Your cart is at $42, and shipping costs $6. Then the store tells you that orders of $50 ship free. You find a $12 item and add it to the cart. The shipping charge disappears, but your order now costs $54 instead of $48. So, is free shipping worth it? In this case, the question is whether you’d pay $6 for the extra item on its own.
Sometimes you would. Maybe it’s wrapping paper you were already planning to buy. Other times, you’re browsing the clearance section for anything that will push you over $50. Before you place the order, compare what you’d pay with and without the extra item. That quick check can tell you more than the free-shipping message at the top of the screen.
Is Free Shipping Worth It? Start With Both Totals
A free-shipping minimum is the amount you have to spend on qualifying items before the store waives the shipping charge. Your cart message might say you’re only $8 away, but that $8 tells you how close you are to qualifying. To see what the deal is worth to you, look at what you’d pay for the whole order each way.
First, check the total for the items you came to buy, including shipping and any taxes or fees shown at checkout. Then add the item you’re considering and check the total again. Make sure the shipping charge actually came off. If you’re using a coupon or buying from more than one seller, check the cart after those details are applied so you’re comparing the prices you would actually pay.
This is also a good time to look at the estimated delivery date. If you’re buying a gift for a weekend gathering, free shipping that gets it there on Monday may leave you looking for a second gift on Saturday. The Federal Trade Commission covers total costs, delivery, and returns in its online shopping guide.
When Paying for Shipping Costs Less
Take the $42 order from the opening. With $6 shipping, you’d pay $48 before tax. If you add the $12 item and qualify for free shipping, you’d pay $54 before tax. You’re spending another $6 to get something extra. If you’d gladly buy it for that difference, you have a reason to add it.
Now imagine the extra item is a kitchen gadget you’ll probably put in the drawer with the other kitchen gadgets. Is free shipping worth it if it raises your total and leaves you with something you’ll rarely use? In that case, paying for shipping costs less. It can feel odd to pay a charge you know you could make disappear. Seeing both totals in dollars makes that choice easier.
Here’s a check I like. Picture the extra item on a shelf at a store you visit regularly. Would you take it to the register for the difference between the two checkout totals? If you’d walk right past it, you can probably remove it from the cart and get on with your day.
When Adding an Item Can Lower the Total
Is free shipping worth it when you’re only a few dollars short of the minimum? Sometimes adding an item brings the total down. Say your cart is at $47, standard shipping is $7, and the store ships qualifying orders of $50 or more for free. Your original order would cost $54 before tax. If you add a $4 item that qualifies, the new total is $51 before tax. You get the extra item and spend $3 less.
The closer you are to the minimum, the easier it can be to find an item that costs less than the shipping charge. If you’re already buying gifts, you might find a card, a roll of tape, or some gift tags you can use. Check the final total before placing the order, especially if the cart has discounts that could change which amount counts toward the minimum.
There’s also a point where both orders cost the same. If the qualifying extra item costs $7 and shipping would have cost $7, the two totals are equal before any tax difference. At that point, you can choose based on whether you’d use the item or would rather keep the order simple.
When the Extra Item Was Already on Your List
Is free shipping worth it if the extra item was already on your list? Compare what it costs to buy everything together with what you’d spend buying the items separately. Say you’re back to the $42 cart with $6 shipping, and the $12 item is a pack of gift bags you planned to buy locally for $10. Ordering the gifts and paying for shipping costs $48, and buying the gift bags separately brings your total to $58 before tax. Buying everything together for $54 saves you $4, assuming the bags suit your needs and arrive in time.
The important detail is that the gift bags were already part of your plan. You can cross them off when you place the order and avoid buying them again on your next trip to the store. I find that small steps matter during the holidays, when it’s easy to remember that you need gift bags and forget that you’ve already ordered them.
Think about timing, too. Combining orders may work well when both purchases belong in this week’s spending. If the second item is something you might buy next month, check whether buying it now leaves enough room for this week’s spending. A few dollars saved on shipping can be worthwhile when the timing fits your budget.
Keep the Shipping Decision in Your Holiday Budget
If you’ve already started shopping, keep a running total of what you’ve spent and a short list of what’s left. Include shipping in the order cost, just as you would include wrapping paper or a card you bought for the gift. Then, when a store offers free shipping, you can see what either cart does to the money you have left.
A quick look at the remaining list can also help when you’re tempted to add something for yourself. Say the extra item would add $6 to the order and you’ve got $20 left for wrapping and mailing gifts. That leaves $14 for those expenses. If $14 will cover them and you want the item, you can decide with both numbers in front of you.
The next time you ask yourself, “Is free shipping worth it?” write down the checkout total for what you planned to buy. Then write down the total with the item that qualifies you for free shipping. If the second number is higher, ask yourself whether you’d pay the difference for the extra item. If it’s lower, check that the order still arrives when you need it. For more ways to keep the rest of your shopping on track, see Black Friday Shopping Without Overspending.