Some orders simply are not worth fulfilling. Packing, postage, and handling on a £3 order might cost you £6. A minimum order value prevents customers from checking out below a threshold that makes the transaction unprofitable — and Shopify has no built-in way to enforce it.
Minimum Order Value vs Minimum Order Quantity
These are related but different:
- Minimum order quantity — the customer must have at least N units in their cart
- Minimum order value — the customer’s cart total must reach a minimum spend before checkout
Some stores need both. A wholesaler might require both a minimum of 6 units AND a cart total of at least £60. Fold supports both rule types and you can apply them together.
How to Set a Minimum Order Value on Shopify
Install Fold
Fold handles minimum cart value enforcement at Shopify checkout. Install from the Shopify App Store.
Create a Minimum Order Value rule
Open Fold and click Create Rule. Select Minimum Cart Value. Enter your threshold — for example, £25. Write the customer message: “A minimum order of £25 is required. Add more items to continue.”
Scope it if needed
You can apply the minimum to your entire store, a specific collection, or only to customers with a specific tag (e.g. wholesale customers need to spend at least £150 per order).
Activate and test
Enable the rule, then test from a private browsing session. Add items totalling less than the minimum and attempt to check out. Fold should block it with your custom message.
Common Minimum Order Value Scenarios
Free shipping threshold enforcement
If you offer free shipping above £40, setting a minimum order value of £15 or £20 reduces very low-value orders where you absorb both fulfilment cost and shipping cost.
Wholesale minimum spend
B2B customers ordering below £100 may not justify the account management overhead. Set a £100 minimum for wholesale-tagged customers while leaving retail customers unrestricted.
Subscription box minimum
If your subscription box has a minimum build value, enforce it at checkout so customers cannot check out with a partial box.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the minimum apply before or after discounts?
You can configure Fold to check the cart total before or after discount codes are applied, depending on your business rules.
Can I show a progress bar to the minimum?
A cart progress bar is a separate feature. Some themes include them natively. The Fold rule blocks checkout; a progress bar incentivises topping up — both work well together.
Install Fold to enforce a minimum order value on your Shopify store — by customer type, collection, or across the board.
