You can set up a discount right from your EG rule so it applies automatically whenever the rule's trigger and reward conditions are met. This article covers the discount methods available, the value options (percentage, fixed amount, or free), how to create or choose a discount step by step, how discounts combine with other store discounts, and what to do if a discount gets paused or flagged with an issue.
The three ways to discount the reward product
When you add a discount to a rule, you choose one of three methods:
EG Automatic discount (Recommended) — Created and managed inside EG. It applies automatically to the reward product in the cart and, unlike a Shopify automatic discount, it doesn't block the trigger product from also using other discounts (when both are set to combine).
Shopify Automatic discount — A native Shopify automatic discount that EG links to your rule. It applies without a code, but Shopify automatic discounts generally can't be limited to only the customers who qualified for your rule — anyone whose cart matches the discount's own conditions can trigger it.
Shopify Promo Code — A standard Shopify discount code. The customer (or EG, depending on your rule setup) applies the code at checkout.
Each method has trade-offs depending on your promotion and products. For a full comparison, see How to choose the best discounting method for your EG rule.
Choosing a discount value: percentage, fixed amount, or free
When you create a discount, you can set the reward product's price to:
Free — the reward product is discounted to $0.
Percentage off — a whole-number percentage between 1% and 100%.
Decimal percentages (like 12.5%) are not accepted — only whole numbers are allowed. If you type a decimal, you'll see an inline error and won't be able to save until you round to a whole number.
If you enter 100%, EG automatically switches the discount to Free for you, since a 100%-off discount and a free item have the same effect on price.
Fixed amount off — a specific currency amount taken off the reward product's price (for example, $5.00 off). This option is available only when you're creating an EG Automatic discount — it isn't offered for the Shopify Automatic or Shopify Promo Code methods.
Creating a discount in the rule editor
Open your rule and configure its trigger, action, schedule, and targeting as usual.
Scroll to the Discounts section of the rule editor and select your preferred discounting method (EG Automatic is recommended).
You'll see two options, depending on the method:
Create new — opens a modal to build a new discount from scratch.
Choose Existing — lets you search and attach a discount code or automatic discount that already exists in your Shopify admin. (This option isn't available for EG Automatic discounts, since those are always created fresh through EG.)
In the Create a new discount modal:
Enter a title for the discount. This is what shows in your Shopify admin — for a Shopify Promo Code discount, the title is always the same as the code text, so customers will see and enter it at checkout.
Under At a discounted value, choose Free, Percentage, or Amount and enter your value.
Review the combination settings (see below) and adjust if needed.
Click Continue.
Save your rule. The discount's active schedule automatically matches your rule's schedule — you don't need to set separate dates.
Test the rule on your storefront to confirm the discount applies as expected.
Discount combination settings
Every discount you create in EG can be set to combine with other discount types — product, order, and shipping discounts — or to not combine with anything else. Choose Combine to pick which categories it should stack with, or Do not combine to keep it exclusive.
Keep in mind that combining discounts is a two-way agreement: for two discounts to stack on the same item, both discounts need to be configured to combine with each other's category. For a deeper explanation with examples, see Combining Discounts in Shopify.
Re-activating a paused discount
If the EG Automatic discount linked to your rule gets paused or expires — for example, if it was paused when the app was temporarily uninstalled — you can turn it back on without recreating the rule:
Open the rule in the rule editor.
In the Discounts section, you'll see a status badge (such as Paused) next to the discount.
Click Activate next to the discount to re-enable it.
This option only appears when the rule itself is active, running within its scheduled window, and the paused discount was created by EG.
Understanding discount "issue" warnings
EG periodically checks that a rule's linked discount still exists and is healthy in Shopify. If something changed outside of EG, you may see a banner on the rule:
Discount deleted — the discount was deleted directly in Shopify admin (outside of EG). You'll need to remove it from the rule and create or choose a new discount.
Discount paused — the automatic discount was paused or expired outside the app (or was paused automatically when EG was uninstalled). Use the Activate button described above to resume it, or edit its schedule in Shopify.
Promo code issue (for promo-code rules) — the code was deleted, deleted via an external source, or its settings were changed outside of EG. Review and recreate the code if needed.
Limits and things that affect discount options
25 active automatic discounts per store. This is a Shopify-wide limit, not specific to EG — it counts all active automatic discounts on your store, including ones created by other apps or in Shopify admin directly. If you're at the limit, pause or delete an unused automatic discount before creating another.
Products with selling plans (subscriptions). If your reward products are chosen using the Show a popup action and any of them are subscription/selling-plan products, the Shopify Automatic and Shopify Promo Code options are hidden for that rule — only an EG Automatic discount (or no discount) can be used.
Large product/collection selections. EG Automatic discounts can't be created for rules with more than 100 collections in the trigger, or more than 100 unique product variants across the trigger and reward combined (a Shopify platform limit on discount functions). Narrow your selection, or use a trigger type like product tags or cart value instead.
Common questions
Why don't I see a Percentage or Amount option, only Free? Some reward setups (for example, rules that add the item automatically rather than letting the customer choose it) only support a Free discount value. If you need a partial discount, check whether switching the action type to let customers pick the reward product unlocks the percentage/amount options.
Can I change a discount's value after saving the rule? Yes — open the rule, click Edit next to the discount, adjust the value, and save.
I deleted a discount by mistake — will my rule still work? No. Once a discount is removed or deleted, the rule shows a "Discount deleted" warning and won't apply a discount until you attach a new one.
My older rule doesn't show the Create new / Choose Existing buttons. If you run into this, contact EG support through the app so we can take a look at the specific rule.
Support: Reach the EG team through the in-app support widget for help with discount setup.