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How Anua Unlocked 5X AOV Growth with iCart’s Smart Cart Features

delivery customization Challenges Solutions drive results Scale business delivery customization Challenges Solutions drive results Scale business delivery customization Challenges Solutions drive results Scale business delivery customization Challenges Solutions drive results Scale business Anua is a globally recognized Korean skincare brand known for its minimalist philosophy and focus on gentle yet effective formulations. Built on the idea of simplifying skincare routines, Anua develops products that deliver visible results while avoiding harsh or irritating components, making them suitable for sensitive skin types. Initially using a traditional full cart experience, Anua transitioned to iCart’s side cart solution in August 2025, to create a more seamless and engaging shopping journey. This shift allowed customers to easily explore complementary skincare products without disrupting their browsing flow, making it more intuitive to discover items that fit into a complete routine. By surfacing relevant recommendations directly within the cart, the brand enhanced product visibility across its range. Challenges Before implementing iCart’s side cart solution, Anua faced limitations with their existing full cart experience, which created friction in the customer journey. The traditional cart setup redirected users away from product pages, interrupting their browsing flow and reducing opportunities to explore additional products. As a skincare brand built around routines rather than single-item purchases, this made it difficult to effectively showcase complementary products and encourage customers to build complete regimens. Additionally, the lack of in-cart personalization and strategic upsell opportunities meant that customers were often unaware of related products that could enhance their skincare results. This limited the brand’s ability to increase average order value (AOV) and fully leverage its diverse product range. Anua needed a more dynamic and intuitive cart experience that could seamlessly introduce relevant recommendations while maintaining a smooth and engaging shopping journey. ❌ Cart Value Barriers Low average order value (AOV) due to single-item focus Most customers completed purchases with one primary product instead of building multi-step routines. Cart abandonment near shipping thresholds Customers were not clearly informed or motivated to reach free shipping or discount thresholds. Missed savings opportunities Customers were unaware of potential value in purchasing bundled routines or multiple complementary products. ❌ Absence of Progress-Based Incentives No free shipping or discount progress bar Customers were not motivated to increase their cart value due to lack of visible incentives. Missing tiered rewards system There were no structured milestones (e.g., “Spend more to unlock offers”), reducing upsell opportunities. ❌ Ineffective Cart UI/UX (Pre-Side Cart) Full-page cart disrupted shopping flowCustomers had to leave their browsing journey, increasing friction and drop-offs. No quick add/remove functionality Users couldn’t easily modify their cart or add suggested products without navigating away. Solution To overcome these challenges, Anua implemented iCart’s side cart solution to transform their traditional cart into a high-converting, interactive experience. By replacing the full-page cart with a seamless side cart, the brand ensured that customers could continue browsing while viewing their cart, significantly reducing friction in the shopping journey. Additionally, features like product recommendations & progress bars for free shipping and discounts motivated customers to increase their cart value. By combining personalization, incentive-driven messaging, and a user-friendly interface, Anua successfully turned their cart into a powerful revenue-driving touchpoint rather than just a checkout step. To maximize their cart effectiveness, they implemented two powerful features: ✅ Progress Bar with Multi-Reward Incentives Implemented a tiered progress bar to encourage higher cart value Customers are guided with a clear message like “Add $3.10 to unlock secret offer,” motivating them to continue adding products. Generated over $5M+ in revenue through incentive-driven cart progression Used product-based rewards to align with customer intent Instead of generic discounts, Anua incentivized purchases with relevant skincare items like Dark Spot Pads and mini serums. Built visual motivation for routine expansion As customers add products, they can clearly track progress toward unlocking multiple rewards, encouraging them to build a complete skincare routine. ✅ Product Recommendations Implemented “Frequently Bought Together” recommendations Customers adding a single product (e.g., toner) are shown complementary items like serums, moisturizers, or pads to complete their routine. Generated over 275K revenue through in-cart recommendations Encouraged full skincare regimen building Instead of isolated purchases, the cart suggests step-by-step product combinations aligned with common skincare routines. Increased product discovery at the final stage By surfacing relevant items directly in the cart, Anua ensured customers explore more of their catalog without leaving the checkout flow. Results Achieved in Last 180 Days 22932 Total Store Orders 45101 Total iCart Orders 5X iCart Generated AOV 65.70% Upsell Affected Conversion Rate These improvements reflect a clear shift in customer behavior on Anua’s store. Cart abandonment reduced as shoppers discovered complementary skincare products and felt encouraged to build complete routines. Engagement also increased, with customers interacting more with in-cart recommendations and exploring relevant product pairings. Results & Impact And...Results is Our Main Clarification By implementing iCart’s cart drawer, product recommendations, and progress bar, Anua transformed its cart into a high-performing conversion touchpoint. Shopping Experience Enhancement The improved cart experience encouraged customers to discover complementary products and understand the value of sustainable beauty routines. For instance, the clear presentation of subscription savings alongside one-time purchase options helped customers make more informed decisions about their long-term hair care needs. As Anua continues to optimize its cart experience, the brand is closely monitoring: Routine-based purchasing behavior - tracking how customers move from single items to multi-step regimens Engagement with in-cart recommendations - measuring interaction with suggested products Cart value progression - analyzing how incentives influence higher spending [related_cases_slider] Ready to Write Your Success Story? Try icart App Join successful businesses like Anua and Master your delivery scheduling Delight customers with precise timing Grow your special occasion orders Expand your delivery reach

