Coupons

Learn how to manage coupons and coupon campaigns in PlentyONE. Moreover, find out how to generate coupon codes and send emails.

Coupons are a great way to simultaneously attract new customers, increase loyalty and generate revenue. PlentyONE has a comprehensive coupon module in the Orders » Coupons menu. In this menu, you can create campaigns with various possibilities for discount. Coupons all have codes which belong to a campaign and which can either be redeemed once or multiple times. Coupons are redeemed during the order process. The corresponding discount value is displayed at this time.

1. Possible uses for coupons

A coupon has a code which belongs to a campaign and which can either be redeemed once or multiple times. Coupons are redeemed during the order process. The discount value is displayed at this time. Coupons can be sent to customers as promotional coupon codes within emails or multipurpose coupons can be sold as items in your online shop. The customer then receives the coupon code as a PDF document.

The following overview shows various possibilities for using coupons:

Table 1. Possible uses for coupons
Coupon	Usage	Via email	Webshop	PDF
Code	Redemption	yes	yes	no
Coupon	Sale and redemption	yes	yes	yes
Voucher	Sale	yes	no	yes

Template variables for displaying voucher codes in email templates

When you insert the template variable $ItemVoucherCodes in the email template, the codes of a voucher are displayed per order item. The codes are separated by commas. Use the template variable $VoucherCodes to display all codes of all vouchers of an order. The codes are separated by commas.

2. Preparing items for purchase with coupons

Before you begin working with coupons, decide which of your items should be purchasable with a coupon.

Preparing items for purchase with coupons:

Go to Item » Items.
Open the item that should be purchasable with a coupon.
Click on the Settings^ section.
Select the setting Possible from the drop-down list Promotional coupon/POS discount.
Save () the settings.
→ It is possible for the customer to purchase this item with a coupon.

Do not permit to purchase item with a coupon

Go to Item » Items » [Open item]. Set the Promotional coupon/POS discount option in the Settings section to Not permitted if you want to prevent the item from being paid with a coupon. If the customer places such an item in the shopping cart, the coupon’s value is not applied to this item. It makes sense to prevent some items from being paid for with a coupon, e.g. special offers or other items that should not be discounted further.

If you want to make an item available for purchase with a coupon only, select the Purchasable with coupon only setting.

3. Creating a campaign

Because each coupon belongs to a campaign, you have to create a campaign first. Go to Orders » Coupons to create a campaign. Once you have created a campaign, 2 other tabs are displayed apart from the Settings tab: Codes and Templates.

Figure 1. Creating a campaign in the Orders » Coupons menu

Creating a campaign:

Go to Orders » Coupons.
Click on New campaign ().
Carry out the settings. Note the explanations in Table 2.
Save () the settings.
→ The campaign is created and displayed in the overview.

Do not delete campaigns

Each coupon belongs to a campaign. To avoid problems with coupons that have already been redeemed, campaigns should not be deleted.

