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Use this page when you are deciding whether a Buy X Get Y offer should keep the full discount on the Get Y item or spread that discount across both the qualifying and discounted items.

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What Prorated Discount Means

When Prorated discount is turned on, Atom Commerce spreads the total discount across all matched Buy X and Get Y items based on each item’s relative price. When it is turned off, the full discount stays on the Get Y item and the Buy X item keeps its original price.

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When You Will See This Setting

You can use Prorated discount on eligible Buy X Get Y offers, including:
  • Buy X get discount on Y
  • Buy X get Y at fixed price
  • Buy X get Y free
  • Advanced Buy X Get Y

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Quick Example

Prorated On

Buy X item = USD 30, Get Y item = USD 70, total discount = USD 10. Atom Commerce spreads the USD 10 by price share, so the Buy X item gets USD 3 off and the Get Y item gets USD 7 off.

Prorated Off

Using the same cart, the Buy X item stays at USD 30 and the full USD 10 discount is applied only to the Get Y item.

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Why Merchants Use It

Use prorated discounts when you want the savings to be distributed more evenly across the full qualifying bundle instead of appearing only on the discounted line. Common reasons merchants turn it on:
  • to match accounting or reporting preferences for bundled promotions
  • to avoid showing the entire discount on just one line item
  • to make a fixed-price or free-item promotion behave more like a shared bundle discount
Common reasons merchants leave it off:
  • you want a classic BOGO or “Get Y free” presentation
  • you want the customer to see the entire savings on the Get Y product
  • your merchandising copy promises that a specific item is free or discounted

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How It Changes Common BXGY Offers

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Buy X, Get Y Amount Off

Offer: Buy 1 shirt, get 1 tie with USD 10 off
  • Prorated on: the USD 10 is split across the shirt and tie based on price
  • Prorated off: the tie receives the full USD 10 discount

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Buy X, Get Y at Fixed Price

Offer: Buy 1 shirt, get 1 tie for USD 60
  • Prorated on: the savings created by the fixed price are shared across the qualifying and discounted items
  • Prorated off: the shirt keeps its full price and the tie alone reflects the fixed-price savings

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Buy X, Get Y Free

Offer: Buy 1 shirt, get 1 tie free
  • Prorated on: the value of the free tie is shared across both items
  • Prorated off: the tie shows as fully free
If your customer-facing message says a product is “free,” leaving Prorated discount off is usually the clearer choice.

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How to Turn It On

1

Open your BXGY offer

Go to Offers and open the Buy X Get Y offer you want to edit.
2

Find the discount action settings

In the discount section, look for Prorated discount.
3

Choose your preferred behavior

Turn it on if you want the discount shared across Buy X and Get Y items. Leave it off if the discount should stay entirely on the Get Y item.
4

Test with a sample cart

Review the line-item pricing in a realistic cart before you activate the offer.

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Best Practices

  • Match the setting to your customer-facing message before launch.
  • Test mixed-price carts, not just equal-price examples.
  • Review line-item presentation if the offer will appear in cart drawers, mini carts, or checkout.
  • Use non-prorated behavior for classic “free gift” or “free item” campaigns unless you intentionally want the savings shared.
  • Use prorated behavior when the promotion should read more like a combined-value bundle.

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Questions to Ask Before You Launch

  • Will customers expect one item to look fully free or heavily discounted?
  • Will finance or reporting teams prefer the discount spread across the bundle?
  • Does your marketing copy describe a shared savings message or a single discounted item?
  • Have you tested the offer on both lower-priced and higher-priced item combinations?