Gift Unlock surfaces a free product, subscription gift, or coupon during checkout - the surprise-and-delight lever for cart abandoners, first-time buyers, or any segment that needs one more reason to complete the order. Configure it in PDQ across three tabs (Settings, Gift Message, Offer), then connect it to Shopify via a token.
Common uses: "spend X, get a free gift," welcome gifts, gift-with-purchase, or a subscription/coupon reward.
How it works
When the cart meets your display conditions, a teaser banner appears in checkout (e.g. "There's a gift waiting for you!"). The shopper opens it to add the gift at your configured discount (e.g. 100% off). If they click before entering their details, a "not just yet" prompt asks them to add their info first.
Where to find it: Go to Extensions in PDQ, click + New, and select Gift Unlock. There's also a Manual / MAXX AI mode toggle at the top.
Settings tab
Internal Name / Description - organizational only, hidden from shoppers.
Component Placement - Standalone (its own block) or Inside Shipping Method (define which method in the Shopify checkout editor).
Offer Type (changes the Offer tab): Product · Selling Plan Product (subscription) · Coupon.
Auto-Apply Gift If Product Is Free - (Product/Selling Plan) adds the gift automatically, no click needed, when it's free.
Display Conditions - Add Rule Group to control when it appears (cart total, product in cart, customer tag, etc.). Shows only when all conditions are met.
Gift Message tab
The teaser banner (toggle on/off at top - when off, the offer renders inline and the Information-Provided/Not-Provided sub-tabs and Display-As-Pop-Up options are hidden).
Display Title ("There's a gift waiting for you!"), Display Subtitle ("Go through checkout to claim it"), Button Display Text ("See gift").
Button Appearance - Base, Accent, Decorative, Interactive, Subdued, Info, Success, Warning, Critical, Monochrome.
Gift Icon - default gift box; Change → Upload new, or Reset.
Advanced Styling (Main Background) - Border (None/Base/Dotted), Border Width (Base/Medium), Corner Radius (None/Small/Base/Large/Fully Rounded), Padding.
Offer tab
Content depends on Offer Type and whether Gift Message is on.
Offer Type = Product
Information Provided / Information Not Provided sub-tabs (only when Gift Message is on) - configure the state before vs. after the shopper engages.
Gift Mode - Single Gift (one product/variant) or Multiple Gifts (shopper picks).
+ Add Product · Hide Product Details From Pop Up · Hide Offer If The User Already Has This Product In Their Cart · Set Discount Configuration (e.g. 100% off; optional label like "(100% off)").
Display As Pop Up (only when Gift Message is on) - modal vs. inline; with Display Title ("Here's your gift"), Subtitle, Button Text ("I want this!"), Button Appearance, Decline Button Text ("No thank you").
Offer Type = Selling Plan Product
Product Or Variant ID (required) and Selling Plan ID (required) - see finding an ID below.
Same Hide-details / Hide-if-in-cart / Set-Discount options, plus Pop-Up Title/Subtitle/CTA/Decline.
The banner won't show if the selected product is out of stock.
Offer Type = Coupon
Coupon Type (Fixed amount / Percentage), Coupon Value, Expires In (Days) (blank = no expiry), Auto-Apply Coupon If Unlocked.
Combines With - Product Discounts, Order Discounts, Shipping Discounts. (PDQ's gift coupon is a product discount by default; tick Order/Shipping only if you've tested the math.)
Pop-Up Title/Subtitle/CTA/Decline.
Advanced Styling (all types) - Main Background (border/width/corner radius/padding); Image (same, Product & Selling Plan only).
Save, preview, and activate in Shopify
Save (top-right) once all three tabs are set. Use the Preview panel (Desktop/Mobile) or Preview In Shopify.
In the Settings tab, copy the Token for Shopify (
gift_unlock_…).In Shopify (Settings → Checkout → Customize - a direct link is on the Settings tab), Add block → PDQ Gift unlock, paste the token, and - if placing it inside a shipping method - fill Enter Linked Shipping Methods Name (comma-separated). Save & publish.
(Optional block settings: A/B test ID, Include block in Shop Pay, Hide UI skeleton.)
Full extension-install reference: Adding a PDQ Extension to your Shopify checkout.
⚠️ Gift charged instead of free? (most common issue)
PDQ's gift is applied as a Product discount. If the shopper has another discount code set to "Can't combine with other discounts" in Shopify (Product discounts unchecked under Combinations), Shopify blocks the free gift and it's charged. Fix on the Shopify side: open that code → Combinations → check "Product discounts." (No PDQ change needed.)
Related: if a coupon drops the cart below your gift threshold, the gift should be removed - but if that coupon can't combine with product discounts, it reverts to paid and can linger in the cart.
How to find a Product or Variant ID
Product ID: Shopify → Products → open the product; the ID is at the end of the URL.
Variant ID: open the product, then the variant; the ID is at the end of that URL.
Paste it into the matching field in PDQ.
Tips
Free gift: set Discount Configuration to 100% off + turn on Auto-Apply Gift If Product Is Free.
Scope it with Display Conditions (above a cart total, new customers, tagged segments).
Surprise-and-delight: keep Gift Message on and use the Information Not Provided copy to hide details until the shopper engages.
Coupons: set Combines With deliberately — stacking on site-wide promos erodes margin (and mis-set combinations cause the "charged instead of free" issue above).