Getting Started with Create Shopping Cart Price Rules
Note on terminology
In the Magento Admin, this feature is labeled Cart Price Rules. You'll find it under Marketing > Promotions > Cart Price Rules. This tutorial applies to Magento Open Source and Adobe Commerce 2.4.x. Field labels may vary slightly across minor versions (for example, Stop Further Rules Processing vs Discard Subsequent Rules).
Why This Tutorial Matters
Cart Price Rules let you run targeted promotions at checkout—boosting conversion, increasing average order value (AOV), and moving inventory without changing product prices.
Business Impact: Use threshold discounts to lift AOV (for example, $20 off $150), sitewide codes to drive conversion, and SKU/category conditions to clear inventory. Control margin by scoping rules to specific websites and customer groups, and by preventing discount stacking.
What You'll Achieve: Create, schedule, and QA a working cart-level discount with a coupon code. Control stacking behavior using Priority and Stop Further Rules Processing, generate unique coupon codes for campaigns, and measure coupon performance.
Learning Journey Overview
Your Situation
You need a reliable way to launch cart-level promotions (with or without coupon codes) and verify they work across your websites and customer groups.
What You'll Learn
By completing this tutorial, you will:
- Navigate to Marketing > Promotions > Cart Price Rules
- Configure Rule Information (websites, customer groups, coupon settings, dates, priority)
- Define Conditions and Actions (Apply types, Free Shipping, Apply to Shipping Amount)
- Add Labels for storefront clarity
- Generate and test coupon codes
- Control rule stacking with Priority and Stop Further Rules Processing
- Validate results on storefront and in reports
Success Criteria
You'll know you've succeeded when:
- A test coupon applies the expected discount in the cart and checkout
- The discount label displays correctly
- The promotion is restricted to the intended website and customer groups
- The rule does not stack with lower-priority discounts when configured to stop further processing
- Coupon usage appears in Reports > Sales > Coupons
Time Investment
- Estimated time: 9 minutes
- Skill level after completion: Intermediate
- Business value unlock: Launch margin-safe promotions that increase conversion and AOV, with measurable results via coupon reports
Before We Start
Who This Is For
This tutorial is designed for:
- Merchants, Ecommerce Managers, and Marketers who run promotions
- Store Admins configuring discounts for one or more websites/store views
What You Need
Make sure you have:
Admin Access
Magento 2.4.x Admin access with Marketing and Sales permissions
Website & Customer Group
At least one website and customer group to target
Test Product
A test product and a test customer account
Staging Environment
Recommended to test before production
Preparation Checklist
Before starting, complete these preparation steps:
- Decide the promotion goal (for example, 10% off orders over $100)
- Determine target customer groups and websites
- Choose coupon type: single code or auto-generated unique codes
- Set start/end dates and time zone
- Decide stacking behavior and rule priority
Step-by-Step Learning Path
Navigate to the rule creation screen
Admin path: Admin sidebar > Marketing > Promotions > Cart Price Rules > Add New Rule
Rule Information
Configure:
- Rule Name: Summer 10% over $100
- Description: 10% off subtotal over $100 with code SUMMER10
- Active: Yes
- Websites: Select target website(s)
- Customer Groups: For example, NOT LOGGED IN, General (select as needed)
- Coupon: Specific Coupon
- Coupon Code: SUMMER10 (or set Use Auto Generation = Yes for bulk codes)
- Uses per Coupon: e.g., 1000
- Uses per Customer: 1
- From/To: Set start and end dates
- Priority: 1 (lower number = higher priority)
Conditions (order-qualification logic)
Leave blank to apply to all carts, or add thresholds:
- Click Add (+) > Subtotal > is equal or greater than > 100
Actions (how the discount applies)
Configure:
- Apply: Percent of product price discount
- Discount Amount: 10
- Maximum Qty Discount is Applied To: [blank or a number]
- Discount Qty Step (Buy X): [blank unless doing Buy X Get Y]
- Apply to Shipping Amount: No (set to Yes if the discount should include shipping)
- Free Shipping: No (or select For matching items only, if applicable)
- Apply the rule only to cart items matching the following conditions: [leave blank unless restricting to specific SKUs/categories]
- Stop Further Rules Processing: Yes if you want to prevent other lower-priority rules from applying (may appear as Discard Subsequent Rules)
Labels (storefront text)
- Default Rule Label for All Store Views: Summer 10% Off
- Per Store View Labels: Optional, if you need localized or tailored text
Save the rule
Click Save. The rule activates within the configured date range and scope.
Generate multiple coupons (optional)
If Use Auto Generation = Yes: After saving, a Manage Coupon Codes tab appears.
