How to Add a Sale Price on Shopify: A Step-by-Step Guide

Table of Contents

1. Introduction
2. Understanding the Anatomy of Shopify Pricing
3. How to Add a Sale Price to a Single Product
4. Mastering the Bulk Editor for Large Sales
5. Leveraging Automated Collections for Sale Items
6. Strategic Discounting for Digital Products and Courses
7. The Psychology of the Sale: Why Anchoring Works
8. Maximizing Profitability with Zero Transaction Fees
9. Case Study: Diversifying Revenue through Sales
10. Best Practices for Running a Shopify Sale
11. Troubleshooting Common Sale Price Issues
12. Planning for Long-Term Growth
13. Why a Native Shopify Experience Wins
14. Conclusion
15. Frequently Asked Questions

Introduction

Did you know that according to consumer psychology research, nearly 93% of shoppers use a discount code or look for a sale price at some point during the year? In the competitive world of e-commerce, a simple "strikethrough" price can be the difference between a high bounce rate and a record-breaking sales day. For merchants, understanding how to manipulate pricing is not just a technical necessity; it is a fundamental marketing skill. Whether you are clearing out seasonal inventory or launching a limited-time digital masterclass, the ability to signal value through strategic discounting is what separates hobbyist stores from professional brands.

The purpose of this guide is to provide a comprehensive roadmap for any merchant looking to master the art of the Shopify sale. We will cover the mechanical steps of changing individual and bulk prices, the strategic logic behind "compare-at" pricing, and how to use collections to highlight your best deals. Furthermore, we will explore how these pricing strategies apply to the burgeoning world of digital products, where margins are higher and the potential for recurring revenue is immense.

At Tevello, our mission is to turn any Shopify store into a digital learning powerhouse. We believe that merchants should have total control over their brand experience and customer data. Throughout this article, we will demonstrate how you can apply these Shopify pricing fundamentals to your courses and memberships, ensuring a seamless experience for your students without ever forcing them away from your own URL. By the end of this guide, you will have the expertise to manage your pricing with confidence, increase your customer lifetime value, and build a more stable, diversified revenue stream.

Understanding the Anatomy of Shopify Pricing

Before we dive into the "how-to," it is essential to understand the "what." Shopify uses two primary fields to manage sales: the "Price" field and the "Compare-at price" field. These two numbers work in tandem to create the visual representation of a discount on your storefront.

The Price field is the actual amount the customer will pay at checkout. This is the live price that is processed by your payment gateway. If you want to sell a product for $50, this is where that number goes.

The Compare-at price field is the original, higher price. When you enter a value here that is higher than the "Price" value, Shopify automatically triggers "sale" logic. On your storefront, this usually appears as the original price being struck through, with the new price highlighted next to it. Most themes will also automatically add a "Sale" badge to the product image in collection views.

Why does this matter? Because customers do not just buy products; they buy deals. By using the compare-at price, you provide an "anchor" that makes the current price feel like a significant saving. If you simply lower the price in the "Price" field without filling out the "compare-at" field, the customer has no way of knowing that the item is on sale unless they happen to remember the previous price.

How to Add a Sale Price to a Single Product

For most merchants, the journey begins with a single product. Perhaps you have a flagship item that you want to promote for a weekend, or a new digital guide that you want to offer at an introductory "early bird" rate.

1. Navigate to Products: From your Shopify admin, go to the "Products" section.
2. Select Your Item: Click on the title of the product you wish to discount.
3. Find the Pricing Section: Scroll down until you see the "Pricing" card.
4. Enter the Sale Price: In the "Price" field, enter the amount you want to charge now (the lower price).
5. Enter the Original Price: In the "Compare-at price" field, enter the original value (the higher price).
6. Save: Click the "Save" button at the top or bottom of the page.

If your product has variants—for example, a t-shirt in different sizes or a digital course with different levels of access—you will need to scroll down further to the "Variants" section. Click "Edit" on a specific variant to access its unique pricing fields.

