How should coupon and discount rules be set?
I gave out a coupon and the profit went. A discount built well lifts sales; built badly, it hands money to people who would have bought anyway. 🎁
Creating a coupon in WooCommerce takes two minutes. The problem is not the coupon itself but creating it without rules.
Short answer: every coupon is tied to a purpose, a limit and an end date. Without these three a coupon is not a campaign but a leak. 🎯
Related reading from the archive: which number counts as success · when sales stop with the ads.
Three conditions for every coupon
BU BÖLÜMÜN ÖZETİ
- Purpose
- Limit
- End date
- Measurement
Written down before creating it. 📋
Purpose
First purchase, bigger baskets, clearing stock? A purposeless coupon cannot be measured. 🎯
Limit
Uses per person, total uses, minimum basket. An unlimited coupon gets shared. 🚧
End date
An endless discount means the price has permanently dropped. 📅
Measurement
How many orders did it bring, and what happened to basket size? Reports sit in the reports guide. 📊
Which discount type?
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- Percentage
- Fixed amount
- Free shipping
- Free gift
Four types, different effects. 🔀
Percentage
Strong perception, but large cost on expensive items. %️⃣
Fixed amount
Predictable cost; with a minimum basket it grows baskets. 💵
Free shipping
Often more attractive than a percentage, at a lower cost. 📦
Free gift
Clears stock; perceived value is higher than cost. 🎀
Setting the rules
BU BÖLÜMÜN ÖZETİ
- Minimum basket
- Product and category limits
- Stacking with sale items
- Stacking coupons
Four technical settings. 🔧
Minimum basket
Set slightly above the average basket; the coupon grows baskets. 🧺
Product and category limits
Low-margin products stay outside; otherwise they sell at a loss. 🚫
Stacking with sale items
A second discount is not allowed on items already on sale. ➕
Stacking coupons
Can two coupons be used in one basket? The default answer should be no. 🔒
Four common mistakes
BU BÖLÜMÜN ÖZETİ
- Public codes
- A discount for every abandoner
- Forgetting shipping cost
- The never-ending campaign
All four quietly eat profit. 🚧
Public codes
Coupon sites spread the code; the discount goes to people who would have bought anyway. 🌐
A discount for every abandoner
Customers learn to wait for a discount; the flow is in the abandonment guide. 🛒
Forgetting shipping cost
Free shipping plus a percentage creates double cost. 📦
The never-ending campaign
Extending a campaign costs trust; the discount starts to look like the normal price. ⏳
A regulatory reminder
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- The previous price
- Clear conditions
- “While stocks last”
- If unsure
A discount is also an advertising claim. ⚖️
The previous price
The previous price shown in a discount must be genuine; rules are set by regulation. 🏷️
Clear conditions
Minimum amount, excluded products and duration are shown visibly to the customer. 📄
“While stocks last”
The phrase must be true; misleading scarcity causes problems. 📦
If unsure
For big campaigns, check the conditions text against regulation. 🔍
What should I do today?
BU BÖLÜMÜN ÖZETİ
- Step 1: list active coupons
- Step 2: set excluded products
- Step 3: measure each coupon
- If you want help
Three steps, one hour. 🪜
Step 1: list active coupons
Which are endless, which unlimited? Close or limit them. 📋
Step 2: set excluded products
Low-margin items stay outside coupons. 🚫
Step 3: measure each coupon
What did each coupon bring in the last three months? Those that brought nothing close. 📊
If you want help
Let us set up your discount logic: use the consult your expert form. For your current setup see the digital audit; the whole sits on the WordPress and WooCommerce consultancy page. 🎯
📝 Notes From the Field
A store’s “welcome” coupon from a year earlier was endless and unlimited, and had been posted on a coupon site. A large share of orders came with this code, mostly from repeat customers. The coupon was closed and replaced with a single-use first-order code. Order volume stayed the same and profit rose markedly.
📖 Short Glossary
Coupon: a code that gives a discount under conditions. Minimum basket: the threshold for a coupon to apply. Coupon stacking: using several coupons in one basket. Previous price: the price a discount is compared with.
⚡ Quick Summary
Every coupon needs a purpose, a limit and an end date. 🎁 Percentage, fixed amount, free shipping and free gifts have different effects. Set a minimum basket, product limits and stacking rules. A discount is an advertising claim; the previous price and conditions must be genuine and clear.
🎯 Next Step
Let us set up your discount logic: use the consult your expert form. Returns sit in the returns guide; for your setup see the digital audit.
Frequently Asked Questions
Sık Sorulan Sorular
It can win new customers; single-use, tied to an email and with a minimum basket, it stays under control. Offered as a public code, it drifts from its purpose.
In most stores a free-shipping threshold is both more attractive and grows the average basket. Keep percentage discounts for specific goals such as clearing stock.
The previous price shown must be genuine and conditions written clearly. For big campaigns, have the conditions checked against the relevant regulation.
Source: Turkish Ministry of Trade — advertising and discounted sales