through the cracks without purchasing options which match the customer’s situation.

One of the best overall pricing tactics Shopify merchants can use to boost sales is to allow customers to negotiate prices or make an offer. Also known as “best offer”, or “pay what you want” this sales strategy is extremely common in retail settings, or online marketplaces especially for those selling unique products like collectibles, vintage items, or used goods.

For the right kind of store, giving customers the opportunity to make offers on products on your website is one of the best strategies you can implement today, but there are also other pricing options that might work well for you too.

This guide includes all the essential information you’ll need about Shopify make an offer. I also outline the basics of the other purchase options to consider. For each one, I cover what it is, why it’s beneficial for your store, and the best ways to add it to your Shopify website. Continue reading to learn the basics.

Then, if you wish to deepen your knowledge about pricing options and sales strategy optimization, click the links within each section. They will take you to more detailed breakdowns of each topic.

Table of contents

What is Shopify make an offer?

Make an Offer (Pay What you Want, Best Offer, Negotiation) is a purchase option used by sellers that allows buyers to negotiate the price of an item. Buyers can make an offer that is lower than the listed price, and the seller can then choose to accept, reject, or counter the offer. 

  1. Example: Product listed at $50. Buyers can submit offers; seller decides to accept or decline.
  2. Benefit: Make an Offer option attracts hesitant buyers, closing sales that might not occur otherwise.
  3. Drawback: Sellers relinquish control over the final price. 
  4. How to Set Up: Shopify doesn’t natively support make an offer, but apps like Magical Make an Offer allow customers to submit offers. You can accept, decline, or counteroffer. 

This sales strategy is extremely common in retail settings, or online marketplaces especially for those selling unique products like collectibles, vintage items, or used goods.

Other types of purchase options

Beyond make an offer, many different purchasing options exist. Each one provides a different way for customers to engage with the seller and purchase a product or service. 

Which purchase option is best for your Shopify store will depend on your priorities, risk tolerance, what you are selling, and when you’re selling it. Each comes with a different set of benefits and drawbacks: 

Fixed Price 

A fixed price pricing option is when the price of a product or service is set at a specific, predetermined amount. It does not change unless the seller decides to change it.

  1. Example: A coffee shop charges an everyday fixed price of $3 for a medium-sized coffee. 
  2. Benefit: Customers know the exact price without having to negotiate.
  3. Drawback: Fixed pricing limits sellers’ ability to adjust for demand or market changes.
  4. How to Set Up: Access your Shopify admin panel, go to “Products” in the left-hand menu. Choose the product you wish to set a fixed price for. In the “Pricing” section, input the desired price.

Pre-order

A pre-order is a marketing strategy used by sellers to offer products or services to customers before they are officially released for sale to the general public.

  1. Example: Preorders offered to email subscribers and social media followers before product release.
  2. Benefit: Pre-orders can create a sense of exclusivity and excitement among customers.
  3. Drawback: Risky if the product or service is delayed or does not meet customer expectations. 
  4. How to Set Up: An app like Preorder Pro + Back in Stock is the best way to set up and manage preorders.

Sale Price

A sale price is a temporary discount offered by sellers on a product or service to create a sense of urgency and increase the perceived value for the product or service.

  1. Example: To eliminate excess inventory, a store offers a sale price to entice buyers to purchase.
  2. Benefit: Sale prices can help sellers move excess inventory and generate revenue quickly.
  3. Drawback: Reduced profit margins, particularly if the product is already priced competitively or if the discount is steep.
  4. How to Set Up: The sales price can be set manually or you can use 3rd party apps.

Discount

A discount is a reduction in the regular price of a product or service. It is often used as an incentive to encourage customers to make a purchase.

  1. Example: Discounts offered to customers who purchase a certain amount.
  2. Benefit: Encourages customers to buy, especially if the product is expensive or they’re hesitant.
  3. Drawback: This may set expectation of lower price, making it hard to sell at regular price later.
  4. How to Set Up: Merchants can set up discounts natively within Shopify.