This manual method is perfect for precision, but as your store grows, you will likely need more efficient ways to manage your catalog. As you begin to scale, reviewing the Shopify App Store listing merchants install from can help you find tools that automate these processes for complex digital catalogs.

Mastering the Bulk Editor for Large Sales

Imagine you are running a Black Friday sale across fifty different items. Clicking into every single product page would be an exhaustive use of time. Fortunately, Shopify provides a built-in "Bulk Editor" that functions much like a spreadsheet.

To use the bulk editor:

1. Go to Products.
2. Check the boxes next to all the products you want to edit.
3. Click Bulk edit (this button usually appears in the pop-up bar at the bottom or top of the list).
4. Once in the bulk editor, ensure that the "Price" and "Compare-at price" columns are visible. If they aren't, click "Columns" in the top right and select them.
5. Update the numbers across all rows.
6. Click Save.

This tool is invaluable for ensuring consistency across your store. It allows you to see all your discounts in one view, preventing errors where you might accidentally set a sale price higher than the original price—a mistake that can hurt customer trust.

Leveraging Automated Collections for Sale Items

Once you have set your sale prices, you need to make sure customers can find them. One of the most effective ways to do this is by creating a dedicated "Sale" collection. This provides a central hub for bargain hunters and makes it easy to link to your promotions from your navigation menu or marketing emails.

Instead of manually adding items to a sale collection, we recommend using an Automated Collection. You can set a rule where Shopify automatically includes any product that has a "Compare-at price" greater than $0.

To set this up:

1. Go to Products > Collections.
2. Click Create collection.
3. Give it a name like "Current Offers" or "Special Deals."
4. In the "Collection type" section, select Automated.
5. Set the condition to: Compare-at price is greater than 0.
6. Save the collection.

Now, whenever you add a sale price to any product in your store, it will automatically appear in this collection. When the sale ends and you remove the compare-at price, the item will automatically disappear from the collection. This automation reduces administrative overhead and ensures your "Sale" page is always up to date.

Strategic Discounting for Digital Products and Courses

While physical goods often use sales to clear warehouse space, digital products use sales to build momentum and community. In the e-learning space, pricing is often tied to "launch cycles." For example, a merchant selling a photography course might offer a 20% discount for the first 48 hours to reward their most loyal followers.

At Tevello, we’ve seen that the most successful merchants don’t just discount; they bundle. For a merchant selling coffee beans, creating a 'Barista Basics' video course is a high-margin upsell that requires no shipping boxes. You can put the physical beans on sale to attract the customer, and then offer the digital course as a "special offer" at the checkout. Because Tevello provides all the key features for courses and communities, you can manage these diverse offerings in one place.

When you add a sale price to a digital product powered by Tevello, you are not just lowering a number; you are lowering the barrier to entry for your community. Since we offer a flat-rate plan that supports unlimited members, your profit margins on these sales remain high regardless of how many students enroll. If unifying your stack is a priority, start by a simple, all-in-one price for unlimited courses.

The Psychology of the Sale: Why Anchoring Works

Why does a $75 price tag feel "cheaper" when it's placed next to a crossed-out $100? This is known as "anchoring." The first price the customer sees sets their expectation for what the product is worth. When the second, lower price is presented, the brain perceives the difference as a gain.

To maximize this effect on your Shopify store, consider these tips:

• Avoid "Invisible" Sales: Never just change the Price field. Always use the Compare-at price to provide that visual anchor.
• Tiered Discounts: Sometimes, a small discount on a high-value item (like an expensive membership) is more effective than a large discount on a low-value item.
• Urgency: Combine your sale price with a countdown timer or a "limited time" banner. This triggers a "Fear of Missing Out" (FOMO), encouraging customers to act now rather than "thinking about it" and potentially forgetting.

