Last updated: August 2026

A free gift appears in the cart. It survives standard checkout. Then a customer taps Shop Pay—and the rule does not re-evaluate, the gift picker is missing, or a checkout-only gift never appears.

When AutoCart is not working with Shop Pay, the rule itself is often fine. The more likely problem is checkout coverage: the AutoCart checkout app block has not been added to the active checkout configuration, or Shopify's Include app in express checkouts control is not enabled. Fix those two settings before rebuilding the promotion.

This guide covers the setup for Shopify Plus stores using AutoCart Checkout or Global Automation. If your rule runs only in the storefront cart, start with the difference between Store, Checkout, and Global Automation.

Why a rule can work in standard checkout but fail in Shop Pay

Shop Pay is an accelerated checkout. It can move a recognized customer through a compressed flow using saved contact, delivery, and payment information. That shorter path is useful for conversion, but it also means you cannot assume every app block included in the regular checkout will automatically run there.

Shopify gives merchants a separate behavior control for checkout apps: Include app in express checkouts. AutoCart also needs its checkout block in the checkout configuration so it can evaluate checkout-scoped rules and handle the related cart changes.

Think of the setup as three layers:

  1. The AutoCart rule defines who qualifies and what gift to add.
  2. The AutoCart checkout block runs that rule inside checkout.
  3. The express-checkout setting allows the block to run when the customer uses Shop Pay.

If layer one works but layers two or three are missing, a cart-page test can pass while the Shop Pay path fails.

Before you change the rule, identify where it should run

Open the rule in AutoCart and check its scope.

Rule scope Where it runs What Shop Pay setup means
Store Automation Storefront cart or cart drawer The gift should already be in the cart before checkout; the checkout block does not make a Store-only rule re-run
Checkout Automation Checkout only Requires the AutoCart checkout block and express-checkout inclusion
Global Automation Storefront and checkout Requires the checkout block and express-checkout inclusion for the checkout half of the rule

Checkout and Global Automation use Shopify's checkout customization framework and require Shopify Plus. AutoCart lists Checkout Automations on its Ultimate plan, so confirm both your Shopify plan and AutoCart plan before troubleshooting block placement.

If you are not on Shopify Plus, use Store Automation for a cart-value gift, product-triggered gift, or quantity-based offer. Make the gift appear before the shopper enters Shop Pay, then test that the correct cart lines and discounts carry into checkout.

How to make AutoCart run in Shop Pay

The labels below follow Shopify's current checkout and accounts editor. Shopify can change admin wording, so use the equivalent checkout behavior setting if your interface differs slightly.

1. Open the active checkout configuration

In Shopify admin, go to Settings → Checkout. Under Configurations, find the configuration your live store uses and click Edit.

Do not assume the first configuration in the list is active. A block added to a draft or unused configuration will look correct in preview but will not affect customer checkouts.

2. Add the AutoCart checkout block

In the checkout editor, open the Apps sidebar. Find the current AutoCart checkout gift block and add it to an available section of checkout.

AutoCart's current checkout gift extension evaluates standard checkout rules, re-checks checkout-specific conditions, adds or removes products, applies rule-linked discounts, and can present a gift picker. If you use a progressive or tiered rule, select the corresponding progressive checkout extension instead of assuming the standard block covers it.

If an older AutoCart checkout extension is already present, compare it with the current block offered in the Apps sidebar. AutoCart's documentation marks the older checkout extension as deprecated and directs new installations to the current checkout gift extension.

3. Include AutoCart in express checkouts

Click the AutoCart block you just added. In the right sidebar, find Checkout behavior, then:

  1. Select Include app in express checkouts.
  2. If the gift picker or customer action must be visible, optionally select Automatically expand sections to show app.
  3. Click Save.

This is the setting that extends the block into accelerated checkout paths such as Shop Pay. Adding the block without enabling express-checkout inclusion can leave standard checkout working while Shop Pay bypasses the app.

4. Allow blocking only when the rule needs it

The same Checkout behavior area can include Allow app to block checkout. This control lets an app reject progression when required information or a required state is missing.

Enable it when your AutoCart setup depends on checkout validation—for example, a shopper must choose a gift before continuing, or an invalid gift state must not reach payment. It is not a substitute for Include app in express checkouts; the two controls solve different problems.

  • Include app in express checkouts determines whether AutoCart participates in Shop Pay.
  • Allow app to block checkout determines whether AutoCart can stop an invalid checkout.

If your offer simply auto-adds a predetermined gift and requires no customer input, confirm the behavior expected by your rule and current AutoCart extension before enabling blocking.

5. Save the AutoCart rule and confirm its scope

Back in AutoCart, confirm that the rule is enabled and scoped to Checkout or Global if it needs to evaluate inside checkout. Re-check the qualifying conditions, selected gift variant, schedule, market or currency conditions, discount code, and automatic-removal behavior.