Auction

An auction is a public sale in which goods or services are sold to the highest bidder. Online auctions conducted entirely online without the need for physical attendance, allowing anyone to participate.

  1. Example: A seller auctions a unique, high-value item to determine market worth.
  2. Benefit: Generate high prices for unique or rare items that may not have a clear market value.
  3. Drawback: Auctions can be unpredictable. The seller may not know how much the item will sell for until the auction has ended.
  4. How to Set Up: Shopify lacks native support for auctions, so 3rd party apps built exclusively for this are the way to go.

Buy Now Pay Later

Buy now pay later (BNPL) is a payment option that allows customers to make purchases and defer the payment for a later time period. Customers can pay in smaller installments over time.

  1. Example: Customers defer payment until some time after the purchase date, or in installments over time.
  2. Benefit: This makes it easier for customers to afford higher-priced products or multiple items.
  3. Drawback: There is a higher risk that fraudulent orders can slip through. Additionally, if a customer defaults on their payments, the business may be responsible for chargeback fees.
  4. How to Set Up: Shopify has options available through partnerships with various third-party apps. Shopify also has a native feature called Shop Pay Installments.

Gift Cards

A gift card is a prepaid stored-value card that allows customers to purchase goods or services up to the value loaded onto the card. Gift cards can either be physical cards or digital codes sent via email.

  1. Example: A business offers a free $10 gift card for every $50 spent on their online store.
  2. Benefit: Gift card recipients tend to spend beyond the card’s value, boosting revenue.
  3. Drawback: Gift cards can represent an accounting liability, impacting cash flow and financial statements.
  4. How to Set Up: This can be set up natively within Shopify, however 3rd party apps are also available with even more features.

Loyalty Points

Loyalty points are a type of rewards program in which customers earn points for making purchases or engaging in other brand-related activities. 

  1. Example: At a coffee shop, buy 10 cups of coffee, get one free. A loyalty card is stamped with each purchase.
  2. Benefit: Customers are more likely to return to make additional purchases to earn more points.
  3. Drawback: It can be expensive to set up, and the cost of fulfilling rewards can add up over time.
  4. How to Set Up: Shopify does not have native support for loyalty points but merchants can use 3rd party apps.

Lottery / Raffle

A lottery or raffle is a type of promotion where customers have the chance to win a prize by purchasing a ticket or entry. 

  1. Example: Customers spend over a set amount to enter and the winner gets a gift card.
  2. Benefit: Customers are more likely to participate in a lottery/raffle than a standard promotion.
  3. Drawback: Running a lottery or raffle may be subject to certain legal regulations. 
  4. How to Set Up: Shopify does not have native support for lotteries or raffles but merchants can use 3rd party apps.

How to add make an offer on your Shopify store

The best way to add a Shopify make an offer to your store is to use an app that will manage negotiations for you.

There are two other ways to do this natively, but they are cumbersome to set up and won’t work well for most merchants.

Native Shopify solutions for make an offer

Unfortunately Shopify does not have any native solutions for adding make an offer to your store.

There are two workaround solutions for adding make an offer to your Shopify website. Both options will require you to edit your website’s code:

  1. Change the ‘Buy Now’ Button to Contact Us: Link the ‘Buy Now’ or ‘Add to Cart’ button to a contact form which can include fields for customers to make offers. To do this, you’ll need to create new product template and edit the code to remove the default Add to Cart button.
  2. Create custom code to make an offer: This is a difficult but more sophisticated option than simply replacing the “Add to Cart” button with a contact link. This process often involves a deeper understanding and editing HTML, CSS, and Liquid (Shopify’s template language). Most Shopify store owners would need to hire a Shopify Expert for this.

Shopify app solutions for make an offer

Using an app to enable make an offer is the way to go for most stores. There are two ways you can use Shopify apps to add make an offer to your store:

  1. Develop your own app: A brand new app that you can control. Customizable in every way, but very expensive and slow to implement.
  2. Use apps that support order form fields: The quickest and easiest way for most Shopify stores to start accepting offers today.