By keeping customers at home on the brand website throughout the sale process, you maintain the professional aesthetic that supports these psychological triggers. A sudden redirect to a third-party checkout can break the "spell" of a well-crafted sale and lead to cart abandonment.

Maximizing Profitability with Zero Transaction Fees

A common trap for Shopify merchants—especially those selling digital products—is the "success fee." Many platforms take 5%, 10%, or even more from every sale you make. When you run a 20% sale, and then the platform takes another 10%, your margins can vanish quickly.

This is why we built Tevello with a different philosophy. We believe you should keep 100% of what you earn. Whether you sell one course or ten thousand, we charge 0% transaction fees. Our model is built around predictable pricing without hidden transaction fees, allowing you to plan your sales campaigns with total transparency.

When you know exactly what your overhead is—fixed at our Unlimited Plan of $29.99 per month—you can afford to be more aggressive with your sale prices. This stability is a key reason why many creators choose to see how merchants are earning six figures using our native integration rather than relying on external marketplaces that eat into their profits.

Case Study: Diversifying Revenue through Sales

Consider the example of a fitness influencer who sells physical resistance bands on Shopify. While the bands are a steady seller, the profit margins are squeezed by manufacturing and shipping costs. To increase their bottom line, they decide to launch a "30-Day Home Workout Challenge" using Tevello.

By adding a sale price to the digital challenge, they incentivized over 1,000 customers to join in a single week. Because digital products have no shipping costs, the "sale" was incredibly profitable. You can find similar success stories from brands using native courses to see how this transition from purely physical to a hybrid model transforms business stability.

The merchant used Shopify’s compare-at pricing to show a "Launch Week Only" price of $49, down from the eventual $99. This created immediate cash flow and a massive influx of new members into their community. This is exactly how one brand sold $112K+ by bundling courses alongside their physical goods. By generating revenue from both physical and digital goods, they protected themselves against supply chain issues and shipping delays.

Best Practices for Running a Shopify Sale

To ensure your sale runs smoothly, follow these best practices:

• Audit Your Theme: Before launching a major sale, check how your theme displays sale prices on mobile devices. Is the "Compare-at" price clearly visible? Is the "Sale" badge covering any important product details?
• Clear Communication: Use your Shopify "Announcement Bar" to shout about the sale. A customer might land on your homepage and not realize there are deals hidden in your collections.
• Integrate with Email: Use apps like Klaviyo or Shopify Email to send a dedicated blast to your subscribers. People who have already bought from you are the most likely to take advantage of a sale.
• Test Your Checkout: Ensure your payment gateways are working correctly. Since Tevello uses a native Shopify integration, your customers will use the same trusted checkout they always do, which is vital for maintaining trust during a high-traffic sale.
• Don't Overdo It: If your store is "always on sale," customers will stop believing in the "compare-at" price. Save your deepest discounts for meaningful events to maintain the integrity of your brand's value.

Troubleshooting Common Sale Price Issues

Sometimes, things don't go as planned. Here are a few common issues merchants face and how to fix them:

The Sale Price Isn't Showing Up This is usually due to a theme setting. Go to your Theme Editor (Online Store > Themes > Customize) and check the product page settings. Ensure that the option to "Show compare-at price" is enabled. Also, verify that your "Compare-at price" is indeed higher than your "Price." If they are equal, Shopify will not display the sale logic.

Prices are Changing Back Automatically If you have third-party apps installed for inventory management or dynamic pricing, they might be overwriting your manual changes. Check your app list to see if any have "write" permissions for your product prices.

Bulk Edit Errors If you are editing thousands of products, the Shopify bulk editor can sometimes lag. In these cases, it is often better to export your products to a CSV file, edit the prices in a program like Excel or Google Sheets, and then re-import them.

For those looking for more advanced setups, checking merchant feedback and app-store performance signals will give you a good idea of which tools are reliable for large-scale price management.