Do not create a second rule just because Shop Pay failed once. Duplicate Store and Checkout rules can add the same gift twice or drift apart later. On Shopify Plus, use one Global rule when the same offer should remain consistent from cart through checkout.

Test the complete accelerated-checkout path

A checkout editor preview proves placement, not the whole promotion. Run the offer on the live theme with a test product or tightly controlled rule.

Use this sequence:

  1. Open the storefront in a private window and start with an empty cart.
  2. Add enough qualifying merchandise to trigger the offer.
  3. Confirm the expected gift state in the cart: added automatically, offered through a picker, or intentionally absent until checkout.
  4. Enter checkout with Shop Pay and confirm AutoCart appears or evaluates as designed.
  5. Complete a test order, then confirm the gift, price, discount, quantity, and order lines in Shopify admin.
  6. Repeat below the threshold and confirm no free gift can reach the completed order.
  7. Drop back below the threshold after qualifying and confirm AutoCart removes the gift.

Then test one standard checkout and any other accelerated methods your store offers. Do not treat Apple Pay, Google Pay, PayPal, or a cart-page dynamic checkout button as automatically equivalent to the Shop Pay test; each entry path can expose different timing or UI behavior.

For stronger promotion controls, use the full free-gift abuse prevention test matrix after the basic Shop Pay path passes.

Troubleshoot the result you see

The AutoCart block does not appear in the checkout editor

Confirm that you are on Shopify Plus, that your AutoCart plan includes Checkout Automations, and that the app is installed on the correct store. Then open the Apps sidebar rather than searching the theme editor—checkout blocks and storefront theme blocks live in different editors.

If AutoCart appears but only an older extension is available, contact AutoCart support before changing a live campaign. The current checkout gift extension supersedes the deprecated version.

The block works in checkout preview but not on the live store

You may have edited a checkout configuration that is not active. Return to Settings → Checkout, identify the live configuration, and verify the block and Checkout behavior settings there.

Also confirm that Include app in express checkouts remained selected after saving. Preview Shop Pay from the cart icon at the top of the checkout editor, then repeat the test from the storefront.

The gift is in the cart but disappears in Shop Pay

First check the rule scope. A Store-only rule does not automatically become a checkout rule. On Plus, a Global rule is the cleanest option when one offer should be enforced in both places.

Next check whether the gift still meets the rule after discounts, currency conversion, shipping selection, or another checkout-only change. A $75 threshold based on one total may become ineligible when a code reduces the qualifying amount. Document whether your free-gift threshold is calculated before or after discounts, then make the campaign copy match.

The gift is added twice

Look for overlapping Store, Checkout, and Global rules using the same gift. Disable the duplicates and test one rule at a time. Also confirm that a theme-level promotion script or another gift app is not adding the same variant before AutoCart evaluates checkout.

The gift picker is hidden in Shop Pay

Enable Automatically expand sections to show app if Shopify offers that control for the block's position. Keep in mind that an accelerated checkout has less visible space than standard checkout. If the shopper must make a selection, enable the appropriate checkout-blocking behavior and verify that the customer cannot complete payment without resolving it.

AutoCart and Shop Pay: frequently asked questions

Does AutoCart work with Shop Pay?

Yes, when the relevant AutoCart checkout block is added to the active checkout configuration and Include app in express checkouts is enabled. Checkout and Global Automation require Shopify Plus.

Why does my AutoCart rule work in the cart but not Shop Pay?

The rule may be Store-only, the checkout block may be missing, or the block may not be included in express checkouts. Check those three items before changing the rule conditions.

Do I need to allow AutoCart to block checkout?

Only when the setup must stop an invalid checkout or require a customer action. Blocking permission and express-checkout inclusion are separate settings; enabling one does not enable the other.

Can I use AutoCart with Shop Pay without Shopify Plus?

You can use Store Automation on non-Plus plans to add the gift before checkout, and that cart line can continue into Shop Pay. Running AutoCart's Checkout or Global Automation inside the information, shipping, or payment steps requires Shopify Plus.

Should I disable Shop Pay if the gift rule fails?

Not as a first fix. Verify the active checkout configuration, AutoCart block, express-checkout setting, rule scope, and test order first. Removing an accelerated payment option treats the symptom and can add checkout friction.

Fix checkout coverage before rebuilding the promotion

When a free-gift rule works in standard checkout but not Shop Pay, start with the path—not the promotion logic. Add the current AutoCart checkout block to the live checkout configuration, include it in express checkouts, and use blocking permission only when the offer needs validation or a required customer choice.

Then test above and below the threshold through a completed Shop Pay order. That gives you evidence that the gift is not merely visible in preview but correct in the final Shopify order.

Try AutoCart free on your Shopify store: install AutoCart from the Shopify App Store