Cart RocketShopify Discount Links vs Cart Rocket Cart Links
Shopify already lets you share a discount code as a link or a QR code, and its free Shopcodes app makes product QR codes that can open checkout. Here is what those tools cover and when a cart link fits better.
Short version: Shopify's shareable discount links are free and built into the admin. A link like /discount/HOLIDAY15 saves one existing discount code to the shopper's cart and opens your home page, a product or a collection. The shopper still picks the products and adds them to the cart. The QR code Shopify gives you holds the same link, and staff on Shopify POS can scan it at the register. Shopcodes, a free app by Shopify, makes a QR code for one product that can open checkout with that product in the cart and a code applied. If your offer is one code and the shopper is happy to browse, these are enough and cost nothing. Cart Rocket is worth $9 or $15 a month when the link should fill the cart with several products, stack discounts that need no code, sell a bundle at one price or report orders and revenue for that link.
Facts about Shopify's tools come from the Shopify Help Center, the Shopify changelog, the Shopcodes help page and the Shopcodes App Store listing, checked October 14, 2026. We make Cart Rocket.
How a shareable discount link works
You need a saved discount code first. In your Shopify admin, open it under Discounts, click Promote and choose Get a shareable discount code. Pick the page, product or collection the link should open. You can also pick an existing marketing campaign, which adds its UTM parameters so the discount shows up in your marketing reports. Then copy the link or download the QR code.
To land somewhere else, add a redirect to the end of the link. When a shopper opens it, the code is saved to their cart and browser and applied at checkout. Opening the link again applies it again.
# One code, landing on a collection https://your-store.com/discount/HOLIDAY15?redirect=/collections/gift-sets
Shopify's help lists the limits. A link carries only one discount. It works only while the discount is active. If several discounts cover the same product, the most recent one is used. Codes from links count toward the limit of 5 discount codes per order, and they combine with other codes in the cart only as far as your combination settings allow.
Discount QR codes and Shopcodes
The QR code you download from Promote holds the same /discount/ link. Since an April 27, 2026 update, staff on Shopify POS can scan these codes at checkout instead of typing them. It works with product-specific and order-level codes. Automatic discounts are left out because they have no code to scan. If you want a discount scanned at the register, this is the tool. Cart Rocket's docs don't cover POS: its QR code opens the same online cart as its link.
Shopcodes is a separate free app from Shopify. Each Shopcode is tied to one product and opens either the product page or a checkout with a variant you choose already in the cart. You can attach a discount code only when it opens checkout, and the app lists your 50 most recent codes to choose from. You can change a Shopcode's destination, variant and discount after printing, and codes already printed pick up the change. The app shows scans and conversions for each code, and the download includes a PNG and an SVG.
Side by side
| Capability | Shareable discount link or QR | Shopcodes | Cart Rocket |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | Free, in the Shopify admin | Free app by Shopify | Basic $9/month (1 cart link) or Pro $15/month (unlimited), 7-day free trial |
| What opening it does | Saves a code and opens your home page, a product, a collection or another page | Opens a product page, or checkout with that product in the cart | Fills the cart with your products, variants and quantities, then opens the cart page, checkout or Shop Pay |
| Products added to the cart | None. The shopper adds them | One product, one variant | As many as you choose, with quantities |
| Discounts | One existing discount code | One existing discount code, on the checkout destination only | Line-item, cart-wide and shipping discounts with no code, plus one or more auto-applied Shopify codes, combined on one link |
| Bundle at one price | No | No | Yes |
| Shopper picks size or colour | Yes, they shop as usual | On the product page destination | Yes, on the options page before checkout, with an optional countdown |
| Start and end dates, usage limits | Yes, on the discount code itself in Shopify | Through the discount code you attach | On the cart link: active dates (UTC), overall and per-customer purchase limits, customer segments or specific customers |
| Scan at the POS register | Yes, product-specific and order-level codes | Not covered on the help page | Not covered in Cart Rocket's docs |
| Change after it's printed | The URL is the code, so a different code means a new link | Yes: destination, variant and discount | Yes: edit the cart link and keep the same address |
| Tracking | Add a marketing campaign's UTMs; results in marketing reports | Scans and conversions per code | UTMs and custom parameters, order tags, orders, revenue and AOV per link and campaign, a checkout funnel, and per-creator results |
| QR code | Yes, downloaded from Promote | Yes, PNG and SVG | Yes, high-resolution PNG |
Use a shareable discount link if
- The offer is one discount code and the shopper can pick the products themselves
- You want a QR code that staff scan at the register in Shopify POS
- A marketing campaign's UTMs in Shopify reports are enough tracking
Use Shopcodes if
- Each QR code sells one product, for example a code on that product's packaging
- You want to change the destination or discount after the code is printed, at no cost
Use Cart Rocket if
- The link should load several products, or a bundle at one price, and skip the browsing
- You want line-item, cart-wide and shipping discounts on one link, with no code to type or leak
- The offer needs its own start and end date, purchase limit or customer segment, separate from your discount codes
- You want orders, revenue and AOV for each link, campaign and creator
- You also want subscription products, reorder links or a countdown on the offer
You don't have to pick one. A Cart Rocket link can auto-apply discount codes you already made in Shopify, so the same code can live on a shareable link for your POS staff and on a cart link for ads and email.
Related: Shopify cart permalinks vs Cart Rocket and all Shopify cart link apps compared.
FAQ
Does Shopify have shareable discount links built in?
Yes. In the Shopify admin, open a discount code, click Promote and choose Get a shareable discount code. The link saves that code to the shopper's cart and opens your home page, a product, a collection or another page you set with a redirect. You can also download it as a QR code.
Can a Shopify discount link add products to the cart?
No. A shareable discount link applies one code and opens a page, and the shopper adds the products. Shopcodes can open checkout with one product in the cart. A Cart Rocket cart link adds as many products, variants and quantities as you choose.
Can one Shopify discount link carry more than one discount?
No. Shopify's help says a shareable link or QR code can have only a single discount applied to it. A Cart Rocket link can combine line-item, cart-wide and shipping discounts with one or more auto-applied Shopify codes.
Can staff scan a discount QR code in Shopify POS?
Yes. Since April 2026, staff on Shopify POS can scan QR codes for product-specific and order-level discount codes at checkout. Automatic discounts aren't included. Cart Rocket's docs don't cover POS; its QR codes open the online cart link.
When is a free Shopify discount link enough?
When the offer is one discount code, the shopper can pick the products, and UTMs in Shopify's marketing reports are enough tracking. Cart Rocket is worth paying for when the link should load the cart, apply several discounts without a code, sell a bundle, run on its own dates or limits, or report per link.
Try Cart Rocket on your store
Pre-loaded cart links with automatic discounts, bundles, an options page with a countdown, creator links, order tags, UTM tracking and QR codes. Basic is $9/month for one cart link with every feature; Pro is $15/month for unlimited links.
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