Getting started
What is BlockCart and how does it work?
BlockCart lets you create Shopify checkout rules that stop orders that do not meet your requirements and show customers an error. You can also use it to change the payment methods customers see. Your rules run natively inside Shopify checkout, with no theme code to edit.
Install BlockCart and take a tour of the home page
Install BlockCart through Shopify, then use the home page to find your setup steps, rules, and support chat.
Create your first checkout rule
Create a Shopify checkout validation rule that stops an order below your minimum cart subtotal. You will choose what the rule checks, write the message customers see, and test it in Shopify checkout. This example uses a checkout in USD.
Checkout rules vs payment rules: which one do you need?
Use this guide to decide whether you need a checkout rule or Shopify payment customization. The choice depends on whether you want to stop an order or change the payment methods a customer sees.
Test your rules safely before customers see them
Check both blocked and allowed carts before customers see a rule. On a live store, set the rule to Test so only your tagged account sees it. On a development store, you can also place a Shopify test order.
Checkout rules
Create, edit and delete a checkout rule
You can create a checkout rule, return to it when your requirements change, or delete it when you no longer need it.
Activate or deactivate a rule
You can set each checkout and payment rule to Off, Test, or Live in BlockCart. A rule that is Off stays saved but stops affecting Shopify checkout.
Pick the right rule type: Standard, Shipping, Attribute or Customer
Choose a Rule input based on the information your checkout rule needs to check. The choice determines which conditions you can add to the rule.
Always run a rule, or only when conditions match
Choose whether a checkout rule applies to every order or only to orders that meet your conditions. In the rule editor, make this choice under Eligibility.
Combine conditions with AND and OR groups
You can combine conditions to block checkout when several things are true, or when any one of several groups matches. Use AND within a group and OR between groups.
Choose when a rule runs: checkout, cart interaction, add to cart
You can choose when Shopify cart validation checks a rule: while a customer interacts with the cart, while they interact with Shopify checkout, or when they complete checkout. Select the steps where you want customers to see your error message.
Write a clear error message for customers
Write a Shopify checkout error message that tells customers why they cannot continue and what to do next. You can choose whether it appears at the top of checkout or beside a specific field.
Understand sync status and retry a failed sync
Sync sends checkout and payment rules in Test or Live to Shopify checkout. Check each rule's status and retry a failed sync.
Import and export rules between stores
You can move your BlockCart checkout and payment rules between stores using a JSON file. Export the rules from one store, then import the file into the other store and review the new rules before turning them on.
Conditions reference
Cart contents: products, collections, tags, SKUs, variant titles
Use cart contents conditions to check which items are in a customer's cart. To make Shopify restrict products by customer, combine a cart contents condition with a customer condition in the same group.
Customer conditions: tags, login, orders, total spent, email
Use customer conditions to check Shopify customer tags, login status, order history, spending, or email before an order goes through. Choose conditions that also handle guests the way you intend.
B2B conditions: company, company location, "customer is a company"
Use Shopify B2B checkout conditions to show a validation error for purchases from a particular company or location, or for any B2B purchase. Choose the condition that matches how narrowly you want the rule to apply.
Shipping address conditions: country, province, city, ZIP, address line
Use shipping address conditions for Shopify address validation at checkout. You can show an error when a customer's country, province, city, ZIP or postal code, or first address line matches a checkout rule.
Use ZIP code lists and wildcards
Use the Zip code condition as a Shopify ZIP code validator for shipping addresses. You can match a list of exact postal codes, check whether a code contains listed text, or use to cover a range of codes.
Shipping method conditions
Use a Shipping method condition to restrict Shopify shipping by the method a customer selects. The condition checks the method's name in Shopify checkout. If your rule matches, you can stop the order and show the customer an error message.
Discount conditions: global, order and line item discounts
Use discount conditions to control Shopify discount combinations at checkout. You can block a cart when it has a discount, or combine a discount check with other conditions to block only certain carts.
Cart attributes and line item attributes
Use Shopify line item properties and cart attributes to check information added to a customer's cart. In BlockCart, these conditions let you match an attribute's key and value, then show your error message when the rule matches.
Subscription conditions: selling plan title and order
Use Shopify selling plans in a checkout rule to check whether a cart contains a subscription item or a particular plan title. For Shopify subscriptions, you can then show an error when the customer's cart matches your condition.
Which conditions work with which rule type
Use this table to see which conditions you can add with each Rule input. A ✓ means the condition appears in the picker; a – means it does not.
Cart conditions: subtotal, total, quantity, currency
Use cart conditions to set Shopify quantity rules or check an order's value and currency. Choose the field that matches what you want the rule to measure.
Checkout rule recipes
Only let tagged or logged-in customers buy certain products
Set up a Shopify wholesale login rule so only customers with the right tag can buy selected products. You can use the same approach for Shopify members only products, or require login without checking a tag.
Require B2B buyers to meet order rules
You can set a Shopify B2B minimum order quantity or order value with a checkout rule that applies only to company purchases. This example stops a B2B buyer when the cart subtotal is below your minimum.
Block PO boxes in the shipping address
To block PO boxes on Shopify, create a checkout rule that checks the first line of the shipping address. BlockCart spots common PO box spellings, and customers who enter one see your message asking for a street address.
Stop discount codes on certain products
To make a Shopify discount code exclude products, first check the code's settings in Shopify admin. If you control the code, you can limit it to specific products or collections. BlockCart can instead stop checkout when a selected product is in the cart and a discount is applied to any cart line.