If you want to learn more about what apps are available, we’ve compared the best Shopify make an offer apps in this guide.

The best way to add a Shopify make an offer to your store is to use an app that will manage negotiations for you.

How to Use Pricing Psychology Strategies to Sell More Stuff on Shopify

Pricing is one of the most crucial factors for any business. Setting the right price can be challenging, and it requires careful consideration of several factors.

One of the most important factors, and one of the easiest for you to control is pricing psychology. Pricing psychology essentially studies how consumers perceive prices and how those perceptions affect their purchasing decisions. You can use pricing psychology strategies to sell more stuff on Shopify.

Adding make an offer to your store will help you take advantage of some of these tactics. For example, allowing customers to make offers on items almost always results in the customer thinking they got a good deal because they will use the list price as an anchor for perceived value, even if a competitor’s list price is less for the same item.

There are 11 types of pricing psychology tactics:

  1. Perception of value: Creating a sense of value around a product or service. For example, a price chart that compares product features to competitors’.
  2. Anchoring effect: Customers view the initial price as a benchmark. Any discounts they see later will seem like good deals.
  3. Importance of Context: The context in which prices are presented. For example, similarly priced products side-by-side help customers see the value of the Shopify store’s product.
  4. Decoy effect: The decoy effect introduces a third option to make one of the other options seem more appealing. For example: a basic plan, a middle plan, and the introduction of a Premium plan.
  5. Scarcity effect: Creating a sense of urgency or scarcity around a product to encourage customers to make a purchase now.
  6. Charm pricing: Ending prices with the number nine like $9.99 instead of $10.00.
  7. Odd pricing: Ending prices in odd numbers, such as 9 because it makes products stand out as unique and appealing.
  8. Price bracketing: Offering a range of prices for a product or service, with the highest price acting as an anchor for the other prices. 
  9. Discounts and promotions: Offering discounts or promotions can make customers feel like they are getting a better deal, even if the actual price is higher than the competition.
  10. The power of free: Offering a product or service for free to attract customers, such as a free trial.
  11. Pay what you want pricing: Customers are given the option to pay what they want, creating a sense of goodwill and freedom. Customers will feel like the business is being generous.
  12. Add-On pricing: Offering additional products or services for an additional fee, allowing customers to customize their purchases to meet their specific needs and preferences.

Benefits of using make an offer on Shopify

Did you know the average shopping cart abandonment rate is 70%? This was confirmed in a study by Baymard Research Institute. The study also noted that for almost half of these carts, the reason for cart abandonment was cited as “overall costs too high”.

Using make an offer on your Shopify store helps you attract more buyers who are hesitant to pay the listed price. Opening negotiation allows you to close deals that would not have happened otherwise.

These benefits will not only apply to new customers that you attract to your store, but also to existing customers you’re currently losing to price.

Explore the Benefits of using Shopify Make an Offer in more detail:

  1. Increased Sales: Capture sales that may have otherwise been lost due to price sensitivity.
  2. Clearing Inventory: Move products that may have otherwise sat on your shelves.
  3. Building Customer Loyalty: Show customers that you value their business and are willing to work with them. This builds loyalty and trust.

Opening up to negotiation allows you to close deals that would not have happened otherwise.

How to set up make an offer with Magical Make an Offer

Only Magical Make an Offer Version 2 is currently available on the Shopify App Store. If you installed the app before September 27, 2023, you may be on Magical Make an Offer Version 1.

Magical Make an Offer v2

Installing and Setting up Shopify Make an Offer is easy with our step-by-step guide. In it, we walk you through how to get started with the Magical Make an Offer app.

