Overview
UpCart rewards allow you to offer free gifts or bonus items based on customer behaviour. However, without proper controls, customers may be able to access these reward products without actually qualifying for them.
This guide outlines two recommended methods for securing your rewards. You can implement one or both depending on your level of control and theme flexibility.
Method 1: Remove Manual Add-to-Cart and Quantity Controls in Shopify
Some customers may try to:
Add reward products from their product pages using the regular “Add to Cart” button
Visit Shopify’s /cart page and manually increase the quantity of reward items
These actions occur outside of the UpCart experience and are not automatically restricted. This method helps prevent those behaviours entirely.
Method 2: Automatically Open UpCart on the Theme Cart Page
If you prefer a lighter approach, you can redirect customers into the UpCart experience anytime they attempt to access the Shopify cart page.
Overview
Automatically opens the UpCart drawer when visiting
/cartCan be combined with hiding cart content and showing a message
Setup Instructions
Go to UpCart > Settings > HTML > Scripts (Before Load)
Paste the following script:
<script>
var cartWasOpened = false;
upcartOnCartLoaded = (cart) => {
if (document.location.pathname == "/cart") {
upcartOpenCart();
cartWasOpened = true;
}
}
</script>
3. Optionally, edit the Shopify cart page to:
Hide the Items section
Add a Rich Text block such as:
“To view your cart, please use the drawer in the top-right corner.”
This does not block editing but encourages customers to interact with UpCart instead.
Watch the Video Walkthrough
For a full demonstration, watch the step-by-step video guide.
It covers hiding Add to Cart buttons, removing quantity selectors, and preventing unauthorized cart edits:
Step-by-Step Instructions from the Video
Step-by-Step Instructions from the Video
Step 1: Create a Custom Product Template
Navigate to Online Store > Themes > Customise
Select Products > Create Template
Enter a name (e.g.,
free-products) and click Create Template
Step 2: Remove Purchase Elements
In the new template editor, remove:
The variant picker
The quantity selector
The Add to Cart / Buy buttons
Click Save
Step 3: Assign the Template to Your Reward Product
In the Shopify admin, search for your free gift product
Scroll to the Theme Template section
Select your new
free-productstemplate instead of the default one
This removes the ability for customers to manually add the product to their cart via its product page.
Step 4: Disable Cart Quantity Controls
Go to Online Store > Themes > Edit Code
Open the file responsible for rendering the cart page (commonly
main-cart-items.liquid)Search for
quantity, then:Comment out the quantity heading
Comment out the entire quantity selector block (
<td>through</td>)Optionally comment out the remove button (trash icon), if applicable
Use Control + / or wrap code blocks with {% comment %} and {% endcomment %} to safely disable them.
This ensures customers cannot edit reward quantities or manipulate their cart through Shopify’s native cart page.
Choosing the Right Approach
Objective | Recommended Method |
Fully block unauthorized reward use | Method 1 |
Nudge customers into UpCart | Method 2 |
Maximise protection | Use both methods together |
Need Assistance?
If you're unsure which files to edit or prefer help setting this up, please contact our support team. We're happy to guide you through the process.