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11 Min • 24 June 2026

Shopify Plus vs Advanced: What Enterprise Stores Are Choosing in 2026

Deciding between Shopify Plus vs Advanced used to be a straightforward revenue question. Cross a certain GMV threshold, upgrade, and move on. In 2026, it will be a little more complicated than that. The platform gap between these two plans has widened significantly, and the features that matter most for enterprise brands, including checkout control, native B2B, and agentic commerce, now come exclusively on Plus. Getting this decision wrong in either direction is expensive. Upgrading before you need Plus means paying for infrastructure you cannot use. Staying on Advanced if your brand doesn't need it means paying for apps for things that Plus handles natively. Here is my updated and honest breakdown of the comparison between the two plans so enterprise stores can make the call. Quick answer: Shopify Plus vs Advanced, which plan wins? Shopify Advanced at $299/month (billed annually) is the right plan for a single-store DTC business that does not need checkout customization, has fewer than 15 staff, and doesn't run a B2B operation. Shopify Plus at $2,300/month (three-year term) becomes the better investment when you need a second storefront, want native B2B, need full checkout logic through Checkout Extensibility, or your annual third-party transaction fees on Advanced exceed roughly $35,000. Quick comparison between Plus and Advanced 2026 Pricing for Shopify Plus vs Shopify Advanced PlanPricingKey feesWhat you getShopify Advanced$399/month or $299/month billed annuallyOnline card rates start around 2.5% + 30¢ in the US. The third-party payment gateway fee is 0.6%.Includes 15 staff accounts, 10 inventory locations, custom reports, enhanced 24/7 chat support, real-time carrier shipping rates, and advanced international selling tools.Shopify PlusStarts at $2,500/month on a 1-year term or $2,300/month on a 3-year term.Third-party gateway fee drops to 0.20%. Shopify Payments users can avoid third-party transaction fees.Includes unlimited staff accounts, up to 200 locations, checkout customization, 9 expansion stores, B2B tools, priority support, and Plus-only features.Shopify Plus trialStarts at $399/month for eligible merchants.Trial pricing varies by currency and region.Gives access to most Plus features for 1–2 months before moving to a full Plus plan. For a full breakdown of pricing, my Shopify pricing guide covers every tier, including the hidden fees most merchants miss on day one. The break-even calculation I run for enterprise stores Before comparing features, I always explain the transaction fee for owners. For me, it is the fastest way to evaluate Shopify Plus and Shopify Advanced. Advanced charges 0.6% on every order processed through a third-party gateway. Plus charges 0.2%. The 0.4 percentage point difference compounds quickly at scale. For example, I have worked with a brand processing $7M annually through a third-party gateway, which pays $42,000/year in Shopify transaction fees on Advanced. They then shifted to Plus and paid $14,000/year. The $28,000 saving alone covers more than the annual plan cost difference between the two tiers. Checkout Extensibility: The feature that changed everything On Shopify Advanced, checkout customization is limited to visual branding. You can change your logo, colors, and fonts. The structure of the checkout itself is locked. Any checkout logic change requires a third-party app. The Easiest Upsell Happens At Checkout The checkout page is one of the easiest places to increase order value because the customer has already decided to pay. Sell More After Every Sale Show irresistible one-click post purchase upsells at the right moment that converts. Install SellMore SellMore lets you use that moment to show targeted upsell offers without adding friction before checkout. On Shopify Plus, Checkout Extensibility gives you more control. You can rearrange sections, add custom fields above or below forms, insert upsell blocks in the checkout right column, apply B2B-specific payment flows, and create dynamic shipping rules based on cart contents. Shopify Functions also lets developers add more backend commerce logic: discount stacking, custom payment conditions, tax exemptions by customer type, and proprietary shipping calculations. All of that requires Plus. Advanced users are limited to whatever predefined Functions are available through public apps. Multi-store, expansion stores, and global markets in 2026 Shopify Advanced supports exactly one store. International growth on Advanced means either running separate Advanced plans per country at $299/month, or using Shopify Markets to localize within a single store. Shopify Markets is available on both plans and handles currency, language, and regional pricing. Advanced includes three markets, with additional markets at $59/month each. Plus includes up to 50 markets at no extra charge. Plus also gives you a different model entirely: your main store plus nine expansion stores, all managed from a single Organization Admin. This is a centralized dashboard that gives you oversight of all stores, users, and settings in one place. Each expansion store is fully independent, with its own domain, theme, product catalog, language settings, staff permissions, analytics, and bank account for payouts. For brands already managing multiple Shopify stores, my Shopify store management guide covers everything you need to know about multi-store operations. Native B2B: The clearest differentiator between plans If your business runs a wholesale or B2B channel alongside DTC, the Shopify Plus vs Advanced decision is settled by this section alone. Advanced has no native B2B functionality. Building a wholesale operation on Advanced needs third-party apps, a separate wholesale store, or both. Shopify Plus includes a full native B2B suite as part of the plan price. You can run B2B and DTC from the same store, or build a dedicated B2B storefront at no extra cost. That B2B store does not count as one of your nine expansion stores. The B2B feature set covers