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Buy X Get Any Promotions: Set Up, Examples, and Best Practices

Learn how to create a Buy X Get Any promotion that lets customers mix and match products to qualify for free items.

Overview

Buy X Get Any is a promotion type that lets customers qualify for free products by purchasing a total quantity across a set of related items, rather than requiring one fixed product. This is well-suited for running promotions across product ranges, such as different flavours or pack sizes.

Before you begin

You'll need access to the Promotions page in your Ordermentum supplier dashboard, under Trading Details.

Setting up a Buy X Get Any promotion

Step 1: Enter promotion details

  • Enter a Promotion name and optional Description.

  • Choose a Start date and Expiry date (dates use your supplier time zone).

  • Optionally enable Coupon code. A random 6-character code is generated if you don't provide one. Choose Single use (once only; if one customer already used it, it won't be used by others anymore) or Multiple use (set a usage limit).

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Step 2: Select the promotion type

Select Buy X Get Any from the promotion type dropdown. An information banner displays the promotion type and hint text.

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Step 3: Write your promotion message

Enter a clear message shown to buyers in the cart when any of the Buy products are added, for example: "Buy any 3 Coke flavours, get 1 Sprite or Fanta free."

💡 Tip: Include the threshold (X), the eligible ranges, and the reward (Y) in your message so the rule is obvious to customers.

Step 4: Configure what the customer buys (X)

  • Quantity (X): Enter the total number of units needed to trigger the offer (for example, 3).

  • Any items from: Add one or more eligible Buy products. Quantities across these products are aggregated toward X. For example, 2 units of Product A plus 1 unit of Product B equals 3.

  • Use the search box to find and add products to the Buy list, or select the bin icon to remove a product.

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Note: Different Buy products can have different prices. X is based on units, not value.

Step 5: Configure what the customer gets (Y)

  • Quantity (Y): Enter how many free units the customer can receive per trigger (for example, 2).

  • Any items from: Add one or more eligible Get products. If multiple Get products are in the cart, the cheapest eligible item is discounted.

  • Use the search box to add Get products, or select the bin icon to remove one.

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Note: Buyers must add the Get product(s) to their cart themselves for the discount to apply. The Buy and Get sets can be the same or different products. Variants aren't supported.

Step 6: Save and test

Save the promotion, then add qualifying Buy items to a test cart and confirm the promotion message appears.

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Add an eligible Get item and verify the discount line applies as expected.

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How the promotion behaves

  • Aggregated quantities: Any mix of selected Buy products counts toward the threshold.

  • Multiples are supported: If the rule is Buy 3 Get 1, buying 6 qualifies for 2 free items, buying 9 qualifies for 3, and so on.

  • No auto-add: Buyers must add the free product themselves. The discount applies once they do, if they're eligible.

  • Cheapest item is free: If multiple eligible Get products are in the cart, the cheapest one is discounted.

  • Display indicators: As soon as a customer adds any eligible Buy product, a promotional message appears. Once the full Buy condition is met, the message stays visible, and the discount applies if eligible Get products are present. Discounts display in the cart and order summary.

Discounts and GST

Discounts are applied at the cart/discount level, not by changing individual line item prices. GST is only applied to items the customer actually pays for, free items are excluded from GST.

How totals are calculated:

  1. Calculate the item subtotal from base prices.

  2. Determine how many times the rule triggers and the free units allowed (Y per trigger).

  3. Apply a discount equal to the value of the cheapest eligible Get items in the cart, up to the free-unit allowance.

  4. Add freight, if any.

  5. Calculate GST on the post-discount goods plus any taxable freight.

  6. Total = post-discount goods + freight + GST

Examples

The examples below are based on this setup: Customer buys (X) 3 units across Coke or Sprite 12-packs (base price $40), Customer gets (Y) 2 units from Diet Coke ($40) or No Sugar ($38).

Example 1: Mixed Coke products

  • Order: 2 × No Sugar, 3 × Coke, 2 × Diet Coke

  • Subtotal (before discount): $276.00

  • Discount (2 free No Sugar, the cheapest eligible Get item): −$76.00

  • GST (10% of post-discount goods): $20.00

  • Total: $220.00

Example 2: Large order with multiples

  • Order: 4 × No Sugar, 6 × Sprite

  • Subtotal (before discount): $392.00

  • Discount (4 free No Sugar across two triggers of Buy 3 Get 2): −$152.00

  • GST (10% of post-discount goods): $24.00

  • Total: $264.00

Example 3: With freight

  • Order: 2 × Diet Coke, 3 × Coke

  • Subtotal (before discount): $200.00

  • Discount (2 free Diet Coke): −$80.00

  • Freight: $10.00

  • GST (10% of post-discount goods + freight): $13.00

  • Total: $143.00

Best practice: Make your promotion more visible

Want customers to notice your promotion as soon as they browse your storefront? You can group your promotional products into a dedicated Collection, for example, one named "Promotion Deals!", so customers can see all your active offers in one place instead of stumbling across them scattered through your regular catalogue.

Check this article for detailed instructions: Using Collections to highlight promotions (Bonus article).

Troubleshooting

My customer added the Buy items but didn't get the discount

Buyers must manually add an eligible Get product to their cart, the discount doesn't apply automatically. Confirm the customer has added at least one product from your Get list.

The wrong item was discounted

When multiple eligible Get products are in the cart, Ordermentum automatically discounts the cheapest one. If you expected a different item to be free, check your Get product list and pricing.

My promotion message isn't showing

The message only appears once a buyer adds an eligible Buy product to their cart. If the message isn't showing, confirm the products in the cart match your configured Buy list exactly.

A customer with a large order didn't get enough free items

Check whether your quantities trigger multiples correctly. For example, with Buy 3 Get 2, buying 9 units should trigger 3 rewards (6 free units total). If this isn't happening, review your X and Y quantities in the promotion setup.

FAQs

Can the Buy and Get product lists be the same products?

Yes. The Buy and Get sets can overlap or be entirely different products, depending on how you want the promotion to work.

Does Buy X Get Any support product variants?

No, variants aren't currently supported for this promotion type.

Is GST charged on the free items?

No. GST is only applied to items the customer pays for. Free items are excluded from the GST calculation.

How does Ordermentum decide which item is free if I have multiple Get products?

The cheapest eligible Get product currently in the customer's cart is the one discounted.

Can a customer earn the reward more than once in a single order?

Yes. If the order quantity is a multiple of your threshold (X), the reward triggers multiple times. For example, Buy 3 Get 1 means buying 6 units earns 2 free items.

Need More Help?

If you're having issues setting up or troubleshooting a Buy X Get Any promotion:

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