Shopify expanded its fraud protection. Here is what to check before BFCM.

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Happy first Monday in November, 10,000+ Shopify rockstars!

Ada here, with your weekly dose of ecommerce insights designed to boost your store’s sales by at least 1% this week.

Here is what is inside today’s edition:

• Industry: Shopify’s Fall ‘26 Edition expands its fraud and dispute tools.

• Growth Hack: Do the margin math before you discount for BFCM.

• Weekly Challenge: Build a margin-safe BFCM offer in 60 minutes.

• Trend: E-Ink Phones

Let’s get into it.

Shopify expanded its fraud protection. Here is what to check before BFCM.

Shopify’s Fall ‘26 Edition landed on October 28 with more than 150 updates. Most won’t change your week, but one is worth a look in your admin before BFCM traffic arrives. Shopify has expanded Shopify Protect, its fraud prevention and dispute management tools, which previously covered eligible Shop Pay orders.

The new tools include blocking payments that Shopify thinks are fraudulent, a report showing what was blocked/challenged, and a risk explanation on every order that goes through. With chargebacks, AI tools automatically gather the evidence banks want to see. A Rule Builder app lets you write your own fraud rules and test them against your last 90 days of orders.

Shopify estimates that a $100 dispute costs a business about $238 once shipping, fees and staff time are counted. That is Shopify’s estimate of the total cost to you, not a fee Shopify charges.

Some of these features are still rolling out, so open your admin this week and see what your store can use.

Growth hack: Run BFCM Offers Without Torching Your Margins

Last week, a mate who sells high-margin product asked if it was a good idea to offer a BFCM offer to move things along as business was slow. I didn’t think it was a good idea: A storewide 20% discount might bring in more orders, but will it bring in more profit? Not necessarily.

Just like I said to him, if your margins are already tight, try these five alternatives before slashing prices across the board.

1. Bundle instead of discounting: Pair a best-seller with a complementary product. Customers get more value, while you increase AOV. This North Devon brand does this quite well with a bundle deal. As one of the more complex offers, notice how they also offer customizations within the deal, allowing you to pick sizes/colour etc.

2. Offer a free gift: Add a low-cost accessory or bonus that feels valuable to the customer. You protect your main product's price while giving shoppers a reason to buy.

3. Set a spending threshold: Offer £X off orders over £Y. This encourages customers to spend more rather than simply paying less for what they were already buying.

4. Save discounts for shoppers who need a nudge: Test targeted offers for customers who have abandoned a specific product in their cart or explicitly asked about price. Don't assume someone needs a discount just because they've spent 20 minutes browsing.

Challenge: Build a Margin-Safe BFCM Offer in 60 Minutes

Step 1 (20 mins): Pick your top five products. For each, record what one order earns today after product cost, payment fees and any shipping you cover. That is your baseline. Then work out what an order would earn at the discounted price for 10%, 20% and 25% off, and how many extra orders you would need to match your baseline.

Step 2 (20 mins): Decide which products can afford a discount and which should stay out of the sale. For the rest, pick one alternative to a storewide code: a spend threshold, a bundle or a free add-on. Count the cost of any free item.

Step 3 (20 mins): Decide who gets the offer. Time on site is a weak signal. A specific product left in the cart, an abandoned cart or a previous purchase tells you more, and an opted-in email list is easy to test. Write down what you will check after BFCM, starting with profit per order against your baseline.

Trend: E-Ink Phones

E-ink phones are smartphones with a paper-like display, built for people who want less distraction from their screens. Some run Android and support familiar apps, while others deliberately limit app access. Many have a plain plastic build, and some come with physical keyboards. The Minimal Phone, Mudita Kompakt and Bigme HiBreak Pro are among the models trending, though they differ in software and app support. The trend sits inside tech minimalism, where the digital minimalism subreddit has more than 305,000 members trading tips on using their phones less.

3 ways to cash in on this trend:

Sell the reason, not the phone. Buyers come for different reasons, such as privacy, focus or simply less time on screen. Pick one for your product pages and ads, and avoid health claims you can’t support.

Build a low-screen starter kit. Notebooks, analog alarm clocks, cases and other products that replace what people usually do on their phones fit around the device. This works even if you never sell the phones themselves.

Don’t assume the buyer is older. In a British Standards Institution survey of 16 to 21 year olds, about half supported a digital curfew. Interest in using screens less is not limited to older buyers, so test creative for younger audiences.

Till next Monday,

Ada