company profiles with assigned buyers and locations, custom price lists with company-specific or tiered pricing, net payment terms (Net 30, Net 60, and pro-forma invoices), minimum and maximum order quantities, draft orders and quote workflows, and one-off shipping address flexibility. The real argument for Plus over Advanced is the operational consolidation. For hybrid DTC plus wholesale brands, removing the B2B setup reduces ongoing complexity more than any single feature on the plan comparison table. Automation: Flow, Launchpad, Functions, and Audiences Several of the most valuable tools in Shopify's automation layer are now Plus-only in 2026. Shopify Flow is available on both plans. It handles rules-based automation across the admin. For example, it automatically tags customers when they cross a lifetime value threshold. Flow now integrates with Klaviyo, Gorgias, Yotpo, Recharge, LoyaltyLion, and several other platforms. Shopify Launchpad is Plus-only. It schedules merchandising changes to fire at a precise time: flash sales, price changes, product drops, theme swaps, and discount activation or deactivation. Brands running major promotional events use Launchpad to execute without manual intervention at midnight. There is no equivalent on Advanced. Shopify Audiences is another Plus-only. It builds high-intent lookalike audiences for Meta, Google, TikTok, and Pinterest using commerce data across the Shopify Plus merchant network. I have written a complete breakdown on Shopify Audiences how it works and how to use it. Enterprise operations: Staff, APIs, security, reporting, & POS Staff accounts and permissions Advanced supports 15 staff accounts with standard admin roles. Plus supports unlimited staff with store-level access controls. API access Advanced supports 4 REST API requests per second and 200 GraphQL points per second. Plus raises that to 20 REST requests per second and 1,000 GraphQL points per second, with prioritized webhook delivery and access to staging environments. Custom apps on Plus can also access PII data, while on Advanced, they cannot access PII. POS Pro Advanced requires $89/month per retail location for POS Pro. Plus includes POS Pro for the first 20 retail locations at no additional cost. If you use Shopify Payments and process at least one retail transaction per month at any location, POS Pro is waived on all retail locations up to a maximum of 200. Inventory locations Advanced supports 10 inventory locations. Plus supports 200. I suggest brands running multiple warehouses definitely go with Plus on this one. Reporting Advanced gives you Shopify's full reporting suite, including custom reports. Plus adds ShopifyQL Notebooks, a custom reporting tool that lets data teams write queries, combine data sources, and build tailored dashboards. Headless storefronts Advanced supports one Hydrogen storefront. Plus supports up to 25 Hydrogen storefronts hosted on Oxygen, making it the right setup for brands launching headless campaign sites, B2B portals, or international storefronts with custom front-end experiences. What is new in 2026: Sidekick, agentic commerce, & MCP Shopify Sidekick, the AI assistant embedded in the admin, is now available across all plans. It writes copy, configures discounts, builds Flow automations, and answers analytics questions in plain language. The gap between Advanced & Plus at the agentic layer. Advanced agentic capabilities, where the AI takes actions across the store, are better supported on Plus because of higher API limits, broader permissions, and staging environments for safe action testing. A merchant asking Sidekick to "set up a flash sale for this weekend across all three regional stores" needs Plus to execute that. MCP (Model Context Protocol) integration, which lets AI tools connect directly to Shopify's backend, is used by enterprise brands that need AI agents with direct admin access. For me, Plus is always better for MCP-based workflows because the API and security controls make those integrations safe to connect. If you are deciding for the next 3 years, Plus is a much better choice just because of the agentic commerce feature. 5 signals your store is ready to move from Advanced to Plus Signal 1: You need a second storefront If you want a separate domain, a dedicated B2B store, or a different storefront under the same brand, Advanced cannot support that. Plus gives you up to nine expansion stores under one contract with one Admin. Signal 2: Your B2B channel is growing If your wholesale revenue is good and your current app stack is creating a problem, native B2B on Plus removes this issue. Company profiles, net terms, custom catalogs, and a buyer self-serve portal are all native and free with the plan. Signal 3: Your checkout has a requirement that it cannot meet Any checkout that needs custom fields, dynamic shipping logic, upsell blocks inside checkout, or discount stacking rules requires Plus. Advanced's checkout only works for visual branding. Signal 4: Your third-party transaction fees exceed $35,000/year At that threshold, the 0.4% fee reduction on Plus covers more than the annual plan cost difference. The upgrade saves your money from day one. When Shopify Advanced is the right call Advanced is the right plan if you Run a single-store DTC business Your team is under 15 people You use Shopify Payments as your primary gateway You have no current B2B operations, and your checkout does not need customization For inspiration on what Shopify Plus stores look like, checkout my article on successful Shopify Plus websites to research on Plus brands. Making the right Shopify Plus vs Advanced decision ▶ Advanced is the best plan for a growing single-store DTC business. ▶ Shopify Plus is the right setup for brands that need more than one storefront, a native B2B channel, full checkout control, automation, or the API and security that enterprise operations demand. At Identixweb, we work with Shopify brands at exactly this decision point and through the implementation that follows. If you want a clear plan, evaluation and an upgrade roadmap built around your actual operational constraints, our Shopify consulting team can give you a direct answer without the guesswork. FAQs 1. Is Shopify Plus better than Shopify Advanced? Yes. Shopify Plus is better in capability, but not better for every store. Shopify Advanced already gives you 15 staff accounts, carrier-calculated shipping, custom reports, international selling tools, and enhanced chat support. Plus becomes better when you need enterprise features like unlimited staff, 200 inventory locations, unlimited B2B catalogs, priority support, checkout customization, expansion stores, bot protection, and higher API limits. 