Create promotions and coupons

Set up automatic discount rules and typed-in coupon codes, and know how they combine and when they are refused.

Required permission: pos.configure

Before you begin

  • The company feature Promotions and coupons is on (Applications > Point of Sale > Features).
  • You have pos.configure. On screen, the New and Edit buttons show only to company administrators; if you hold the permission but see no buttons, ask a company administrator.
  • You know the products or categories, dates and limits.

Promotions: automatic discounts

A promotion is a rule the system applies by itself when the basket matches. The till shows the same result and the system recalculates it when the bill arrives.

Steps

  1. Choose Point of Sale > Pricing & promotions > Promotions.
  2. Press New promotion.
  3. Type the Code, for example MILK3. It is made capitals and must be unique.
  4. Type the Name (defaults to the code).
  5. Choose the Discount type: Percentage, Fixed amount or Special price (the special price is per unit).
  6. Type the Value: more than 0; a percentage cannot exceed 100.
  7. Optionally set Minimum basket, Minimum quantity, a Starts at and Ends at, a Start time and End time (happy hour, for example 16:00 to 18:00), a Product ID or Category ID, and the Priority.
  8. Tick Stackable if later rules may also apply, Allowed offline if it may apply to offline bills, and keep Active on.
  9. Press Save.

A saved promotion opens in view mode. Use Edit, Save or Discard.

Worked examples

  • MILK3: 10 % on Milk, minimum quantity 3. Milk x 3 = 31.50. Discount 3.15, line 28.35, net 27.00, VAT 1.35. Milk x 2 gets nothing.
  • Special price 8.00 on Milk, minimum quantity 2. Milk x 2 = 21.00. Discount 21.00 - 16.00 = 5.00; line 16.00.
  • Fixed 2.00 on a category: taken once per line and never more than the line (a 1.50 line gets 1.50 off).
  • Priority and stacking: rule A 10 % (priority 10, not stackable) and rule B 5 % (priority 5). On a 100.00 line only A applies: 10.00. If A is stackable, B applies to the remaining 90.00: 4.50, total 14.50.

Higher priority goes first; ties are broken by code. Without stacking, the first matching rule wins.

Coupons: codes the cashier types

Steps

  1. Choose Point of Sale > Pricing & promotions > Coupons.
  2. Press New coupon.
  3. Type the Code, for example WELCOME10.
  4. Choose the Discount type: Percentage or Fixed amount.
  5. Type the Value.
  6. Set Minimum basket if needed (the payable after any bill discount must reach it).
  7. Set Starts at and Ends at. The end date follows the company field rule: it may be hidden, optional, required or read only (see Turn POS features on and off).
  8. Set Maximum redemptions (0 means unlimited) and Per-customer limit (0 means none).
  9. Press Save.

Allowed offline is locked off for coupons. The Usage column shows redeemed over limit, such as 0/100.

At the till

Press Coupon, type the code and press Apply. The code is made capitals. Only one coupon per bill. Coupon WELCOME10 (10 %, minimum basket 50.00) on a 120.00 sale gives discount 12.00 and payable 108.00. A fixed 20.00 coupon on a 15.00 basket gives 15.00 off: payable 0.00.

Refusals

SituationMessage
Unknown or inactive code'Coupon is not valid.'
Outside its dates'Coupon is outside its validity period.'
Basket too small'Coupon needs a basket of at least 50.00.'
Used up'Coupon has reached its redemption limit.'
Customer used it'This customer has already used the coupon.'
No customer when a per-customer limit is set'This coupon requires a customer.'
Offline'Coupons require an online check' on the till; 'Coupons must be checked online.' from the system
On a return'Coupons can only be redeemed on a sale.'

If two tills redeem the last use at the same moment, one is accepted and the other refused.

Rules when saving

ProblemMessage
Duplicate promotion code'Promotion code already exists.'
Value 0 or percentage over 100'Enter a valid promotion value.' / 'Enter a valid coupon value.'
End before start'The promotion end must be after its start.' / 'The coupon end must be after its start.'
Minimum quantity 0'Minimum quantity must be greater than zero.'
Negative limit'Redemption limits cannot be negative.'
Product from another company'Choose a product from this company.'

Good to know

  • If two people edit the same promotion, the later save wins silently. Agree who edits.
  • The time window is checked against the sale time as the system holds it (UTC), so a happy-hour rule may start and stop four hours away from Dubai time. Test the rule before launch.
  • Turning off Promotions and coupons hides the menus and refuses changes; existing lists stay readable.
  • The Redeemed counter box is editable on screen, but the system keeps its own count.