What Are the Differences Between Catalog and Cart Price Rules?
Catalog Price Rules
- Automatically apply discounts based on predefined product conditions.
- Visible on category and product pages before adding items to the cart.
- Cannot apply promotions like free shipping.
- Useful for bulk catalog-wide promotions.
- Discount is applied directly to product price.
- Example: 15% off Men’s category auto-applied to all products.
Cart Price Rules
- Applied in the shopping cart or at checkout.
- Can require a coupon code or be automatic.
- Supports free shipping, BOGO, fixed discounts, etc.
- Discount shows under the cart subtotal.
- Example: Buy 1 Get 1 Free, 10% Off, Free Shipping.
Differences
| Catalog Price Rule | Cart Price Rule | |
|---|---|---|
| Visibility | Category & Product Pages | Cart & Checkout Page |
| Execution | Before Adding to Cart | After Items Added to Cart |
| Promotion Type | Bulk Catalog Promotions | Targeted Cart Promotions |
| Shipping | Not Applied | Can Be Applied |
| Application | Automatic Only | Automatic or Manual (Coupon) |
How to Create a New Catalog Price Rule
Go to Marketing → Catalog Price Rule in the admin panel.
Step 1: Click “Add New Rule”
Rule Information
- Rule Name: Internal reference
- Description: Purpose of the rule
- Status: Active
- Websites: Select sites
- Customer Groups: Eligible groups
- From / To: Validity dates
- Priority: Lower = higher priority
Conditions
Define conditions to determine which products the rule applies to.
Actions Section
// Apply Options:
- Apply as percentage of original
- Apply as fixed amount
- Adjust final price to this percentage
- Adjust final price to discount value
// Additional Fields:
Discount Amount
Discard subsequent rules (Yes/No)
Click Save and then click Apply Rules.
How to Create a New Cart Price Rule
Go to Marketing → Cart Price Rules.
Step 1: Click “Add New Rule”
Rule Information
- Rule Name
- Description
- Status
- Websites
- Customer Groups
- Coupon: No Coupon / Specific / Auto Generate
- Uses per Customer
- Priority
- RSS Feed Visibility
- From / To
Conditions
Define when the rule triggers.
Actions
// Discount Types:
- Percent of Product Price
- Fixed Amount Discount
- Fixed Amount for Whole Cart
- Buy X Get Y Free
// Additional Settings:
Maximum Qty Discount Applies To
Discount Qty Step (Buy X)
Apply to Shipping (Yes/No)
Discard Subsequent Rules (Yes/No)
// Labels:
Default Rule Label for Store Views
Check Result
Proceed to cart/checkout to verify rule behavior.