2. Is it worth upgrading to Shopify Plus? It is worth upgrading to Shopify Plus only when the business problem is bigger than what Advanced can solve. The strongest reasons are checkout customization, advanced B2B setup, expansion stores, higher API limits, bot protection, priority support, and high-volume sales events. 3. Is Shopify Advanced worth it? Yes. Shopify Advanced is worth it for stores that are growing internationally, need better reporting, or want more operational control without paying Plus pricing. It gives you custom reports, carrier-calculated shipping, international commerce tools, lower standard transaction fees, 15 staff accounts, and enhanced 24/7 chat support. 4. How much is Shopify Advanced per month? Shopify pricing is localized by country, and subscriptions can be billed in currencies such as INR, USD, GBP, or EUR, depending on location. In the USA, Shopify Advanced currently costs $399/month when paid monthly, or $299/month when paid yearly. 5. Why is Shopify Plus so expensive? Shopify Plus is expensive because it is priced for enterprise-level control, scale, and support. You are paying for things like full checkout customization, unlimited staff, 200 inventory locations, unlimited B2B catalogs, priority support, free expansion stores, bot protection, higher API limits, and feature testing environments.

10 Min • 25 June 2026

Get Instant Sales with QR Codes for Your Shopify Store (Best Methods to Add)

A customer scanning a code on your packaging or printed flyer can land on a pre-loaded checkout in seconds. I have added a QR code in the Shopify store in under two minutes, and Shopify now offers more native options than ever before. Whether you want a free Shopify QR code generator, a product-specific Shopcode, or a dynamic code with full scan analytics, I have covered every QR code Shopify merchants need in 2026. What makes a QR code Shopify's most underused growth tool? A QR code for Shopify is a scannable 2D barcode that links customers directly to a specific page in your store. It can be a product listing, a pre-loaded checkout, or a discount landing page. Every modern smartphone reads one through the camera app with no additional download required. The numbers back this up. A GS1 US consumer survey found that 79% of shoppers are more likely to purchase a product with a scannable QR code. For Shopify merchants specifically, the opportunity is clear. Every QR code Shopify merchants place in the physical world is a direct link to a sale. There are two types of QR codes you should know about before choosing a method: Static QR codes encode a fixed URL. Once printed, the destination cannot be changed. Good for permanent product pages. Dynamic QR codes point to a redirect URL you control. You can update the destination without reprinting, and you get scan analytics, including scans, unique visitors, and location data. Method 1: Free Shopify QR code generator Shopify's free QR code generator lets you create a code in about 60 seconds with no Shopify account required. Enter a URL, your email address, and the tool sends you a downloadable code file. Best for: Quick one-off codes for your homepage, a specific product page, a sale collection, or a campaign URL. Key limitation: These are static codes. Once printed, the destination URL is locked. If the URL changes, you need to reprint. Steps: Go to Shopify's free QR code generator. Select your content type. The four options are website URL, phone number, SMS, and plain text. Website URLs are the most useful for store traffic. Paste your destination URL: product page, collection, homepage, or discount URL. Enter your email address. Click Send QR code. Download from your inbox and deploy. The code never expires and has no scan limit. For a single campaign or permanent signage, this Shopify QR code generator's free option is all you need. Method 2: Shopcodes, Shopify's native QR code creator Shopcodes is Shopify's native QR code creator. Of all the Shopify QR code creator options available, Shopcodes is the most tightly integrated. Unlike the free generator, Shopcodes ties codes to specific products and lets you attach a discount code to the scan destination. Best for: Product-specific codes that send customers straight to a product page or a pre-loaded checkout. Key limitation: Shopcodes generates standard codes with limited visual customization. You cannot add brand colors or logos to the code itself. Steps to install and create a Shopcode: From your Shopify admin, go to Apps and search for Shopcodes. Click Install, then Install app. Open the Shopcodes app and click Create Shopcode. Enter an internal title for the code. Under Scan Destination, choose one of the following: > Link to a product page: Send the customer to the product listing. > Link to checkout page with product in cart: Skips browsing entirely and puts the product in the customer's cart. If you selected checkout, optionally choose a specific variant. To attach a discount code, select one from the Discount section. Note: the discount attachment option only appears when you select the checkout destination, not the product page option. Click Save, then Download. Downloaded codes come as a zip file containing a PNG for digital use and an SVG for print. For events, packaging inserts, or pop-up displays, the SVG is the version to give your printer. Method 3: Third-Party Shopify QR code generator apps When you need dynamic codes, bulk generation, or UTM tracking that flows into Google Analytics, I would always suggest a third-party app. Best for: Marketing campaigns with multiple destinations, branded packaging, and bulk code creation across a large product catalog. Here are three Shopify QR code apps that I have tried and tested. o2o – QR Codes Unlimited: Dynamic codes with customizable branding, bulk creation, discount integration, and detailed scan analytics. Free plan available. Spice QR Codes Generator: All codes are dynamic by default. Automatically generates UTM codes so scans show up correctly in Google Analytics. Also adds QR codes to invoices, packing slips, and post-purchase emails automatically. QodeVault QR Code Generator: Built for merchants who need bulk generation and real-time scan analytics across large catalogs. For more on building a high-converting page that captures traffic after the scan, read my guide on Shopify product page optimization for merchants. Shopify gift card QR code Every Shopify gift card