We’ll also go over some key troubleshooting issues you may run into and how to solve them:

  1. Initial App Setup: Guided setup process will help you add and activate Make an Offer functionality.
  2. Add an offer: Navigate to Offers, click “Create offer,” set title and settings, then click “Save.”
  3. Activate the app embed block: Go to Themes, Customize, App Embeds, toggle on “Magical Offer.”
  4. Activate Make an Offer Button app block: If you’re using the button, open the theme customizer, select your Product template, then add the  Make an Offer button app block. 
  5. Activate Make an Offer Inline Form app block: If you’re using the inline form, open the theme customizer, select your Product template, then add the Make an Offer Inline Form app block.
  6. Accept an offer request: Go to Offer Requests, filter by Review, click to accept, and notify customer.
  7. Decline an offer request: Go to Offer Requests, filter by Review, click to decline, and notify customer.
  8. Counter an offer request: Go to Offer Requests, filter by Review, select an offer, counter it, and notify customer.
  9. Automatically accept, decline, or counter offer requests: Go to Offers, select one, set automation values for accept/decline, select “Automatically counter offers”, and click Save.

Magical Make an Offer v1

If you installed the app before September 27, 2023 and have not contacted the Magical Apps team to upgrade to the “Magical Make an Offer” version of the app for free, then your store is using “Make an Offer v1“, the previous version of the app.

For setup support with the version 1 of the app, refer to our Guide on How to Setup Shopify Make an Offer v1.

This guide outlines the basic setup instructions, along with how some features of this app work:

  1. Initial App Setup: Complete the tour with setup instructions. It will walk you through some basic features of the app.
  2. Activate the Make an Offer button: Go to Setup in admin, select Incentive Configuration, toggle Button option, then Save.
  3. Customize the position of the Make an Offer button: Edit “products.liquid”, cut and reposition thecode that starts with “<!– Start-MakeAnOffer version: 7 →” and ends with “<!– End-MakeAnOffer →”..
  4. Display Make an Offer button when third-party app pre order buttons are showing or product is out of stock: In admin, go to Setup, choose Incentive Configuration, turn off the Pre Order toggle, then Save.
  5. Activate the Make an Offer exit intent pop-up: Enable exit intents in admin. Go to Setup > Incentive Configuration. Then, under “Product page options” or “Cart page options” enable the exit intent pop-up and click Save..
  6. Specify the Make an Offer button through SKUs, collections, or tags:  Identify SKU/collection/tag, go to Setup > Incentive Configuration, select products, save.
  7. Automated offers: In admin, go to Setup > Incentive Configuration, set auto respond prices, and save.
  8. Auto decline offers: In admin click Setup, choose Incentive Configuration, set auto decline price, enable, and save.
  9. SMS notifications: Go to Setup > Incentive Configuration, add a number at SMS notification, then save.
  10. Modify Make an Offer button/pop-up to match your store theme: Go to Setup >Look & Feel, modify the pop-up/button with the available settings, optionally use CSS, and click save.
  11. Email customization: Go to Setup >Email Copies, and edit emails.
  12. Receive copies of customer emails: Go to Setup > Email Copies tab, and toggle on or off.
  13. Managing offer requests: Accept offers, decline offers, counter offers, set expiration times, and manage combined orders.
  14. Google Analytics Events Setup: Go to Setup > Look-and-feel. Google Analytics Events is located under the Customize the Popup heading.
Accepting offers online store doesn’t have to be hard. Shopify Make an Offer makes negotiation easy.

Magical Make an Offer FAQs

Only Magical Make an Offer Version 2 is currently available on the Shopify App Store. If you installed the app before September 27, 2023, you may be on Magical Make an Offer Version 1.

