Want to show your customers how much they are saving on a product? Shopify's compare at price is a pricing feature that displays the original price of a product alongside the discount price. This feature highlights how much customers are saving on the product.
To set up a comparison at price, you need to enter the original price in the field on the product listing. So, customers see both the original and the sale price, making the discount more visible and attractive. In this guide, we cover everything you need to set up the compare at price and avoid the common mistakes to make sure it displays correctly on your store.
What Is Shopify Compare At Price?
Compare at price is the product's original price before a discount, which is generally higher than the actual selling price. It is used to show customers how much they save by purchasing the product at the discounted price compared to the original price.
When both the compare at price and the selling price are set in Shopify, the product is displayed with a sale badge and crossed-out original price on the product page. This pricing strategy helps to create urgency, encouraging shoppers to take advantage of the offer before it ends.
For example, if you set a product Compare at Price to $100 and Price to $75, shoppers immediately see a $25 discount. It creates a perception of savings, value, and urgency.
Benefits of using Compare at price
Boost Sales: Lower product price attracts customer attention and more likely to make a purchase when they see that they are getting a better deal compared to the previous price.
Build Trust: By openly displaying the original price and discounted price, you show honesty toward customers, which makes them feel confident that they are getting a good deal.
Competitive Pricing: Offering a lower price than competitors increases the chance of a higher quantity of products sold. When customers compare the price, they respond quickly to better deals and are more likely to choose your store.
Inventory Management: This helps to clear excess stock by making discounted products more attractive, helping prevent overstocking.
Difference Between Compare At Price and Sale Price?
In Shopify, the compare at price is the original price of the product to show potential savings customers can get by purchasing the item at the sale price.
On the other hand, Sale Price is the actual price that the customer pays after the discount. It must be lower than the compare at price in order for Shopify to display it as a sale. If both prices are the same or if the sale price is higher, the discount will not be shown on the storefront.
How to Set Up Compare At Price?
Setting up the comparison at price is a straightforward process to show the discounts you are offering. Follow the steps to know how to do it:
Set Up Compare at Price for a Single Product
If you want to add a compare-at-price for a single product or an individual product, follow these steps:
Access Admin Dashboard: Go to the Shopify admin dashboard with your login credentials.
Navigate to Product: On the left sidebar, click on Product. Select the product you want to set the price for from the list.
Edit Pricing: In the Pricing section, you'll see two fields: "Price" and "Compare at Price."
Set Compare At Price: Enter the original product price in the Compare-at price field.
Set Price: In the price field, enter a discounted price.
The compare at price must be higher than the current selling price.
Save Changes: Click 'Save' to update the product listing.
Preview your store product page to confirm that the discounted pricing is visible.
Set Up Compare at Price for Products with Variants
If your product has multiple variants in terms of different sizes, colors, or materials. You can set the price individually for each variant to provide flexibility for customers when choosing product versions.
Go to Your Product List: From your Shopify admin dashboard, click on "Products" in the left sidebar. Select the product that has variants and for which you want to update pricing.
Select the Variant: In the product detail page, scroll down to the variants section. Tick the checkbox beside the variant you want to update.
Use Bulk Editor: After selecting the variants, click the "Bulk Edit" button that appears. In the bulk editor dashboard, you may not initially see all pricing fields. To add them, click the "Columns" button on the top right side. Enable the "Price" and "Compare at Price" by checking their boxes.
Enter the Compare at Price and Sale Price:
In the Compare at Price field, enter the original price of the product.
In the Price field, enter the discounted price or current price you are going to offer.
Save Changes: Click the Save button at the top right of the page to apply the updates.
Bulk Edit Compare at price
If you run a large inventory and want to apply the "Compare at Price" to multiple products at once, Shopify's bulk editor allows you to edit prices simultaneously.
Access Product List: In the Shopify admin dashboard, click Products in the left sidebar to view your full product list.
Select Products: On the Products page, check the checkbox next to the product you want to update. Then, click on Bulk edit located at the top right corner.
Set the Price: In the bulk editor screen, click the Columns button at the top right. From the dropdown, select both Price and Compare at price to add those fields to the editing table. For each selected product, enter the original price in the "Compare at price" field and the discounted or current price in the "Price" field.
Save Changes: Click on Save to apply changes to your inventory.
What are Other Methods to Set Up Compare At Price?
In Shopify, the Compare At Price feature is not only set through the admin panel interface, but you can also do this by using Liquid code. This allows merchants to customize how pricing is displayed on product pages in their own way by editing the theme's Liquid templates. To do this, you have to hire an experienced developer to make sure that the changes are implemented correctly.
What Are the Best Practices to use Shopify Compare at Price?
The compare at price feature is a powerful tool, but only when used strategically. Below are some best practices to make it work properly:
Do not Overuse It: Do not show a comparison at price on every product. Overusing it will reduce its impact and make discounts less special to customers. Use it only on selected products or best best-selling products to maintain its effectiveness.
Keep Price Real: Set the original price fair according to market value. Avoid setting high prices, as it will hurt customer trust and make the discount look fake.
Run on Seasonal or Promotional Sales: Use compare at price on special promotions, flash sales, new product launches, or seasonal discounts to create urgency and take advantage of a limited-time offer.
Test Different Prices: Try different compare at price and sale price combinations to find the best one that works best for your store.
Troubleshoot Common Issues when Setting Compare-at Price?
When setting a compare-at price on Shopify, you sometimes encounter issues that affect how your pricing from displayed on the store. These issues confuse the customers or prevent discounts from appearing correctly. So, troubleshooting them is necessary to provide a smooth shopping experience.
Compare-at Price Not Displaying: Shopify only displays a compare-at price when the value in the Compare-at price field is higher than the Price field. Check all product detail pages, each must have its own valid compare-at and sale price to confirm this
Incorrect Price Entries: Double-check the values you entered for both the Price and Compare-at price fields.
Sale Price Confusion: Sometimes merchants confuse between sale price with and compare at price. The sale price is what customers will pay at checkout, while the compare-at price is the product's original price.
Theme Issue: If you've done everything correctly as mentioned above, but the compare-at-price is still not displaying, the issue may be with your theme. Then, reach out to the theme developer for support. They can provide specific guidance related to their theme.
How to Remove Compare At Price in Shopify?
When you want to close a sale or special offer, you need to remove the compare at price from the product page. Removing this price is a straightforward process that helps you present only the current selling price to your customers, reducing confusion and keeping your store layout clean.
In the Shopify admin dashboard, navigate to the Products. Select the product you want to modify. If a product has variants, tick the checkbox of the variant you want to update. Then select the Bulk Edit option, set the value to 0 in the Compare At Price column. Click Save to apply the changes.