automatically generates a unique QR code identifier. When a customer receives a digital gift card by email, Shopify adds a unique QR identifier into the card that can be scanned at POS. Here is how the Shopify gift card QR code works: A customer purchases or receives a digital gift card from your store. Shopify emails the gift card with a redemption code and, if you have activated Apple Wallet Passes, an Add to Apple Wallet button. The Apple Wallet pass displays your store information, the gift card's active balance, and a unique QR code. At your physical store or event, staff can scan the QR code using a 2D scanner or the camera on an iPad running Shopify POS. How to activate Apple Wallet Passes for your gift cards: Go to Shopify Admin > Settings > Payments. Scroll to the Apple Wallet Passes section and click Customize. Check Activate Apple Wallet Passes for gift cards. Optionally, customize the text, colors, and banner image that appear on the pass. Click Save. For a complete guide to setting up gift cards and understanding how they work, see my guide on how Shopify gift cards work in 2026. 6 high-converting ways to use QR codes in your store 1. Product packaging for repeat purchases Place a QR code on your packaging that links to a pre-loaded checkout with the same product in the cart. Attach a discount code to the Shopcode to reward repeat purchases. Shopcode app handles this natively. Check out my complete guide to creating a discount code in Shopify in 2026. 2. Pop-up events and in-person markets Running an event with limited stock on hand? Place a QR code at your booth that links to the full product collection on your Shopify store. Customers who want a different size or color can order on the spot without you needing to carry every variant. Shopify POS handles the in-person sales, and the QR code handles overflow orders. My detailed guide to Shopify POS covers how to set up the hardware and sync inventory across both channels. 3. Printed flyers and direct mail for discount campaigns Flyers and direct mail benefit from QR codes because they eliminate the need to type a URL. Customers can scan the code, and the discount is already applied at checkout. Merchants can use a dynamic code from a third-party app, so they can update the destination if a campaign extends or the discount changes. 4. Store window displays to sell after hours A "Scan to shop" QR code in your window display lets your store make sales even when the doors are closed. Anyone walking by who stops to look can scan and browse the full collection on their phone. Display a dynamic QR code here so you can change the destination for seasonal campaigns. 5. Out-of-stock products to capture interest When a product runs out, place a QR code near it or on any empty shelf display. Link it to a waitlist form or to similar in-stock products. The interested shopper does not have to leave empty-handed. You capture the intent instead of losing it. To wrap it up, here are the QR code best practices I use Minimum print size: A QR code needs to be at least 2 cm x 2 cm to scan reliably. For large format signage, size up proportionally. Smaller codes on packaging should still meet the minimum. Quiet zone: Keep a clear white border around the code equal to at least four modules (the small squares that make up the code). Contrast: A high contrast between the dark modules and the background is required. The safest option I have experience with is a dark code on a light background. Avoid reversing it to light on dark unless your code generator tests for readability. Add a CTA near every code: "Scan to shop," "Scan for 15% off," or "Scan to reorder" tells the customer why they should scan. Test on multiple devices before printing: Print a test copy at actual size and scan it with at least two different phones. What scans perfectly on a high-end device can fail on an older one. Use UTM parameters for trackability: Add UTM source, medium, and campaign tags to your destination URL. Dynamic QR code apps handle this automatically. For static codes, build the UTM URL manually using Google's Campaign URL Builder before generating the code. FAQs 1. Are Shopify QR codes free? Yes. Shopify has a free QR Code Generator that anyone can use, and it allows unlimited usage with no hidden costs or limitations. For Shopify merchants, the official Shopcodes app is also free 2. How do I create a QR code in Shopify? For a general QR code, use Shopify’s free QR Code Generator, select the data type like website URL, phone number, SMS, or plain text, add the details, enter your email, and generate the code. For a product-based QR code inside Shopify, install Shopcodes, go to Apps > Shopcodes > Create Shopcode, choose whether it should open the product page or checkout with the product in cart, then download the QR code. 3. Does Shopify have a QR code? Yes. Shopify has Shopcodes, an official Shopify app that creates scannable QR codes connected to specific products. These QR codes can send customers to a product page or directly to checkout, and Shopify also supports scan and conversion tracking through Shopify Analytics. 4. What is the best free Shopify QR code generator? Shopify's own free QR code generator tool is the easiest option. It is completely free, requires no account, and delivers the code to your email in under a minute. The only limitation is that it creates static code. For dynamic codes with scan analytics, you will need the Shopcodes app or a third-party Shopify QR code generator app. 5. What is a Shopify gift card QR code? Every Shopify digital gift card includes a unique QR identifier that can be scanned at Shopify POS. When you activate Apple Wallet Passes in Shopify Settings, gift card emails include an "Add to Apple Wallet" button. The wallet pass displays the balance and a QR code that staff can scan to apply the gift card at checkout. 6. Are Shopify QR codes dynamic or static? Shopify's free QR code generator creates static codes only. Shopcodes creates static codes tied to a specific product destination. Third-party apps like o2o and Spice QR Codes Generator create dynamic codes by default, which means you can update the destination URL after printing and track scan analytics. 7. Can I track who scans my Shopify QR code? With dynamic QR codes from third-party apps, you get scan data including total scans, unique scanners, scan timing, and geographic data. Shopcodes provides a basic analytics report inside your Shopify admin, showing scans and conversions. Static codes from the free Shopify QR code generator tool provide no native tracking.