Table 2. Settings for new coupon campaigns
Setting	Explanation
Campaign
Name	Enter the name of the campaign.
Description	Enter the description of the campaign.
Concept: Code	In the upper drop-down list, select the setting for the codes: One code = One coupon code is generated per campaign and can be redeemed multiple times. Several codes = Individual coupon codes are generated that can only be redeemed once.
Concept: Redemptions	In the lower drop-down list, select the setting for the redemption(s): Several redemptions per customer = A customer can redeem the entire coupon amount multiple times. If the coupon is sent to several customers, they can all redeem the coupon as often as desired. One redemption per customer = The coupon can only be redeemed once per customer. *Important:* If customers are not registered, but log in with a guest account, they are treated as new customers in the system. The coupon can be redeemed several times because one redemption is possible per customer - i.e. new customer, new coupon. Redemption until value is depleted = The entire coupon amount can only be redeemed once. If a customer redeems partial amounts, all of the partial amounts put together may only be as high as the entire coupon amount itself. The coupon can be redeemed by several customers. One single redemption = Only one redemption is possible. No further redemptions are possible, even if only a small, partial amount was used.
Use	Select single orders or subscriptions or both options.
Minimum order value	Minimum order value that has to be reached in order that the coupon can be redeemed.
Validity
Start date	The date when the campaign should be activated.
End date	The date when the campaign should be deactivated.
Code validity in weeks	Enter the number of weeks that the coupon codes are valid. For example, enter 12 if you want the coupon codes to be valid for 12 weeks. *Important:* There is a difference between the validity selected here and the options Start date and End date selected above. Be sure not to mix up the validity with the start and end dates. For example, the validity can be one year (entry: 52) and the campaign can be started and ended as many times as desired throughout the year. *Note:* The maximum value that can be saved in this field is 520.
Coupon
Coupon type	Select Coupon or Voucher. The difference here is that coupons are redeemed in the online shop and vouchers are redeemed through third parties. Vouchers are especially popular in the hotel industry. *Note:* Depending on the coupon type selected, different options and settings are visible.
Code assignment	Only visible if you selected the option Voucher as the coupon type. Select whether the coupon codes should be newly generated, existing codes or only existing codes should be used. *This means:* If all coupon codes in the campaign have been used up, a new coupon code will be generated when you select the option Use existing code(s). When you select the option Use only existing code(s), no new coupon code will be generated.
Coupon variety	Select Promotional coupon or Multipurpose coupon. This determines how coupons are redeemed in the order and displayed in PDF documents. Select Multipurpose coupon for campaigns with coupons that are sold via the online shop. A multipurpose coupons is a fixed amount that can be understood as means of payment.
Multipurpose coupon	If you selected the option Multipurpose coupon as coupon variety, you have to confirm that you sell multipurpose coupons by placing the checkmark. If the checkmark is not placed, the campaign cannot be created. *Important:* For further information about the national legal order regarding the change in the sales tax treatment of coupons, refer to the translation in the tooltip ().
Code length	Select the number of characters for the coupon codes. Coupon codes can have a length of 6, 16, 24 or 32 characters.
Discount type	Select the discount type. Fixed amount = Enter the fixed amount. Percentage value = Enter the percentage value of the invoice amount. Enter 10, if 10 percent should be discounted from the invoice amount. Piece = Enter the number of items, e.g. 3 items for the price of 2. Shipping = Free shipping is applied to the order.
Discount value	Enter the discount value for the coupon. Activate the option incl. shipping costs if the shipping costs should be included in the discount value as well.
Filter
Items coming from price comparison portals	Allow = Allow whether coupons can also be redeemed for items coming from price search engines, i.e. items that are also offered on other marketplaces. Do not permit = Coupons cannot be used for items coming from price comparison portals (default setting). *Note:* Price comparison portals are all referrers > 1. This means that besides price comparison portals, also marketplaces and platforms are included. The referrers Manual entry (referrer ID 0) and Online shop (referrer ID 1) are not affected by these settings.
Categories	Add one category or multiple categories () for which coupons of the campaign can be redeemed. The sub-categories of a selected category are included automatically. It is also possible to only add sub-categories. Click on Delete () next to the category ID and the category name to remove the category from this campaign and from the list. *Note:* Only the link to the campaign is deleted, not the category itself.
Item	Add items for which coupons of the campaign can be redeemed. Enter the item ID in the text field and click on Add (). The item ID is added to the campaign. Up to 20 items can be added to a campaign. Click on the item ID to open the item in the Item » Edit item menu. Click on Delete () next to the item ID to remove the item from this campaign and from the list. *Note:* Only the link to the campaign is deleted, not the item itself.
Clients (stores)	Select the xref:online-store:setting-up-clients.adoc#clients (shops)] that are allowed to redeem the coupon. You need to select at least one client.
Customer classes	Select the customer classes that are allowed to redeem the coupon. You need to select at least one customer class.
Customer types	Select the customer types that are allowed to redeem the coupon. You need to select at least one customer type.
Email template
Variable	Select the template variable for email templates. The option No variable is pre-selected. *Note:* Once a variable was selected for a campaign, this variable is no longer available for other campaigns.

4. Searching for a campaign

To search for campaigns, select the search parameters in the Orders » Coupons menu. If you do not change the default filter settings, all of the campaigns are searched for and displayed. A search filter for coupon codes is available in the order search.

Searching for a campaign:

Go to Orders » Coupons.
In the Filter section, enter the ID or the coupon code or select the filter options in the drop-down lists. Note the explanations in Table 3.
Click on Search ().
→ The campaigns that correspond to the search criteria entered are displayed.

