How to offer free shipping without destroying margin
A practical way to decide whether free shipping should be absorbed, priced in or avoided.
Free shipping is a pricing choice
Free shipping is not free. It means the seller pays the postage directly or builds it into the sale price.
The right answer depends on conversion lift, competitor pricing and whether the final margin still works.
Low-ticket products are more sensitive
Shipping is a larger percentage of a low-priced order. That means free shipping can be much harder to absorb on small accessories than on higher-ticket bundles.
If you sell low-ticket products, bundles or minimum order thresholds may protect margin better than blanket free shipping.
Test the price sellers actually see
Customers compare total cost, not your internal shipping policy. A £24 item with free shipping may compete against a £20 item plus £4 shipping.
Run both scenarios and decide which is clearer for the customer and healthier for margin.