14 Min • 16 June 2026

Shopify PPC: A Practical Guide to Paid Advertising That Actually Converts in 2026

Shopify PPC refers to pay-per-click advertising campaigns run by Shopify store owners across platforms like Google, Meta, Microsoft Ads, Pinterest, and TikTok. Advertisers pay only when a user clicks their ad. Shopify's native integrations with these platforms automate catalog syncing, conversion tracking, and dynamic ad creation, giving Shopify merchants a technical foundation that many other ecommerce platforms do not offer out of the box. Paid ads can be the fastest way to grow a Shopify store. They can also be the fastest way to burn through a budget with nothing to show for it. The difference between the two almost always comes down to how the campaign is built, managed, and connected to the rest of the store's conversion stack. PPC for Shopify works. But it rewards merchants who treat it as a system, not a shortcut. Here is how to build that system properly. What is Shopify PPC & why it works differently Shopify PPC (pay-per-click advertising) means running paid ads across platforms like Google, Meta, Microsoft, and TikTok, paying only when someone clicks. If a thousand people see your ad but none click, you pay nothing. What makes PPC for Shopify websites distinct is Shopify's native integration with the major ad platforms. Your product catalog syncs automatically to Google Merchant Center and Meta. The Meta Pixel and Google conversion tag install without manual coding. Any product change you make in your Shopify admin (price, stock, title) propagates to your ad feeds in real time. The result is that Shopify merchants have access to richer, real-time product data in their ad accounts than most competitors running on other platforms. Is your Shopify store ready for PPC? Check this first Before spending anything on ads, run through this readiness check: Conversion rate: The typical ecommerce store converts between 2% and 3% of sessions. If yours is significantly below 1%, paid traffic will not fix that. It will expose it, at scale. Product page quality: Every product your ads link to needs clear, high-resolution images, benefit-focused copy, visible social proof, and an obvious path to purchase. If someone clicking from an ad has to work to understand what they are buying, they will leave. Mobile experience: A large share of paid ad traffic lands on mobile. Test your product pages and checkout on actual mobile devices. Average order value relative to CPC: Work backwards from your margin. If your AOV is £60 with a 35% gross margin, your maximum allowable CPA is £21. At a 2% store conversion rate, that means your maximum CPC cannot exceed £0.42. If CPCs in your category run £1.50 and above, paid search will not be profitable without first raising your AOV or conversion rate. Here’s my complete breakdown on improving your store's conversion rate before scaling ad spend is not a delay. Also, for building traffic while you get your store ready, check out my guide on how to increase traffic to your Shopify store using organic methods. How does PPC advertising work on Shopify? Every time an ad slot becomes available on a search results page, a social media feed, or a product listing, the platform runs an auction in real time. Your ad wins or loses that auction based on three inputs. Your bid The maximum amount you are willing to pay per click or action. On Google, you set this via bidding strategies. On Meta, it is a daily or lifetime budget with optional bid caps. Ad quality Google assigns a Quality Score to every ad based on expected click-through rate, relevance to the user's search, and the landing page experience. A higher Quality Score means a lower effective cost per click for the same position. Meta uses ad relevance diagnostics that function similarly: higher-relevance ads cost less to reach the same audience. Competition The more advertisers bidding on the same keyword or audience, the higher the price. High commercial intent queries like "buy [product] online" carry significantly higher CPCs than broader or informational searches. Here are the core metrics to track across any PPC campaign for Shopify websites: MetricWhat It MeasuresCPC (Cost Per Click)What you pay each time someone clicks your adCTR (Click-Through Rate)Percentage of ad impressions that result in a clickCVR (Conversion Rate)Percentage of clicks that turn into ordersCPA (Cost Per Acquisition)What you pay per completed purchaseROAS (Return On Ad Spend)Revenue generated for every £1 spent on adsImpression SharePercentage of eligible auctions where your ad appeared Where to run ads? Top platforms for Shopify PPC management Choosing where to start should be based on where your ideal customer already spends time and what they are ready to do when they get there. Google Ads Google is the highest-intent PPC platform for most Shopify stores. When someone searches "waterproof hiking boots UK," they are actively looking to buy. Your ad appearing at that moment positions you in the purchase path with minimal persuasion required. Google Ads for Shopify encompasses four distinct formats: Search Ads target specific keywords. You write the headlines and descriptions; Google shows your ad when someone searches a matching query. Google Shopping Ads pull directly from your Shopify product catalog via Google Merchant Center. They display product images, prices, and your store name inside search results. Performance Max campaigns are Google's AI-driven format that distributes ads across Search, Shopping, Display, Gmail, Maps, and YouTube from one campaign. They require quality first-party data to optimize effectively: your product feed, customer lists, and Shopify conversion data. YouTube Ads work best for retargeting existing site visitors