Limit quantity per product
To set a Shopify limit quantity per item, create a checkout rule that stops an order when any cart line exceeds your cap. Customers see your message in Shopify checkout and can lower the quantity before continuing.
Set a minimum order value
You can set a Shopify minimum order value with a checkout rule. When a cart subtotal is below your threshold, Shopify checkout stops the order and shows your message.
Set a minimum order quantity (MOQ)
Set a Shopify minimum order quantity to stop checkout when a cart contains too few items. You can count all items together or check each cart line separately.
Set a maximum quantity or order value
Set a Shopify maximum order quantity or order value to stop carts above a limit at Shopify checkout. You can use these Shopify order limits to discourage bulk purchases, including orders from resellers.
Block orders to specific ZIP codes or countries
A Shopify block country rule can stop orders to countries you cannot ship to. You can also use BlockCart for Shopify ZIP code validation: check the shipping address and show customers an error at Shopify checkout.
Restrict products or collections by location
Use BlockCart to restrict products by country, state, or ZIP code in Shopify checkout. You can also restrict products in a collection by ZIP code, but collection rules cannot check the shipping country or state.
Payment rules
What payment rules can do
Use Shopify payment customization in BlockCart to control which payment methods customers see and how they appear in Shopify checkout. You can hide, show, reorder, or rename methods for customers who meet your rule's conditions.
Create your first payment rule
You can use a payment rule to hide a payment method in Shopify checkout. This guide shows you how to create the rule, turn it on, and check the result.
Profiles explained: Cart, Merchandise, Buyer and delivery
Choose the Rule input that gives your payment rule the conditions it needs. BlockCart offers Cart, Merchandise, and Buyer Delivery; the choice determines which checkout details the rule can check.
Payment actions: hide, show only, reorder, rename, reset
You can edit Shopify payment methods in checkout with BlockCart: choose which methods appear, change their order, or give one a new name. Add actions under Actions in a payment rule. They run in the order shown when the rule matches.
Rule priority and how actions stack
Use Priority to control the order of payment rules that share a Rule input. You can also see how their actions combine when more than one rule matches in Shopify checkout.
Fix payment rule conflicts between profiles
You can find and fix payment rule conflicts between Cart, Merchandise, and Buyer Delivery. A conflict means active rules in different Rule inputs may change the same payment method, and Shopify does not guarantee which input runs first.
Duplicate, import and export payment rules
You can duplicate a payment rule in the same store or move payment rules between stores with a rules file. Review each new rule before you turn it on in Shopify checkout.
Payment rule recipes
Reorder or rename payment methods at checkout
You can use BlockCart to edit Shopify payment methods at checkout. These two recipes put a preferred method first and give another method a clearer label.
Hide cash on delivery above a set order value
You can hide Shopify cash on delivery above an order value you choose. This payment rule removes COD from Shopify checkout when a customer's cart exceeds your limit, while leaving it available for smaller orders.
Show certain payment methods only to B2B customers
You can keep a named invoice or bank transfer payment method available for B2B buyers and hide it from other customers in Shopify checkout. If you offer Shopify payment terms, set those up in Shopify first; BlockCart controls payment method visibility, not when an order is due.
Hide payment methods by country or shipping method
You can use a Shopify hide payment method rule to remove a payment option when an order ships to a chosen country or uses a particular delivery method. For example, hide cash on delivery for orders shipping abroad or for local pickup.
Billing and account
Plans and pricing: monthly vs yearly
You can compare BlockCart's monthly and yearly plans on the Billing page, then subscribe through Shopify. The page shows the current price in your currency for each plan.
Development stores: what works and what doesn't
You can open BlockCart on a Shopify development store and explore the app. To create or run rules, you need an active BlockCart subscription, even on a development store.
What happens to your rules when you cancel or billing stops
You can check what happens to your saved rules and Shopify checkout when you cancel BlockCart or billing stops. Your rules stay in BlockCart, and active rules can return to Shopify when you subscribe again.
Change the app language
You can change the language of the BlockCart app in Settings. By default, BlockCart follows your Shopify admin staff language.
Uninstall BlockCart and what happens to your data
You can uninstall BlockCart from your Shopify admin. Before you do, export your rules so you have a copy of them.
Troubleshooting
My rule isn't blocking checkout
If your rule is not blocking checkout, work through these checks in order. Test again in Shopify checkout after each change.
"Sync failed": what it means and how to fix it
If you see Sync failed, match the error message to a fix below. BlockCart may show technical English words in these messages, even if you use the app in another language. Messages from Shopify and numbers in the examples can vary.
Customers see more than one error message
If customers see more than one error message in Shopify checkout, check which of your checkout rules in Test or Live match the same order. You can combine or adjust those rules so customers get clearer guidance.
The Save button is disabled
If Save is disabled in a checkout or payment rule, use this checklist. If you can click Save but the rule does not save, check the errors below.
A condition isn't available for my rule type
If a condition is missing while you edit a rule, check its Rule input. This checklist will help you find an input that offers the condition and replace the rule.
My payment method is still showing
If a payment method is still showing in Shopify checkout, work through this checklist to find why your payment rule has not hidden it. Test with a checkout where that method would normally be available.
Contact support
You can contact BlockCart support through chat inside the app. If a rule is not working as expected, a few details will help us understand what happened.