Discount codes

A discount code lowers the checkout total when a customer enters it. You control how much it takes off, how long it lasts on a subscription, how many times it can be used, and which products it applies to. This guide walks through creating a code and every option on the form.

Creating a code

From the Discounts page, click New discount. This opens a page titled New Discount. Only the code and its value are required, and the Create discount button stays disabled until you fill both.

Enter a Discount code. This is what customers type at checkout, such as SAVE20. It is automatically uppercased.
Choose a Discount type:
- Percentage: takes a percent off the total. Enter a whole number up to 100. At 100 the order is free: checkout asks for no card, and the order still gets a receipt and shows up in Transactions with no charge.
- Turn on Limit units per order for a code that should cover one item rather than a whole line. Without it a percentage code takes its cut off every unit the buyer adds, so 100% off a product a customer can order ten of gives away ten.
- Fixed amount: takes a set amount off. Enter the amount and pick the currency.
Enter the value in the field that appears (a percentage, or an amount with a currency symbol).
Set the remaining options below, then click Create discount.

Duration

The Duration setting decides how a code behaves on recurring products (subscriptions). It has no effect on a one-time purchase, which is always a single discount.

Once (first payment only): the discount applies to the first payment and then stops. On a subscription, only the first cycle is discounted.
Forever (all recurring payments): the discount applies to every payment for the life of the subscription.
Repeating (limited cycles): the discount applies for a set number of billing cycles, then stops. When you pick this, a Number of cycles field appears. Enter how many cycles it should last, such as 3.

For a plain one-time product, choose Once. The other two only matter for subscriptions.

Usage limits

By default a code can be used any number of times. To cap it, turn on the Usage limit switch and enter Maximum uses, such as 100. Once the code has been redeemed that many times, it stops working at checkout.

On the Discounts list, each code shows how many times it has been used, for example "42/100 used", so you can track redemptions at a glance.

Product scope

The Applies to setting controls which items the discount can reduce.

All products: the code works on any product.
Specific products: the code only applies to the products you choose. A checklist of your active products appears; tick the ones the code should cover. If the cart has other products too, only the selected ones are discounted.

Turning on the checkout field

For customers to enter codes, the discount field has to be shown at checkout. This is a workspace setting, on by default.

Go to Settings > Payments and check Show discount code field on checkout pages. If it is off, no code can be entered, even active ones. You can still apply discounts yourself at the virtual terminal.

Editing and archiving codes

To change a code, open it from the Discounts list. You can edit its value, duration, limits, and scope.

Paysio does not delete discount codes, so past orders that used a code keep an accurate record. Instead you archive them. On the edit page, click Archive. A confirmation explains that "Archived discounts can no longer be used at checkout. You can unarchive it later." An archived code immediately stops working, but its history stays intact. To bring it back, open it and click Unarchive.

Filter the Discounts list by Active or Archived to find codes.