and building brand awareness for visually compelling products. They become valuable once you have enough conversion data to build lookalike audiences. Meta Ads (Facebook and Instagram) Meta's ad platform reaches users based on who they are and how they behave, rather than what they are searching for. Users who have shown interest in sustainable home goods, recently browsed competing products, and fall in a specific demographic can all be layered into a single audience definition. Facebook advertising mistakes, such as broad targeting with no segmentation or static creative that does not stop the scroll, account for the majority of wasted spend on Meta. Getting the basics right is more impactful than finding clever hacks. One significant advantage exclusive to Shopify merchants is Shopify Audiences. The tool generates custom high-intent audience lists using aggregated purchase data from across the Shopify network, identifying users who have demonstrated real buying behavior for products similar to yours. My Shopify Audiences guide walks through exactly how to activate and use it inside Meta Ads. Microsoft Advertising (Bing Ads) Bing reaches a smaller audience than Google, but often at 20 to 30% lower CPCs with meaningfully less auction competition. The demographic skews slightly older and higher-income, which suits specific product categories well, particularly home goods, professional services, and premium items. A key practical advantage: you can import your Google campaigns directly into Microsoft Ads, making launch fast and low-effort once your Google campaigns are structured properly. TikTok Ads TikTok has matured into a legitimate ecommerce channel, particularly for products targeting younger demographics. It syncs with Shopify, enabling in-app product discovery and purchase. Creative requirements differ from other platforms: native-feeling, unpolished content performs better than polished advertising. Production costs can be lower, creatives can feel more authentic, and audiences are genuinely open to discovering new brands mid-scroll. If you are building a multi-channel presence, my guide to promoting your Shopify store on social media covers organic and paid tactics. How to set up your first Shopify PPC campaign Step 1: Define a measurable goal Every campaign needs one primary objective: drive purchases, capture leads, or build awareness. Your goal determines which bidding strategy you use, which ad format serves it, and what metric you measure success against. Step 2: Sync your Shopify catalog Install the Google & YouTube and Facebook & Instagram channel apps in your Shopify admin. These pull your product data into the respective ad platforms, enable dynamic creative, and configure conversion tracking without manual pixel implementation. Clean data here means clean attribution data from day one. Step 3: Research keywords High-intent buying terms: Searches like "[product] buy," "[product] price UK," "[product] free delivery." Users searching these phrases are close to purchasing. Long-tail keywords: Specific phrases like "men's waterproof trail running shoes size 10." Lower search volume, far less competition, and users who know exactly what they want typically convert at higher rates. Negative keywords: Just as important as your target keywords. A store selling premium dog food should exclude "homemade dog food" and "free dog food samples" from the start. Step 4: Write ads that pre-qualify the click Effective ad copy does two jobs simultaneously: It attracts buyers who are genuinely interested It signals to everyone else that this ad is not for them. Use headlines to communicate your key differentiator, whether that is next-day delivery, a current promotion, or a specific product feature. Ad extensions (sitelinks, price extensions, promotion extensions) add contextual detail without adding to your click cost. Step 5: Match every ad to the right landing page If someone clicks an ad for "navy linen chinos" and lands on a homepage, they do not have to search for the product. Every ad should land on the most relevant destination: a specific product page, a tightly curated collection page, or a dedicated Shopify landing page built around the campaign's offer. Match the headline, images, and offer between your ad and landing page exactly. Step 6: Set a budget you can measure from Use your AOV, gross margin, and target CPA to reverse-engineer a viable CPC: AOV: £80 | Gross margin: 40% | Maximum allowable spend per order: £32 At a 2% store conversion rate: 50 clicks per sale Maximum viable CPC: £32 ÷ 50 = £0.64 If competitive CPCs in your keyword set run at £1.50, the math does not work without fixing either the conversion rate or the AOV first. Planning your Shopify marketing budget around these numbers before launch prevents learning-phase losses from depleting your test budget before you have meaningful data. Turn Paid Clicks Into Bigger Orders With iCart, you can add cart upsells, product recommendations, free gifts, and progress bars to increase AOV without increasing ad spend. Most carts only show products... iCart can show revenue-boosting offers. Try Free Till 100 Orders Before you spend more on Shopify PPC, make sure every visitor has a reason to buy more. Shopify PPC campaign optimization strategies These Shopify PPC campaign optimization strategies apply across platforms, and when applied consistently, the compounding effect on ROAS is significant. Audit your search terms weekly Your keyword list tells the platform what to bid on. Your search terms report shows what it is actually matching to. Review search terms weekly and add irrelevant, low-converting, or off-brand queries to your negative keyword list. On Google Shopping, where you do not set keywords directly, the search terms report