How to add a cart item quantity based extra fee in Shopify

If you want to charge a fee based on how many items your customers add to the cart, the Extra Fees Manager app makes it easy.

This feature automatically applies a fee when the total item quantity in a cart reaches a certain limit — helping you balance shipping, packaging, or handling costs.

It’s perfect for merchants who sell items that are light individually but cost more to package and ship in bulk.

About this feature

The cart item quantity-based extra fee allows you to create rules where fees are triggered based on the number of products in a customer’s cart.

For example, you might add a small handling fee when the cart contains more than 10 items, or a packaging fee when customers buy fewer than 3 products.

This helps store owners maintain profit margins while keeping checkout transparent and fair.

Benefits of using a cart item quantity-based fee

• Recover handling costs: Charge extra when orders include too many small items that require additional packaging.
• Encourage optimal order sizes: Motivate customers to reach a preferred item quantity by using conditional fee thresholds.
• Full automation: Once configured, the app applies fees automatically based on quantity conditions.
• Transparent checkout: Customers see the extra fee clearly itemized in the order summary.

How to configure a cart item quantity-based extra fee in Shopify

Follow the simple steps below to set up this feature:

Step 1: Open the Extra Fees Manager app

• From your Shopify admin, go to Apps → Extra Fees Manager.

• On the dashboard, click Create Fee to begin.

  

Step 2: Add fee details

• Fee name: Enter a name like Bulk Order Fee or Low Quantity Handling Fee.

• Description (optional): Briefly explain why this fee applies, e.g., “Applies to orders with more than 10 items for additional packaging.”

  

Step 3: Configure the fee

• Under Fee type, choose Fixed amount or Percentage of order total.
• Enter the amount ($), for example, 3.00 for a flat $3 fee.

• Is the fee taxable? If this should be included in your tax calculation.

  

Step 4: Enable conditional rules

• Scroll down to Conditional Fee Rules.

• Turn Enable Conditional Rules → ON.

  Add a new rule with the following:

  • Condition type: Cart Item Quantity
  • Operator: greater than, less than, or between

  • Value: Enter the quantity threshold (e.g., greater than 10)

    

Step 5: Save and test

• Click Save Fee.

• Add products to your store cart and test by adjusting item quantities to confirm when the fee appears.

  

Use case examples

1. Bulk order packaging fee

A stationery store wants to charge a small packaging fee for large orders.

Set up: Add a $4 fee when the total cart item quantity is greater than 20 items.

Result: Large orders automatically trigger the packaging fee, helping the store recover material costs.

2. Small order handling fee

A cosmetics shop wants to charge an additional handling fee for small quantity orders.

Set up: Add a $2 fee when the total cart item quantity is less than 3.

Result: The system applies a $2 handling fee for small orders, encouraging customers to buy more items to avoid the charge.

FAQs

Q1. What happens if my customer adds or removes items from the cart?

The fee updates automatically in real time based on the total quantity in the cart.

Q2. Can I set multiple quantity-based rules for different ranges?

Yes. You can create multiple fees with different thresholds (e.g., 1–5 items = $2, 6–15 items = $4).

Q3. Is this feature compatible with discount codes?

Yes. Fees apply after discounts are calculated, ensuring accurate final totals.

Q4. Can I use this rule along with other conditions, like location or customer type?

Absolutely. You can combine multiple conditions (e.g., only apply the fee for returning customers with more than 10 items).

Q5. Where will the fee appear for the customer?

It appears clearly in the cart summary and checkout page under the name you specify (e.g., Bulk Order Fee).