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Free shipping from 5,000 rubles can cost more than it brings

The same cart total does not mean the same logistics margin. A hypothetical calculation shows how to set a threshold based on order composition and verify the promotion's result without confusing revenue with profit.

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Small and large boxes on a packing table. Generated illustration.
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The cart increased from 4,600 to 5,000 rubles, and the buyer received free shipping. The store sees an additional 400 rubles in revenue. However, if the upsold item leaves only 100 rubles after variable costs, and the store now pays 350 rubles for shipping, the contribution of this order decreases by 250 rubles. An increase in average order value alone does not justify the new rule.

All figures in this article are hypothetical. They are intended to verify logic, not to serve as a recommended tariff or margin standard. The actual solution depends on the assortment, regions, cost structure, and buyer behavior.

How much the order leaves before delivery

For a first approximation, take the actual sum of goods after discounts and subtract the procurement cost, variable payment processing fees, and other expenses that grow with the sale. If calculating via a share, name it precisely: the share of revenue remaining after the selected variable costs. A markup on cost is not suitable for this formula.

Separately calculate order expenses defined in rubles in the selected model: assembly, packaging, and expected losses from refused orders and returns. The latter figure is taken from your own statistics on comparable shipments. Do not count the entire product return as an expense a second time if its consequences are already accounted for in another line of the calculation.

Assume that after proportional costs, 24% of product revenue remains. Assembly, packaging, and expected losses are set at 160 rubles, while delivery costs 350 rubles. The store wants to retain an additional 500 rubles to cover fixed expenses and business results. The lower calculated threshold is then: (160 + 350 + 500) / 0.24 = 4,208.33 rubles. Rounding the threshold up to 4,300 rubles provides a small buffer, but does not confirm that the promotion will attract additional orders.

These 500 rubles represent a target contribution, not net profit. Expenses not included in the model must still be paid from this amount. Taxes, customer acquisition costs, and accounting specifics must be included sequentially: either within the costs already used or as a separate line item. Mixing amounts with different tax bases renders even careful division meaningless.

One threshold, two different carts

In the following hypothetical comparison, both carts cost 5,000 rubles after discounts. Order expenses amount to 160 rubles, and delivery costs 350 rubles. Only the share remaining after proportional costs changes.

Indicator

Cart A

Cart B

Product Revenue

5 000 ₽

5 000 ₽

Remaining Share

24%

12%

Balance remaining for order expenses

1 200 ₽

600 ₽

Assembly, packaging, and expected losses

160 ₽

160 ₽

Delivery at the store's expense

350 ₽

350 ₽

Deposit after the listed expenses

690 ₽

90 ₽

The second cart formally passed the same threshold but left almost no money for other expenses. Raising the overall threshold is a possible solution, but it would worsen the offer for the first cart as well. Sometimes it is wiser to limit the subsidy to a specific zone, delivery method, or product assortment. Conditions must be clear before checkout; otherwise, savings on logistics will turn into abandoned carts at the final step.

Package size and quantity also matter. If adding an item moves the order into a higher carrier rate tier, delivery cost can no longer be treated as constant. Recalculate the model using the new rate. With a wide spread of destinations, several clear rules are more effective than a single attractive threshold that the store is then forced to explain with exceptions.

The threshold must be checked after discounts

In 1C-Bitrix: Site Management, delivery cost may depend on cart rules and order conditions. The specific configuration is determined by the service used and the system setup. The economic rule should first be described in words: which amount is compared, whether discounts are taken into account, which products and delivery methods qualify, and what happens when the cart changes.

For testing, use amounts slightly below the threshold, exactly at it, and slightly above. Then apply a coupon, remove an item, and change the delivery method. It is important not only that the delivery line shows zero, but also that the calculation matches the promise the buyer saw. If a manager changes the order composition after checkout, the subsequent behavior must be predetermined, not dependent on a random recalculation.

Distinguish upsells from gifts for customers who would have bought anyway

The promotion subsidizes not only new purchases. Some customers previously assembled carts above the threshold and paid for delivery. Now the store loses this payment without a mandatory increase in goods. Therefore, evaluating the effect based only on orders that used free delivery is insufficient.

With sufficient data volume, compare comparable customer groups or a properly designed experiment. Look at the contribution after costs, the share of completed purchases, returns, and cart composition. With low traffic volume, you can start with a limited period and direction, but seasonality and advertising must still be accounted for. One successful day does not prove a causal effect of the threshold.

The first calculation filters out clearly unprofitable conditions. The final choice answers a narrower question: how much additional contribution did the rule change generate after paying for all new subsidies? This is the value that should be compared with the previous delivery scheme.

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