Ugh! Please fix this. Ridiculous to not be able to exclude a discounted bundle we’ve created on workflow discounts. A disappointing oversight that does not consider shop owners.
Topic summary
A merchant wants to offer a lifetime VIP discount while excluding factory seconds, but Shopify lacks native product exclusion functionality for discount codes.
Workaround Solution:
- Create an automated collection using “is not equal to” conditions for product titles
- Apply the discount to this collection, which automatically includes new products unless they match exclusion criteria
- Collections can remain hidden from storefronts while still functioning for discounts
Major Limitation Identified:
Shopify discounts won’t apply to any cart items if even one non-discounted product is present. For example, a bike discount won’t work if a non-discounted bike rack is also in the cart—forcing merchants to either discount everything or offer no promotion.
Community Frustration:
- Multiple users report this as a basic feature available in competitors like BigCommerce and WooCommerce
- The tag-based exclusion method mentioned doesn’t actually work (only “is equal to” option exists, not “is not equal to”)
- Manual workarounds become impractical for stores with thousands of products and hundreds of discount codes
- Issue remains unresolved after 4+ years
Alternative:
Third-party apps like Discount Ninja, Bulk Discounts, and Discount Bot offer true exclusion functionality with more flexibility than native Shopify features.
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