Planning for Long-Term Growth

Adding a sale price is a tactical move, but the ultimate goal is long-term growth. Sales should be used as a tool to acquire new customers who will eventually pay full price for your future offerings.

By using Tevello, you can turn a one-time "sale" customer into a long-term community member. Our platform allows you to create social feeds, member directories, and interactive quizzes that keep people engaged long after the discount has ended. When you're seeing how the app natively integrates with Shopify, you'll realize that the true value isn't just in the transaction—it's in the relationship you build.

Managing your store's pricing is a journey of constant refinement. As you get more comfortable with the technical side of Shopify, you can start experimenting with more complex strategies like "Buy One, Get One" (BOGO) or tiered discounts based on the quantity purchased.

Why a Native Shopify Experience Wins

Many merchants make the mistake of using external platforms like Teachable or Thinkific to sell their digital products. While these platforms are functional, they force your customers to create a second account on a different URL. This creates "friction."

When you use a native solution, your sale prices live directly on your Shopify store. If a customer is browsing your sale collection and adds both a physical book and a digital course to their cart, they check out once. They use their existing Shopify account. They don't get redirected to a confusing third-party site. This seamlessness is a core value at Tevello. We believe the merchant should own the brand experience from start to finish.

This native approach also means that your Shopify analytics are unified. You can see exactly which marketing channel led to a sale, whether that sale was for a physical product or a digital one. This data is gold when it comes to deciding where to spend your marketing budget for your next big sale event.

Conclusion

Mastering how to add a sale price on Shopify is one of the most impactful things you can do for your business. From the simple psychological "win" of a compare-at price to the complex automation of sale-based collections, these tools allow you to communicate value and drive action.

At Tevello, we are here to ensure that your digital products—be they courses, memberships, or communities—benefit from the same professional pricing strategies as your physical inventory. Our all-in-one ecosystem is designed to keep your customers engaged, your data in your hands, and your profits in your pocket. Remember, with our Unlimited Plan, you get unlimited courses, unlimited students, and unlimited video hosting for just $29.99 per month, all with 0% transaction fees.

Don't let complicated third-party platforms or hidden fees hold your business back. You have the power to turn your Shopify store into a diverse revenue-generating machine. Whether you are selling coffee beans with a side of brewing expertise or fitness equipment with a premium workout community, the right pricing strategy is your key to success.

To build your community without leaving Shopify, start by reviewing the Shopify App Store listing merchants install from. You can install Tevello from the Shopify App Store today and take advantage of our 14-day free trial. Build your entire curriculum, set your sale prices, and launch your community before you ever pay a cent.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Does changing the price on Shopify affect my existing subscriptions? If you are using a subscription app alongside Shopify, changing the price on the product page usually only affects new subscribers. Existing subscribers are typically locked into the price they signed up with. However, this depends on the specific settings of your subscription app. If you are using Tevello for a membership, our flat-rate pricing ensures your costs don't change, even if you offer a discounted rate to a new cohort of members.

2. Can I schedule a sale to start and end automatically? While basic Shopify requires manual changes or the bulk editor, you can use Shopify "Automatic Discounts" to create time-bound promotions. For more advanced "Compare-at price" scheduling, many merchants use third-party launch apps. With Tevello, you can also use "Drip Content" features to schedule when certain parts of a course become available, which pairs perfectly with a scheduled launch sale.

3. Will the sale price appear in Google Shopping results? Yes! As long as your Shopify store is correctly synced with Google Merchant Center, Google will pick up both the "Price" and the "Compare-at price." Often, Google will even display a "Price Drop" badge on your listing, which can significantly increase your click-through rate from search results.

4. How do I remove a sale price once the event is over? To end a sale, you simply need to clear the value in the "Compare-at price" field. You can do this individually on the product page or in bulk using the Bulk Editor. Once the compare-at price is empty (or set to 0), the strikethrough and sale badges will disappear from your storefront, and the item will be removed from any automated collections based on sale criteria.