Magical Make an Offer v2

Read answers to common questions about the Magical Make an Offer v2 app and solutions to issues merchants encounter:

  1. Can I change the style of Make an Offer on my Online Store? From your Shopify admin, go to Online Store > Themes. Find the theme that you want to edit, click Customize and then open the App embeds tab. Here, you can change the styles.
  2. Can I change the text on the Make an Offer blocks and components? Click the Settings link in the app navigation menu to go to the Settings page. In the Display section, modify the text values.
  3. Can I customize the emails that are sent to customers? Click the Notifications link in the app navigation menu to go to the Notifications page. Modify the email templates.
  4. Do merchants receive email notifications about offers? Yes. You will receive an email notification from Make an Offer anytime an offer is accepted, countered or requires review.
  5. Can I get discounted Make an Offer transaction fees? Yes. From the Settings page of the app, click “Change plan” and choose “Pro” or “Power”. Pro has reduced transaction fees and Power has zero transaction fees.
  6. Can I remove the terms of service checkbox? Yes. You can remove the GDPR/Terms of Service checkbox from the offer modal and inline form. It can be disabled from the Settings page of the app under “Privacy”.
  7. How long do counter-offered customers have to wait if they do not want to accept the counter and instead want to make a brand new offer? 24 hours.

Magical Make an Offer v1

If you installed the app before September 27, 2023 and have not contacted the Magical Apps team to upgrade to Magical Make an Offer v2 for free, your store is using “Magical Make an Offer v1“, the previous version of the app.

We’ve also compiled a list of answers to FAQs about Magical Make an Offer v1:

  1. How does Make an Offer v1 work? The app adds a button to their product page which allows their customers to submit an offer that is below the product list price.
  2. How does the Make an Offer user charge work? It’s a calculated percentage of any sale that originated from the Make an Offer app, charged only after the product is sold.
  3. Why is the Make an Offer button not visible? Make sure that our button is enabled through the app settings. However, there are rare cases where there could be a theme or conflicting app issue.
  4. I updated theme and the Make an Offer button does not appear. This happens because your new theme may not have our standard injected code. To inject your code please use this link.
  5. Can I set an expiration time on accepted offers? Yes. Go to Setup > Incentive Configuration. Located underneath the heading C, Select expiration of your offers.
  6. How do I know that customers are receiving emails? You can receive copies of the emails that are being sent to customers to make sure that emails are being generated.
  7. Why are my customers not receiving emails? Emails could be going into your customer’s junk/spam mail. Please ask them to check to make sure emails are not there.
  8. I accidentally archived an offer, can I unarchive it? Yes, go to Setup, click the Offers tab, click the archive sub tab, and select the offer you want to unarchive and click UnArchive.
  9. Is Make an Offer integrated with Google Analytics? Yes.
  10. Can customers apply an additional discount code to products with accepted offers? No, customers are unable to apply any additional discount code to products after an offer has been accepted.
  11. If a merchant accepts an offer, is it a guaranteed sale? The sale is not guaranteed as the customer still has to go through the checkout process to purchase the item(s).
  12. I accepted an offer and there was an additional discount applied to an already discounted item. Please ensure that the list price of the product in question has not been changed after an offer has been accepted.
  13. How can I avoid having to deal with low-ball offers? You can enable the Auto Decline feature that would automatically reject any offers that are placed below your specified price.

Compare the best Shopify make an offer apps

Accepting offers on your website is much easier with an app than trying to set it up natively.

We have researched and identified the best Shopify Apps designed to help you sell more products with smarter pricing strategies and price negotiation tactics.

Our top pick was #1. Magical Make an Offer app which was the “Best overall app although a premium price”.

You can read our article Compare the 6 Best Shopify Make an Offer Apps for a more detailed look at the best apps for adding make an offer to your store:

  1. Make an Offer – Best overall app although a premium price
  2. Nibble – Novel UI may be a little gimmicky and the most expensive monthly plan
  3. Negotio – Affordable while lacking any customization
  4. Lury – Multiple languages but no collection of customer data
  5. Snap! – Hides price but built for B2B
  6. G:Request a Quote – Offer through collection page but no automation
  7. Pay What You Want – Visible from collections page but no free option

Magical Make an Offer

Use the Magical Make an Offer app to sell more products. Easily add Make an Offer and Pay What you Want buttons to products.

View App on Shopify