Guides / Compare-at price in Shopify: what it does and how to set it

Compare-at price in Shopify: what it does and how to set it

The compare-at price is the field that shows your MRP as a struck-through number next to the selling price. Here is how it works, and what it does not do.

The short answer

Compare-at price is a display field. You enter the higher, original price (for Indian stores, usually the MRP) and Shopify shows it next to your selling price, usually crossed out. It tells the shopper how much they are saving.

It does not change what the shopper pays. The price field decides that.

How to set it

1. In your Shopify admin, open Products and pick a product.
2. In the Pricing section, enter your selling price in Price.
3. Enter the MRP in Compare-at price. It must be higher than the price.
4. Save.

Open the product page on your store. Most themes show the compare-at price crossed out beside the price, and many add a Sale badge. How it looks depends on your theme.

Products with variants

Each variant has its own price and its own compare-at price. If you sell a shirt in three sizes with the same MRP, you must fill the compare-at price on all three. A common mistake is to fill one variant and wonder why the other two show no strikethrough.

For many products, use the bulk editor in the product list, or export your products to CSV, fill the Variant Compare At Price column and import the file again. Test with two or three products first.

How to remove it

Clear the compare-at price field, or set it equal to the price. The strikethrough and the Sale badge go away. Do this when a sale ends and you want the normal price shown.

What compare-at price does not do

This is where many store owners get caught. Compare-at price is only shown to the shopper. Shopify's discount codes and automatic discounts take their percentage from the selling price, the number in the Price field, and ignore the compare-at price.

Here is a simple example. A product has an MRP of 2,000 and a selling price of 1,500. You run a code for 20% off, and your ad says 20% off MRP. The code takes 20% from 1,500, which is 300, and the shopper pays 1,200. A 20% discount on the MRP would have been 400, and the price would be 1,100. The shopper sees a smaller saving than the ad suggested.

Our guide on MRP vs sale price discounts shows what that gap costs per order.

Ways to make the discount match your MRP

1. Change the wording. Say "20% off the sale price" so the ad matches checkout. This is the simplest fix.
2. Work out the code by hand. Convert the discount you want into a percentage of the selling price, or a fixed amount, and set that code. It works for one product at a time and gets tedious with many.
3. Use an app that calculates on compare-at. We make one, Durakart MRP Compare Discount. You create a percentage code in the app, and it then shows in Shopify's Discounts page. On our own store, a flat 50% off WhatsApp campaign with an MRP-based code returned 15x on spend. That is one store's result, not a promise for yours.

Our guide on how to give a discount on MRP in Shopify walks through all three in more detail.

Use a real MRP

Only enter a compare-at price that is a real price your product was or is sold at. An inflated compare-at price to make a discount look bigger misleads shoppers and can break consumer protection rules. Check the rules that apply to your product category.

Common mistakes

• Compare-at lower than price. Nothing shows. The field must be higher.
• Only one variant filled. The other variants look undiscounted.
• Forgetting to clear it after a sale. The old MRP stays on screen and the Sale badge keeps showing.
• Assuming a code uses it. Test one order and read the final price.
• Not checking on a phone. Some themes hide the compare-at price on small screens.

Quick checklist

1. Set Price and Compare-at price on every variant.
2. Confirm the compare-at price is the real MRP.
3. Open the product page on desktop and phone.
4. Place one test order with your discount code.
5. Match your ad wording to the final price at checkout.
6. Clear the compare-at price when the sale ends, if you do not want it shown.