- 1. Open the Manage Coupon Codes tab
- 2. Set Quantity, Code Length, and Format
- 3. Click Generate and Export
Note: The Manage Coupon Codes tab appears only after the rule is saved with Use Auto Generation enabled.
Test on the storefront
- 1. Add qualifying products to the cart
- 2. Apply the coupon SUMMER10
- 3. Verify: The discount amount and the label appear on the Cart and Checkout totals
Verify reporting
Go to Reports > Sales > Coupons to confirm coupon usage after placing a test order
Practice and Reinforcement
Now that you've learned the core process, let's reinforce your skills:
- Create a Buy X Get Y rule: Buy 2, get 1 free of the same SKU
- Apply = Buy X get Y free (discount amount is Y), Discount Amount = 1, Discount Qty Step (Buy X) = 2
- Create a fixed cart discount: $15 off orders over $150
- Apply = Fixed amount discount for whole cart, Discount Amount = 15, add a Subtotal ≥ 150 condition
- Generate 500 unique coupons and export them for an email campaign
What You've Accomplished
Congratulations! You have successfully:
- Created and activated a Cart Price Rule with a coupon code
- Configured conditions, actions, and labels
- Controlled stacking via priority and Stop Further Rules Processing
- Tested the promotion end-to-end and verified reporting
Business Impact
You can now launch targeted, margin-safe promotions that increase conversion and AOV, and use reporting to quantify performance.
Skills Gained
You now have the ability to:
- Configure Cart Price Rules end-to-end, including coupon generation
- Scope promotions to websites and customer groups
- Prevent unintended discount stacking to protect margin
- Validate and measure promo performance in the Admin
Next Steps in Your Journey
Now that you've mastered this process, here's how to build on your success:
Immediate Actions
- Launch a welcome coupon for new subscribers (single code, 10% off). Measure redemptions weekly in Reports > Sales > Coupons
- Run a weekend threshold promotion ($20 off $150) with Stop Further Rules Processing to protect margins
- Export 1,000 unique coupons for paid ads; track code-specific ROI and attribute redemptions to campaigns
Level Up Your Skills
- Localize labels per store view for international sites
- Use conditions to include/exclude categories or SKUs to move specific inventory
- Combine with customer groups to reward logged-in or VIP customers only
Advanced Applications
- Offer free shipping for specific items or thresholds via Actions > Free Shipping
- Build Buy X Get Y cross-sell bundles by restricting Actions to matching items
- Run multi-website A/B tests by cloning rules with different labels, codes, or thresholds, then compare coupon performance
When Things Don't Go as Expected
Even experienced merchants encounter challenges. Here's how to handle common situations:
Solution
- Verify Active = Yes, date range, website, and customer groups
- Confirm Uses per Coupon/Customer not exceeded
- Ensure Conditions evaluate to true (Subtotal vs including shipping/tax)
- If using specific item conditions, confirm products match attributes
Solution
- Check Apply type (Percent vs Fixed)
- Review tax settings (Stores > Configuration > Sales > Tax > Calculation Settings > Apply Discount on Prices)
- Apply to Shipping Amount changes the base for the discount
Solution
- Increase Priority (lower number executes first)
- Enable Stop Further Rules Processing (or Discard Subsequent Rules) on the high-value promo
Solution
- In Actions, set Free Shipping appropriately
- Ensure your shipping methods allow free shipping when flagged
Solution
- Save the rule with Use Auto Generation = Yes to reveal Manage Coupon Codes
Solution
- Confirm Websites selection matches the store you test on
- Ensure you are testing in the correct storefront
Tips
- Clear/refresh the cart, re-add items, and sign in/out as needed
- If storefront labels don't update, refresh caches
Continue Learning
Related Tutorials
- Catalog Price Rules vs Cart Price Rules: when to use each
- Customer Segmentation (Adobe Commerce) to target high-value shoppers
How-To Guides
- Reporting: Sales by Coupon and Sales reports to measure promo performance
- Abandoned cart follow-ups using coupons
Reference Materials
- Admin paths: Marketing > Promotions > Cart Price Rules; Reports > Sales > Coupons
- Notes on labels: Stop Further Rules Processing may appear as Discard Subsequent Rules in some versions
Summary
You created a cart-level promotion, controlled who sees it and when, prevented unintended stacking, and verified performance with reports. These steps are the foundation for reliable, margin-aware promotional campaigns.
Key Takeaways
- Cart Price Rules drive conversion and AOV without changing list prices
- Priority and Stop Further Rules Processing prevent double-discounting
- Coupon reports provide measurable ROI for your campaigns
Remember
- Test in a staging environment first
- Align dates/time zone, scope, and customer groups before launch
- Document your rule naming, labeling, and priorities for team consistency
