Dynamically Calculate and Display Bundle Pricing in Shopify (Real-Time Updates)

If you run a Shopify store and sell product bundles—such as “buy 3 and save” offers, mix-and-match kits, or curated sets—then you know that pricing clarity can make or break a sale. Customers want to see the total cost update instantly as they add or change items in the bundle. This not only builds trust but also reduces cart abandonment.

As someone with over a decade of experience building Shopify stores and custom features, I’ve implemented dynamic bundle pricing for brands in industries ranging from fashion to electronics. Let’s break down exactly how to achieve real-time price updates in Shopify.

Transparency Builds Trust

Customers know exactly what they’ll pay before checkout.

Increases Conversions

No surprise fees at checkout mean fewer abandoned carts.

Encourages Upselling

Real-time price updates can visually reinforce bundle discounts.

Improves User Experience

Smooth, interactive pricing makes your store feel premium.

Shopify’s default setup does not provide real-time bundle pricing out of the box. While you can create product bundles using apps or manually, dynamic price calculation requires:

• No built-in live bundle total updates.

• Requires JavaScript customization or a bundle pricing app.

• Often needs AJAX API integration for seamless cart syncing.

Based on my experience, there are three main approaches:

1. Using a Shopify Bundle App (Fastest & Easiest Method )

If you want to avoid coding, bundle apps can handle dynamic pricing automatically.

Popular options include:

Bold Bundles

Real-time price updates, mix-and-match support.

Bundler – Product Bundles

Easy setup with quantity-based discounts.

PickyStory

Visual bundle builder with live pricing.

Pros:

• No coding required.

• Feature-rich, often with analytics.

• Quick deployment.

Cons:

• Monthly fees.

• Less control over design and performance.

Pro Tip:

• Choose an app that supports AJAX cart updates for the smoothest experience.

2. Custom Liquid + JavaScript Implementation (Full Control)

For brands that need custom logic—such as tiered pricing, personalized bundles, or special discount rules—a custom build is ideal.

Steps to Implement:

Create a bundle product template in Liquid.

• Use Shopify Liquid to structure the bundle layout.

• Display individual item options (dropdowns, checkboxes, or quantity inputs).

Store product IDs and prices in data attributes.

• Output each product’s price and ID in hidden HTML data attributes.

Use JS change event listeners to detect updates.

• Listen for `change` events when a user adds/removes or changes quantities.

Calculate totals dynamically:

javascript

                                        function updateBundlePrice() {
                                            let total = 0;
                                            document.querySelectorAll('.bundle-item').forEach(item => {
                                                const price = parseFloat(item.dataset.price);
                                                const qty = parseInt(item.querySelector('.qty-input').value, 10);
                                                total += price * qty;
                                            });
                                            document.querySelector('#bundle-total').textContent = `$${total.toFixed(2)}`;
                                        }
                                        document.querySelectorAll('.qty-input').forEach(input => {
                                            input.addEventListener('input', updateBundlePrice);
                                        });

                                        

Show total without page reload.

Show the updated price dynamically without reloading the page.

Pros:

• Total control over logic and design.

• No recurring app costs.

• Can be fully optimized for speed.

Cons:

• Requires coding knowledge.

• More time-consuming to set up.

3. Hybrid Approach – (App + Customization Code)

Sometimes, the best solution is using an app as a base and customizing it further:

• Keep the ease of management an app provides.

• Add custom scripts for styling, unique discount rules, or extra validation.

A fashion brand I worked with offered a “Build Your Own Outfit” feature. Customers could pick a top, bottom, and accessory from multiple collections.

Dynamic Pricing:

JavaScript calculated the total instantly as each item was selected.

Discount Logic:

If customers picked all three items, a 15% discount applied automatically.

Result:

Conversion rates for bundle products increased by 27% in the first month.

When implementing dynamic pricing:

Optimize Scripts:

Keep JavaScript lightweight to avoid slowing the page.

Use Lazy Loading:

Only load bundle scripts on relevant pages.

Mobile-First Design:

Many customers build bundles from mobile devices.

Track Impact:

Use Google Analytics or Shopify’s reports to measure the impact.