Table 3. Searching for a campaign
Setting	Explanation
Search	Click on Search () without selecting any filter settings to display all campaigns. () *Or:* Limit the search results by using filters and click on Search ().
Reset	Click on Reset () to reset the filter criteria set.
ID	Enter the ID of the campaign.
Coupon code	Enter the coupon code.
Client	Select the client from the drop-down list to only show campaigns of this client.
Customer class	Select the customer class from the drop-down list to only show campaigns for this customer class.
Date from / to	Select the campaign’s start date and end date from the calendar () or enter the dates manually.
Coupon variety	Select Promotional coupon or Multipurpose coupon to only show campaigns with this coupon variety.
Coupon type	Select Coupon or Voucher to only show campaigns with this coupon type.
Concept	Select One code, Several codes or All.
Discount type	Select the discount type to only show campaigns with this discount type. Possible options: Fixed amount, Percentage, Piece, Shipping or All.

5. Displaying the campaign overview

In the Orders » Coupons menu in the tab Campaigns, the most important information about the created campaigns are displayed in the overview. Table 4 explains the campaign overview. Use the function Customise layout () and decide which information should be displayed in the overview. This function is only visible when you point with the mouse over the title bar in the overview.

Table 4. Information in the campaign overview
Setting	Explanation
ID	ID of the campaign. The ID is automatically assigned by the system and cannot be changed.
Name	Name of the campaign.
Start	Shows the date when the campaign was activated the first time.
End	Shows the date when the campaign is deactivated again. *Important:* Be sure to not mix it up with the validity; this is not the same thing. Note the explanations in Table 2 under Code validity in weeks.
Coupon type	Shows the coupon type. Possible values: Coupon or Voucher.
Coupon variety	Refer to the explanations in Table 2 for further information about the coupon varieties Promotional coupon and Multipurpose coupon.
Concept	The concept specifies whether a coupon can only be redeemed once or multiple times. Note the explanations in Table 2.
Discount	Shows the discount type as well as the corresponding value.
Minimum order value	The minimum order value that needs to be reached in order for the coupon to be redeemed.
Redemptions	The red number stands for the number of redeemed coupons. The green number stands for the number of coupons that have not yet been redeemed.
Export	Click on at the end of the line in the campaign to export the campaign data to a CSV file.
Delete	Click on to delete the campaign.

6. Editing the campaign

You can edit already existing campaigns at any time.

Editing the campaign:

Go to Orders » Coupons.
Use the filter settings listed in Table 3 to search () for the campaign that you want to edit.
Click in the line of the campaign.
→ The Settings tab opens.
Carry out the settings. Note the explanations in Table 2.
Save () the settings.

6.1. Copying the campaign

Save time and copy a campaign to make changes afterwards. By doing so, you do not have to create a completely new campaign.

Copying the campaign:

Go to Orders » Coupons.
Use the filter settings listed in Table 3 to search () for the campaign that you want to copy.
Click in the line of the campaign.
→ The Settings tab opens.
Click on Copy ().
→ The campaign is copied and created with the next free ID. The name is taken from the copied campaign and saved with the word “COPY”.

6.2. Exporting the campaign

You can export the campaign data to a CSV file in order to further edit this data afterwards.

Exporting the campaign:

Go to Orders » Coupons.
Use the filter settings listed in Table 3 to search () for the campaign that you want to copy.
Click in the line of the campaign.
→ The Settings tab opens.
Click on Export ().
→ The campaign data is exported in a CSV file.

7. Generating coupon codes

You find the coupon generator in the Orders » Coupon menu in the Codes tab of a campaign. There are 2 ways to generate coupon codes with the coupon generator. They are described below.

Valid characters for coupon codes

Coupon codes may contain any combination of lower and upper case letters, numbers and the special characters _ and -.

7.1. Manually generating coupon codes

Generate several coupon codes at the same time. The codes are automatically generated and added to the code list.

Manually generating coupon codes:

Go to Orders » Coupons.
Click on the campaign for which you want to generate coupon codes.
Click on the Codes tab.
In the Generate coupon codes manually section, enter the number of coupon codes that you want to generate.
Save () the settings.
→ The coupon codes are generated and added to the list of coupon codes.

