Auto Add to Cart: Using the Same Variant as Trigger and Gift
When setting up an auto-add-to-cart discount, you may want to use the same product variant as both the trigger and the gift. This can work in many stores, but certain themes may cause the gift to behave unexpectedly after a customer removes it from their cart.
Example use cases:
- Giving customers a free unit of the same product they purchase (buy 1, get 1 free for the same variant)
- Running a promotion where the trigger item and the gift item are identical
Why This Happens
Shopify does not have built-in event listeners for cart changes, so Regios Discounts implements its own. Some themes handle item removal using only the variant ID, rather than the line item key or index (which are more specific identifiers). When the trigger and gift share the same variant ID, this creates two problems:
- Shopify may remove both the gift and the trigger when the customer tries to remove just one
- The app cannot determine which item (the trigger or the gift) the customer actually removed
This behavior is theme-dependent. Most themes will not have this issue.
What You Can Do
- Upgrade your theme. Some themes have improved their item-removal logic in newer versions. Check if an update is available from your theme developer.
- Customize your theme code. A developer can update your theme to use line item keys or indices instead of variant IDs when removing cart items. Note that Regios support cannot assist with theme code customization.
- Use different variants for the trigger and gift. If the above options are not feasible, the most straightforward workaround is to avoid using the same variant for both roles.
If you are unsure whether your theme is affected, try removing the gift item from your cart after it has been added. If it does not get re-added as expected, your theme is likely using variant ID-based removal.
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Updated on: 23/03/2026
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