---
title: "Sort by Price Calculator"
description: "The Sort by Price Calculator plugin adds an alternative pricing calculator to J2Commerce."
url: "https://docs.j2commerce.com/v6/apps-and-extensions/apps/app_calculatorsortbyprice"
markdown_url: "https://docs.j2commerce.com/v6/apps-and-extensions/apps/app_calculatorsortbyprice.md"
last_updated: "2026-10-31T23:35:08+00:00"
version: "J2Commerce 6"
breadcrumbs:
  - title: "Home"
    url: "https://docs.j2commerce.com/"
  - title: "J2Commerce 6"
    url: "https://docs.j2commerce.com/v6"
  - title: "Apps and Extensions"
    url: "https://docs.j2commerce.com/v6/apps-and-extensions"
  - title: "Apps"
    url: "https://docs.j2commerce.com/v6/apps-and-extensions/apps"
  - title: "Sort by Price Calculator"
    url: "https://docs.j2commerce.com/v6/apps-and-extensions/apps/app_calculatorsortbyprice"
---

# Sort by Price Calculator

The Sort by Price Calculator plugin adds an alternative pricing calculator to J2Commerce. When a product has multiple price levels set up in its **Additional Pricing** table, this calculator automatically finds and applies the **lowest matching price** for each customer based on three factors: their Joomla user group, the quantity they are ordering, and the current date.

This is useful for stores that offer tiered pricing, wholesale discounts, time-limited promotions, or group-specific pricing. Without this plugin, J2Commerce uses the **Standard** calculator, which only uses the base variant price.

## Prerequisites

- J2Commerce installed and enabled
- At least one product with multiple price levels defined in **Additional Pricing**

## Purchase and Download

The **Sort By Price** **Calculator** app is a separate add-on available from the [Sort By Price Calculator](https://www.j2commerce.com/extensions/apps/sort-by-price-calculator). It is not included with the core J2Commerce 6 component.

**Step 1:** Go to the [J2Commerce website](https://www.j2commerce.com/extensions) -> **Apps**.

**Step 2:** Locate the **Sort By Price** **Calculator** app -> click **View Details** -> **Add to cart** -> **Checkout**.

**Step 3:** Go to **My Downloads** under your profile menu at the top right corner and search for the app. Click **Available Versions** -> **View Files** -> **Download**.

## Install the App

You can install this **Sort By Price** **Calculator** App using the Joomla installer. The following steps help you with a successful installation.

In the Joomla admin, go to **System -> Install -> Extensions**

Upload the plugin `app_calculatorsortbyprice.zip`file or use the Install from URL option.

![Install extensions](https://docs.j2commerce.com/images/docs/v4/assets/app%20install1%20%281%29%20%281%29.webp)

## Enable the App

Once you have installed the App, you will need to enable it. There are **two** ways you can access the extension.

**Option A:** Go to the **J2Commerce** icon at the top right corner **-> Apps**

**Option B:** Go to **Components** on the left sidebar **-> J2Commerce -> Apps**

![shipping method](https://docs.j2commerce.com/images/docs/shared/accordions-app.webp)

Look for **Sort By Price** **Calculator**, click the **X,** and it will turn into a green checkmark. It is now enabled and ready for setup.

![J2Commerce Apps list searched for "calculator", with the Apps menu item, search box and Calculator - Sort by Price enabled status icon highlighted](https://docs.j2commerce.com/images/docs/shared/calculator-enable.webp)

## How Pricing Calculators Work

Every product variant in J2Commerce has a **Pricing Calculator** setting that controls how the final price is determined. By default, all products use the **Standard** calculator. Once this plugin is installed, a second option — **Sort by Price** — becomes available.

**Standard:** Uses the base variant price only. Additional pricing rules are ignored.

**Sort by Price:** Evaluates all additional pricing rules and selects the lowest price that matches the customer's group, quantity, and the current date.

The calculator is set **per product**, so you can use **Standard** pricing on some products and **Sort by Price** on others.

## Setting Up a Product to Use Sort by Price

### Open the Product

- Go to **J2Commerce** -> **Catalog** -> **Products**.
- Click the product you want to configure.
- Select the **Price** tab.
- Find the **Pricing Calculator** dropdown in the Price tab.
- Change it from **Standard** to **Sort by Price**.

![Product edit, Pricing tab highlighted: Regular Price 15.95 and the Pricing Calculator dropdown open, with Standard and Sort by Price options highlighted](https://docs.j2commerce.com/images/docs/shared/calculator-product.webp)

### Add Price Levels

The Sort by Price calculator only works when you have additional pricing rules defined. To add them:

- In the same **Price** tab, click the **Additional Pricing** button.