More codes than redemptions

The number of open coupons can exceed the maximum number of redemptions. As such, there may still be open coupon codes left over once the maximum number of redemptions has been reached. These codes can no longer be redeemed.

7.2. Manually entering external coupon codes or coming up with your own codes

You can add own or external codes. On the one hand, these can be codes that you received and that were not generated in your PlentyONE system. On the other hand, these can be individual codes that you came up with on your own.

Manually entering the coupon code:

Go to Orders » Coupons.
Click on the campaign for which you want to enter a coupon code.
Click on the Codes tab.
In the Enter coupon code manually section, enter a code with 6 to 32 characters.
Save () the settings.
→ The coupon code is generated and added to the list of coupon codes.

7.3. Importing and exporting coupon campaigns and coupon codes

Use the import tool in the Data » Import menu to import coupon codes. This allows you to import large quantities of coupon codes at once rather than to enter them manually one after the other. To do so, create an import of the type Coupon code.

To import campaigns, use the import type Campaigns.

If you want to export existing coupon campaigns, use the data format Campaign in the Data » Dynamic export menu. To export coupon codes, use the data format CampaignCoupon.

8. Sending coupon codes via email

Coupon codes can automatically be embedded in emails. When sending an email, a new coupon code is always generated and sent.

This makes it possible to send each customer an automatically generated coupon code. To do so, you have to assign a template variable, e.g. $CouponCode1 to the campaign.

Afterwards, insert the this template variable $CouponCode1 in an email template. A new coupon is automatically created for the campaign every time the email is sent.

One template variable per campaign

One template variable can only be assigned to one campaign.

Assigning a template variable to a campaign:

Go to Orders » Coupons.
Click on the campaign that you want to assign a variable to.
→ The Settings tab opens.
In the Email template section, select a variable from the drop-down list.
Save () the settings.

9. Selling coupons in your online shop

Before you can sell coupons in your online shop, you need to carry out the following steps:

Create a coupon campaign and set the coupon variety to Multipurpose coupon. For further information, refer to Table 2.
Create a coupon item.
Link the coupon item to your campaign.
Set up a coupon template for the campaign.

If you have created the coupon campaign, proceed as described below to sell vouchers in your online shop.

9.1. Creating a coupon item

Create an item and give it the name Coupon1, for example. Enter a price and a short description. Link this coupon item to a category. Create a separate category for coupons, if required. These parameters are displayed in the online shop just like for any other item.

9.2. Linking the coupon item to a campaign

Linking the campaign to the coupon item is done directly via the variation of the coupon item. To do this, the optional element Coupon campaign must be added to the variation view.

Proceed as described below to add the Coupon campaign element and link the coupon item to the campaign.

Adding the Coupon campaign element:

Go to Item » Items.
Open the coupon item.
Open the main variation.
Click Edit view () in the menu at the top right corner.
→ The edit view opens.
Add the Coupon campaign element to the variation view via drag-and-drop.
Click Save ().
Enter a name for the view, e.g. Coupon view.
Click Create view.
→ The new view is created and opens automatically, i.e. it is applied. It’s now possible to switch between different views.
Click Close edit mode ().

Linking the coupon item to a campaign:

Go to Item » Items.
Open the coupon item.
Open the main variation.
Click the list of views () in the menu at the top right corner.
Select the Coupon view.
Enter the Campaign-ID of the campaign that you would like to link to the coupon item in the Coupon campaign section.
Save () the settings.

9.3. Setting up the coupon template

You can save a coupon template for each campaign. This is done in the Orders » Coupons » Tab: Templates menu in the expandable section Coupon template of a campaign. The template is the background that is displayed on coupons that you create and save as PDF file. In the expandable Coupon layout section, you determine the elements for the coupon as well as the position of the elements.

PDF version

PlentyONE currently supports PDF versions 1.4 and lower.