is the primary lever for improving targeting precision. Run A/B tests Run two to three variants at all times per ad group and test one element at a time: headline A versus headline B, static image versus short video, benefit-led description versus feature-led description. Let each test reach statistical significance before deciding. Make retargeting your highest-priority campaign type Retargeting reaches people who already visited your store, viewed specific products, or added to cart without completing purchase. Warm audiences convert at significantly higher rates than cold traffic because the intent is already established. The ad's job is to bring them back, not to create interest from scratch. Shopify's catalog sync enables dynamic retargeting where ads automatically show each user the exact products they viewed, at the price they saw. Here’s my complete guide to setting up Shopify retargeting ads as distinct campaigns with their own budget allocation. Segment campaigns by product margin Not all products justify the same ad spend. High-margin products can sustain higher CPCs and more aggressive bidding. Lower-margin products need lower CPAs or should not be in paid campaigns at all. Running separate campaigns for high-margin product lines gives you the budget control to spend where it pays. How to measure PPC performance for Shopify stores ROAS (Return on Ad Spend): Revenue generated per £1 spent. A 3x ROAS is a common benchmark, but the right target depends on your gross margin. Calculate your breakeven ROAS before launch CPA (Cost Per Acquisition): What you pay per completed order. Track CPA at the campaign and ad group level. A high-ROAS product campaign, averaged with a low-performer, makes the account look mediocre. CVR (Conversion Rate): If your CVR drops below historical norms without a change in targeting, the problem is usually on-site: a checkout bug, a product page issue, or a new landing page that is not converting as well as the previous one. Impression Share: If impression share on your highest-performing campaigns is low (under 60%), you are leaving qualified clicks on the table. Here’s my guide to using Shopify analytics for ecommerce growth which covers how to set up and interpret the data that informs PPC decisions. Managing Shopify PPC campaigns over time Weekly: Review the search terms report and add negatives. Check spend pacing relative to daily budget limits. Flag any campaign where ROAS or CVR has dropped more than 15% week-over-week. Monthly: Evaluate creative performance and pause underperforming variants. Review audience overlap between campaigns. Adjust bids for seasonal demand patterns. Compare current month metrics against the prior 90-day average, not just the previous month. Quarterly: Audit the full campaign structure. Remove products that have dropped below viable CPA thresholds. Reassess platform allocation: should the budget shift from Meta to Google, or is there a case for testing Pinterest or TikTok for a specific product line? For a complete view of how paid fits alongside organic, email, and social, see my guide to Shopify marketing strategies in 2026. FAQs 1. What is Shopify PPC? PPC for Shopify refers to pay-per-click advertising campaigns run by Shopify store owners across platforms like Google, Meta, Microsoft Ads, Pinterest, and TikTok. Shopify's native integrations with these platforms automate catalog syncing, conversion tracking, and dynamic ad creation, giving Shopify merchants a foundation that many other ecommerce platforms do not offer. 2. How much does PPC cost for Shopify stores? You set your own budget, and the platform charges per click. CPCs vary widely by platform and keyword competitiveness. Most new Shopify stores start with a monthly test budget of $400 to $1300 to generate enough conversion data for meaningful optimization. 3. Which PPC platform is best for Shopify? Google Shopping is the highest-converting platform for product-based Shopify stores because it intercepts buyers with active purchase intent. Meta (Facebook and Instagram) is stronger for lifestyle and visually driven products. 4. What is a good ROAS for paid campaigns for Shopify stores? A 3x ROAS is a common starting benchmark. A store with 40% margins breaks even at 2.5x ROAS; anything above is profit. A store with 20% margins needs 5x just to break even. Set your target ROAS above breakeven. 5. How long does PPC take to start working? Most PPC platforms need two to four weeks to exit the learning phase and begin optimizing effectively. Google's smart bidding strategies require approximately 30 to 50 conversions per campaign before the algorithm has enough data to optimize bids. 6. Should I run paid campaigns or focus on SEO? PPC delivers immediate traffic while SEO builds organic visibility over months. Growing Shopify stores benefit from both running in parallel: PPC for product launches, seasonal pushes, and high-intent acquisition; SEO for long-term category visibility and lower cost-per-visit over time. 7. What is Shopify Audiences, and how does it improve PPC? Shopify Audiences is a tool exclusive to Shopify merchants that generates custom audience lists using aggregated purchase intent data from across the Shopify commerce network. It identifies users who have demonstrated real buying behavior for products similar to yours, rather than relying on demographic proxies. 8. What metrics should I track for Shopify PPC management? Track ROAS, CPA, CVR, CTR, and impression share at the campaign and ad group level. Set up UTM parameters on all ad URLs to ensure Shopify Analytics attributes revenue to the correct source. Review the search terms report weekly. Also track AOV alongside your ad metrics: Increasing AOV often improves PPC economics faster than reducing CPC alone.