How to setup a discount code/coupon for individual customers?

[JayDiz]

I sponsor a group and offer them discounts that vary by category. Their roster changes from time to time and I'd like to set them up by customer. That way if someone quits or moves on they can be easily removed or discount removed from their customer profile. The discounts only apply to the group so if they know the discount code they could continue to use it or share with others outside the group. I'm searching around but cannot seem to see where that is possible.

Thanks, JD

[TheRealChipA]

Hi @JayDiz..  Let’s start with POS discount codes. From the dashboard, go to your customer list/directory.  From your master customer list, select each customer who is part of that group.  There will be a blue button at the top of the list “Add to Group.”  Click it, select the group and click “Create New Group” at the bottom.  Give the group a name and save everything as much as a Save button appears.

To define the new auto discount, from the dashboard go to Items & Orders -> Items.  Select Discounts.  Create a Discount and define it.  In the section “Automatic discount” toggle Discount Rules on.  Select Customer Group, then Done.  Then select the groups(s) of customers who will automatically receive this discount, and click Done.

After that, all you’ll need to do is maintain your customer group’s member list.

Online coupon codes are a different bucket of fish.  There is currently no mechanism to auto-applying discounts, PERIOD.  You also can not limit them to certain customer groups, or to anything else.  Trust me when I say you are not the first person to want this.  I’ve submitted a feature request (maybe two) to make all discounts and coupons, etc, one master list and then allow us to decide which discounts are in-store, which are online, etc.  So, far there has been no movement of which I am aware.  It is very confusing to have one list of discount codes, one list of coupon codes, and so forth.  They are all discounts that need to share definitions, rules and availability.  Hopefully I’ll hear about this going into Beta soon, so that I can kick the tires, break a few parts, and get it released to everyone!

You CAN limit an online coupon code to one (or whatever number) per customer, but that’s about all you can do for now with online coupon codes.

I hope that helps a little.

Regards,

[JayDiz]

Thanks, that's pretty strait forward on the discounts. I'll play around with it and see if it will work for what I'm trying to do. I appreciate your quick reply.

Thanks,

JD

[JayDiz]

Hey Chip, It seems that you can only choose one option under the rules. I need to be able to have the discount only apply to one category. Some items we can afford a higher discount and other items we need to reduce it. Any ideas?

[TheRealChipA]

Ouch. Now you are suggesting something too involved for the current automatic discounts. I agree with you. Discounts and coupons need complex if-then-and-or-except conditions, and even restrictions like prioritizing some discounts over others if a check is eligible for more than one discount. But currently it’s not there. 

At this point, all I can do is offer you what I do. I have NO automatic discounts.  When customers tell us they are eligible for multiple discounts, my employees determine the one most advantageous one and manually apply it. That’s so rare as to be workable for us. 

it’s none of my business, but your discount scheme here might need to be rethought if it is going to cause a lot of work for your employees. Another option would be to determine the absolute best discount you can give all items to this customer group and use that as your automatic discount. Yours seems to be a very unique case unless I’m misunderstanding. 

It I’m wrong and you want to be very specific about the discount structure for  this customer group, maybe we can come up with a satisfactory workaround. But keep in mind you will no be able to create discounts that are both FOR a customer group ABD only apply to certain categories/items. At least not right now.