Setting up the coupon template:

Go to Orders » Coupons.
In the overview, click on the coupon campaign for that you want to edit the template.
Click on the Templates tab.
Expand the Coupon template section ().
Click on Select file next to Document template Upload.
Select the document and click on Open.
Save () the settings.
Tip: A success message is displayed confirming that the file was uploaded. If an error message and no success message is displayed after clicking on Display preview (), contact the support. In some cases, the module for selling coupons may not have been activated in your system.
Expand the Coupon layout section ().
Note: The values that you enter in this section depend on which template you uploaded in which format before. So you have to enter different values for a coupon template in the format A4 than for a coupon template in the format A6.
Select a character set from the drop-down list.
Enter values for the X coordinates (horizontal) and Y coordinates (vertical) as well as for the font sizes.
Save () the settings.
Tip: A success message is displayed confirming that the information was saved. Click on Display preview () to get an idea of what the coupon will look like. Correct the values as needed until you are satisfied with the result.

9.4. Generating coupons

Customers can buy coupons the same way that they buy normal items. Once your customer has purchased the coupon, they can save the coupon texts for the coupon template.

To save an individual text, customers have to click in their My account section in the order history in the order details on Edit coupon. Persons who ordered as a guest can adjust the coupon via the order confirmation page as they do not have an account in your plentyShop. Write a short note in the description of the coupon item to inform your customers and the persons who ordered as a guest.
Furthermore, it is required that you created and linked the order confirmation page in the ShopBuilder.

Once your customer has purchased the coupon, they can edit the coupon text as follows:

Adjusting the coupon text:

Log into the plentyShop.
Open the order with the coupon in the Order history in the My account section of the plentyShop.
Open the Order details below Further actions ().
Click on Edit coupon on the order confirmation page.
Now a Recipient, a Sender as well as Text can be saved.
Then save the coupon.

Note: Only when the customer has paid in full for the coupon is the PDF template made available for download. This can be recognised by the PDF symbol.

By clicking on Generate PDF, the PDF file is generated and the customer can print or save the coupon.

9.5. Automatically sending coupons as PDF attachments

It is useful to send coupons as PDF attachments, e.g. if you offer multipurpose coupons or travel vouchers in your online shop.

If you sell coupons that you do not want to provide as PDF attachments in the My account section, but would rather send via email, use an event procedure to generate and send the coupons. For the email despatch, you need an email template. In the email template, select the type Voucher for the option PDF attachment. The coupon is automatically attached to the email template as a PDF attachment.

Tip: Requirements for sending a coupon with an event procedure

In order that coupon codes can be sent via event procedure, a coupon campaign is required. You have to save the campaign for the item in question using a free text field.

9.5.1. Setting up an email template

Proceed as described in the following to set up an email template for the coupon.

Setting up an email template:

Go to Setup » Client » [Select client] » Email » Templates.
Click on New email template ().
In the New email template window, enter a name for the template, e.g. Travel voucher.
Select an owner or the option All from the drop-down list.
Save () the settings.
→ The email template is created, added to the list and opened.
Select the setting Voucher from the drop-down list PDF attachment.
Click on the Email message tab.
Enter the subject and the content.
Use template variables to add information like the name of the customer.
Important: Do not enter the template variable for coupons $CouponCode because the coupon is to be sent as attachment.
Save () the settings.

9.5.2. Setting up the coupon despatch with an event procedure

Now set up the event procedure for the automatic despatch of coupon templates as described in the following.

Setting up the coupon despatch with an event procedure:

Go to Setup » Orders » Events.
Click on Add event procedure at the bottom left ().
→ The Create new event procedure window opens.
Enter a name.
Select the event as listed in Table 5.
Save () the settings.
→ The event is created.
Carry out further settings according to Table 5.
Select the option Active.
Save () the settings.

Table 5. Event procedure for automatically sending coupon templates
Setting	Option	Selection
Event	Payment > Complete
Filter 1	Order > Order type	Order
Filter 2	Item > Item is included	Enter the item ID.
Procedure 1	Documents > Generate multipurpose coupon	*Note:* This procedure is only carried out for paid orders.
Procedure 2	Order > Change status	Select a status.
Procedure 3	Customer > Send email	Select the email template and the option Customer as recipient.

9.6. Displaying the coupon total on invoices

Each coupon that is sold is displayed as an individual variation on the invoice. To display the sum of redeemed vouchers on invoices, a name has to be entered in the Coupon amount field in the layout of the invoice.