![Product edit, Pricing tab highlighted: Regular Price 15.95, the Set Additional Pricing button highlighted, and Pricing Calculator set to Sort by Price](https://docs.j2commerce.com/images/docs/shared/calculator-advanced1.webp)

- A modal window opens showing your existing price rules (if any) and a form to add new ones.
- Fill in the fields for each price level:

![Set Additional Pricing modal with Date Range, Qty Range, Customer Group and Price column headings and the Add Price button highlighted](https://docs.j2commerce.com/images/docs/shared/calculator-advanced.webp)

**Quantity From:** Minimum quantity for this price to apply. Set to `0` for no minimum

**Date From:** Start date for this price. Leave empty for no start restriction.

**Date To:** End date for this price. Leave empty for no end restriction.

**Customer Group:** The Joomla user group this price applies to. Select **All** to apply to every customer.

> **Info:** **Note**: If you want to have a specific Customer Group be added to the list, ie; VIP, Wholesale, etc. You can create new customer groups by going to **Users -> Groups -> New**

![Joomla Users: Groups list with Users, Groups in the sidebar and the New toolbar button highlighted, showing Public and Guest groups](https://docs.j2commerce.com/images/docs/shared/calculator-group.webp)

> **Info:** **Note**: Don't forget to add the specific use to the group in order for them to see the Advanced Pricing that is just for that group. Go to **Users -> Manage ->** click on the **-> User -> Assigned User Groups** tab

![User edit screen, Assigned User Groups tab highlighted, with the group checkboxes for Public, Guest, Manager and Administrator highlighted](https://docs.j2commerce.com/images/docs/shared/calculator-group1.webp)

**Price:** The price amount for this rule.

Click **Save** to add the rule.

Repeat for each price level you need.

![Set Additional Pricing modal in the article editor, with two current prices highlighted: VIP Shopper at 53.00000 and Wholesale at 42.00000, each from quantity 1 and above](https://docs.j2commerce.com/images/docs/shared/calculator-advanced3.webp)

Close the modal and click **Save** on the product.

## Frontend View

![Nut Sack product page with the 24% off badge and the discounted price $42.00 shown above the struck-through $55.00 both highlighted](https://docs.j2commerce.com/images/docs/shared/calculator-product3.webp)

## Example: Multiple Price Levels in Action

Suppose you sell a product with a base price of $25.00 and you set up these additional pricing rules:

| Rule | Quantity | Group | Price |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | 1 – 9 | All | $25.00 |
| 2 | 10 – 49 | All | $20.00 |
| 3 | 50+ | All | $15.00 |
| 4 | 1+ | Wholesale | $18.00 |

With the **Sort by Price** calculator, here is what each customer would pay:

- **A retail customer ordering 5 units:** Rule 1 matches ($25.00). Final price: **$25.00 per unit**.
- **A retail customer ordering 25 units:** Rule 2 matches ($20.00). Final price: **$20.00 per unit**.
- **A retail customer ordering 100 units:** Rule 3 matches ($15.00). Final price: **$15.00 per unit**.
- **A wholesale customer ordering 25 units:** Rules 2 ($20.00) and 4 ($18.00) both match. The calculator picks the lowest: **$18.00 per unit**.
- **A wholesale customer ordering 100 units:** Rules 3 ($15.00) and 4 ($18.00) both match. The calculator picks the lowest: **$15.00 per unit**.

The key behavior is that **when multiple rules match, the customer always gets the best (lowest) price**.

## How the Calculator Evaluates Rules

When a customer views or adds a product to the cart, the Sort by Price calculator:

1. Retrieves all additional pricing rules for that product variant.
2. Filters out rules that do not match:
   - **Quantity:** The customer's quantity must fall within the rule's quantity range.
   - **Date:** Today's date must fall within the rule's date range (if one is set).
   - **Customer Group:** The customer must belong to the rule's user group, or the rule must be set to **All**.
3. Sorts the remaining matching rules by price, lowest first.
4. Applies the lowest price.

If no rules match, the product's base variant price is used as a fallback.

## Tips

- You do not need to create a rule that matches the base price. If no additional pricing rules match, the standard base price is used automatically.
- Use date ranges for seasonal sales or limited-time promotions. The calculator will only apply those prices during the specified period.
- Combine quantity tiers with group-specific pricing for maximum flexibility. The calculator will always find the best deal for the customer.
- You can switch a product back to **Standard** at any time without deleting your additional pricing rules. The rules are preserved but ignored until you switch back to **Sort by Price**.

## Troubleshooting

### The product still shows the base price even though I added pricing rules

**Cause:** The product's Pricing Calculator is still set to **Standard**.

**Solution:**

1. Edit the product and go to the **Price** tab.
2. Change the **Pricing Calculator** dropdown from **Standard** to **Sort by Price**.
3. Click **Save**.

![Product edit, Pricing tab highlighted, with Pricing Calculator set to Sort by Price (highlighted) below Regular Price 15.95 and Set Additional Pricing](https://docs.j2commerce.com/images/docs/shared/calculator-product1.webp)

### A customer is not getting the expected discounted price

**Cause:** The customer's quantity, date, or user group may not match any of the pricing rules.

**Solution:**

1. Open the product and click **Additional Pricing** to review the rules.
2. Verify that the customer's order quantity falls within the **Quantity From** range of the intended rule.
3. Check that today's date is within the **Date From** and **Date To** range (if set).
4. Confirm the customer belongs to the correct Joomla user group. You can check this under **Users** -> **Manage** in the Joomla admin.
5. Click on the **User** and then the **Assigned User Group** tab and enable the appropriate group for that user

![User edit screen, Assigned User Groups tab highlighted, with the group checkboxes for Public, Guest, Manager and Administrator highlighted](https://docs.j2commerce.com/images/docs/shared/calculator-group2.webp)