How discounts work

The server works out every discount on every order. The checkout shows you the same result that the order will be charged, because both come from the same calculation.

Who can do this: the Administrator and staff with the Admin role create, edit and delete discounts. Store Admin and Reports Viewer can see them but not change them. A Cashier cannot open the Discounts pages, but can apply a discount to an order at checkout, because that uses order permissions. Discounts are a plan feature (see the badge above).

Before you start#

• Your plan must include discounts. If it does not, the whole Discounts section shows an upgrade card instead of the list, and the Discounts tile at checkout asks you to upgrade.
• Open Discounts from the sidebar.

Three ways money comes off an order#

• Automatic sale. The discount applies by itself when the cart meets its rules. Nobody types anything.
• Promotional code. The discount applies only when someone enters its code at checkout.
• Custom discount at checkout. The person taking the order types an amount or a percentage off the whole order, or a cash amount off one line. This is not a saved discount. It applies after every saved discount and never counts against a usage limit.

What the list shows#

The page has four tabs: All discounts, Active, Inactive and Expired. Each row shows:

• the name, and either its code or Automatic sale
• the type, and whether it combines with others (Non-stackable means it combines with nothing)
• the value and any minimum spend
• where it applies (Global scope or a number of stores) and what it applies to
• who can use it (All customers, or a number of customers)
• Usage: how many times it has been used, out of its limit
• the schedule and status (Ongoing means it has no end date)

Use the search box to find a discount by name or code. Use the filter panel to narrow by class, value type, how it is applied, scope, store or dates.

Create a discount#

1. On the Discounts page, click Create discount.
2. Under Discount details, enter a Discount name. Under How is this discount applied?, choose Automatic sale or Promotional code. For a code, enter it in Promo code.
3. Under Locations, choose Global (All Stores) or Store mapped (specific locations).
4. Under Discount type, pick one of the four cards. See Discount types.
5. Fill in Discount options for that type.
6. Set Stacking and limits, Customer eligibility and Discount schedule. See Rules and scheduling and Codes and usage limits.
7. Leave Discount is active on if it should work now.
8. Click Save. You see Discount created.

To change a discount later, open its row menu and choose Edit discount. To only look at it, choose View details.

When a discount does not apply#

Automatic discounts and requested discounts fail in different ways, on purpose.

• An automatic discount that the cart does not qualify for is skipped. Nothing is shown to the customer.
• A discount someone asked for (a typed code, or one picked from the list) that fails is shown with the reason. For example: "discount is expired", "minimum order value of 50.00 required", or "you have already used this discount the maximum number of times". If you try to place a new order with a requested discount that fails, the order is refused. This stops an order being saved on the belief that a code worked.

Apply a discount at checkout#

1. Add items to the cart.
2. Click the Discounts tile. The Discounts & promo codes window opens.
3. Do one or more of these:
   • Type a code in Enter promo code.
   • Pick a discount under Available discounts. Each one shows whether it is applied and, if not, why.
   • Type a custom amount in Custom order discount. Use the toggle to switch between a cash amount and %.
4. Close the window. The order summary shows the new total.

To take cash off one line only, select that line in the cart first, then open Discounts. The field changes to Custom selection discount.

Behind the scenes#

• Use is counted when the order is saved. A checkout that fails never uses up a code.
• Cancelling an order gives the use back. A return does not, because the discount did help make the sale.
• Status and expiry are separate. You switch a discount between active and inactive. Expired is worked out from the end date every time the discount is read, so nothing needs to run at midnight. An inactive discount stays inactive even after its end date.
• Tax is worked out after discounts. See How pricing works.

Watch out#

Troubleshooting#

Related pages#

Discount types · Combining discounts · How pricing works