Block discount codes during a sale

To keep discount codes from stacking on top of sale prices, restrict the codes to products that aren’t on sale. Shopify doesn’t have a direct “exclude sale items” switch, but an automated collection gets you the same result.

Caution

This works only with Product discount codes of type Amount off products. Shopify doesn’t support collection restrictions for other discount types.

1. Create a collection of non-sale products

1. In your Shopify admin, go to Products > Collections and click Create collection.
2. Select Automated as the collection type.
3. Add the condition Compare at price is empty.
4. Name it something like Eligible for discount codes and save.

Products on sale have a compare at price set (that’s what shows the crossed-out original), so this collection holds exactly the products that aren’t discounted. When a sale starts or ends, Shopify updates the collection on its own.

2. Restrict your discount codes

1. Open the discount code in your Shopify admin.
2. Under Applies to, select Specific collections and pick Eligible for discount codes.
3. Save the discount.

The code now works on full-price products only.

Note

If some products have leftover compare at prices from old promotions, they’ll be wrongly excluded from the collection. Clean them up first with a task that resets compare at price for products not meant to be on sale.