Spin to win prize ideas that protect your margins

The four prize types

In Winky, every slice on the spin to win wheel gives one of four prizes:

• A % discount. Winky creates a single-use Shopify code for each winner.
• An amount off. Also a single-use code per winner.
• My own discount code. A code you made in Shopify, such as free shipping. Every winner of that slice gets the same code.
• Nothing (try again). A slice with no prize.

% and amount prizes can carry an optional minimum order, and codes last 15 minutes, 1 hour, 24 hours or 7 days. Those are your tools. Here's how to use them.

Start from your margin, not from the wheel

Before choosing prizes, decide the most you're happy to give away on an average order. Then work out what your wheel costs on average: multiply each prize by its chance and add them up.

Take a wheel with 5% off at a 40% chance, 10% off at 30%, free shipping at 20%, 20% off at 5% and try again at 5%. The percentage slices add up to 0.4 × 5 + 0.3 × 10 + 0.05 × 20, which is an average of 6% off per spin, plus the cost of shipping on one spin in five. That's the most the wheel can cost you, since it assumes every winner uses their code. If 6% is within your budget, the wheel works. If not, lower the chances on the bigger slices.

Three prize mixes to start from

The everyday wheel

Small and medium % prizes do most of the work, with one exciting slice that rarely comes up: 5% off, 10% off, free shipping with your own code, 15% off with a low chance, and one try again slice. It suits most stores and is easy for shoppers to understand.

The minimum-order wheel

Use amount-off prizes, each tied to a minimum order, so every prize nudges the basket up. For example, 5 off orders over 40, 10 off orders over 70 and 20 off orders over 120, with the biggest prize on the lowest chance. Pick numbers that fit your prices.

The considered-purchase wheel

If you sell higher-priced products, a modest % prize is already worth real money, so you don't need big slices. Give codes a longer life, 24 hours or 7 days, because shoppers often want to compare or ask someone first.

Use chances to keep the big prize rare

The chances on a Winky wheel always add up to 100%. That lets you show an exciting prize, which is what makes people spin, while giving it a small chance. Put most of the weight on prizes you're comfortable giving every day.

Where "try again" fits

A try again slice lowers your average cost, but a shopper who lands on it leaves with nothing. One slice with a modest chance keeps winning meaningful. Several make the wheel feel rigged, which defeats the point.

Minimum orders: the quiet margin protector

A minimum order turns a discount into a reason to add one more item. Set it a little above what a typical order looks like in your store, especially on your biggest prizes. For a free shipping slice using your own code, set any minimum on that code in Shopify.

How long should codes last?

• 15 minutes: strong urgency, best when the wheel shows on product or cart pages.
• 1 hour: time to browse a little more, still a reason to decide today.
• 24 hours: for products people like to think about.
• 7 days: for gifts and big-ticket items.

Shorter isn't automatically better. The countdown, the one-click "Shop with my prize" button and the reminder bubble all help shoppers use the code, but only if they have time to make the decision your product needs.

Seasonal prize ideas

• Busy sale weekends: shoppers see offers everywhere, so keep codes short (1 hour) and make free shipping a prominent slice.
• Gift season: a 7-day code gives people time to decide on a present.
• A new collection: show the wheel only on those collection pages with "Pages I choose", with an amount off and a minimum order.
• End-of-season clearance: a slightly bigger % slice can make sense on stock you want to move.
• A quiet month: lean on free shipping with your own code rather than deeper % prizes.

Mistakes to avoid

• Every slice is a big prize. Nothing feels special, and your average discount climbs.
• Too many try again slices. Shoppers notice, and the game stops feeling fair.
• No minimum on the biggest prize. That's the one slice that most needs it.
• A big % as a shared code. "My own discount code" gives every winner the same code, so keep it for offers you're happy to see shared, like free shipping.
• Showing the wheel too often. A returning winner gets their earlier code back, but a wheel on every page still wears thin. See popup timing and frequency.

Ready to build it? Follow how to add a spin to win wheel to your Shopify store.