Easy Coupon Codes

Link: https://support.brilliantdirectories.com/support/solutions/articles/12000032881

Overview

Want to generate more revenue and grow the website community? The Easy Coupon Codes add-on is an incredibly simple way to give members additional discounts when signing up to the website.

Provide the members with percentage-based and dollar-value discount codes and track the usage of all of the active coupon codes. Coupons can even be created with set start and expiration dates!

How To Get This Add-On
Websites with the VIP Add-Ons Club automatically have this add-on available: 
Join The VIP Add-Ons Club
Purchase Individually: Easy Coupon Codes

What can be done with this add-on?

• Track usage to see which codes are converting best.
• Create marketing campaigns with coupon code discounts.
• Increase the reach by distributing coupon codes to affiliate marketers.
• Increase member signups by motivating them to save money using coupon codes.
• Promote the discount codes on coupon sharing websites to increase online visibility.
• Use coupon codes for member upgrades. Free to Paid or Paid --> Paid Memberships.
• Use coupons for one-time purchase as well such as: leads, pay per post, and digital products. 
• Membership plans, choose if it will only work with certain billing cycles: monthly, yearly, semi-annually etc.   

Enabling the Add-On

The coupon codes add-on is found in the admin, under Finance » Coupon Codes: 

NOTE: This tab will appear only if the Coupon codes add-on is active or if the VIP Add-Ons are enabled on the website.  

The status menu (Show All by default) filters the list to Active or Expired coupons, or back to Show All:

To create a coupon, click on the "New Coupon Code" button at the top right: 

It will open the "Add Coupon Code" form:

Enter Coupon Code

Add the name of the coupon:

For example: If it is a Facebook promo code with a 20% off, we do recommend to use a word and number that specify what it is for. 

Type of Discount

There are 3 types of discounts: 

1. Percentage Discount: Ex.10% off, 30% off, 50%.
   
   
2. Fixed Value: $10 discount, $30 discount, $50 discount, $95 discount.
    
3. Price Override: The amount entered will override the membership price. 

Enter Value of Discount

In this field, type the percentage, value or new price for the coupon. This will work with the type of discount that was selected in the Type of Discount setting.

** For percent-based discounts, enter value between 0 and 100. **

Maximum Uses

Enter 0 to allow unlimited uses. A number greater than 0 limits how many times the code can be used. Every order placed with the code counts as a use as soon as it is placed, including a free-trial signup that has not been paid yet.

EG to allow only 5 people to use the coupon, enter 5. After the 5th use, the code is no longer accepted at checkout.

When a Code Stops Working During an Upgrade

A coupon code is checked again when the member submits the order. On an upgrade, if the code has expired, has reached its Maximum Uses (EG another member used the last use first) or no longer applies to the chosen plan or billing cycle, the upgrade is not completed. The member sees the message Invalid or expired promo code., nothing is charged and the member stays on the current plan. The order summary can still show the discounted total behind the message, so the member removes the code (or enters a valid one) and submits the order again.

Coupon Code Start Date

The start date will only apply for Coupons. So leave it blank and the coupon can be used right away. If a date is added, the coupon can only be used after that date. 

NOTE: This setting does not control the start date of the order itself. **

Expiration Date

The expiration date will only apply for Coupons. If this setting is left blank the coupon will not expire. If a date is added, the coupon will expire on that specific date. 

NOTE: This setting does not control the expiration date of the order itself. **

What Can This Code Be Used For?

There are 4 options:

1. Sign Ups & Upgrades
   
   Select which paid plans and billing cycles this code works with.

   

2. Lead Purchases
   
   Select which plans can use this code for lead purchases.

   

3. Digital Products
   
   Select which plans can use this code for digital product purchases.

   

4. Pay-Per-Post
   
   Select which plans can use this code for pay-per-post purchases, per post type.

   

For one-time purchases, the member clicks Have a Promo Code? in the Review Order window, enters the code and clicks Apply. The discount shows as Promo Discount in the order total:

When Can This Code Be Used?

Choose Sign Ups & Upgrades, New Sign Ups Only or Upgrades Only. Upgrades cover both Free to Paid and Paid to Paid membership changes.

Keep in mind that existing members cannot use codes that are only for NEW SIGN UPS.

Apply to Recurring Payments?

If YES, applies a discount to all recurring payments.

If NO, only applies a discount to the first payment.

Example: 

1. To give them a permanent discount of 30%, choose: Yes. 
2. To apply the discount only for the first payment, choose: No.  

NOTE: There is no way to give them 2 months off when the system takes the payments automatically.  If the admin wants to do something like it should be done manually. The order will need to be stopped after the 2nd month and then a new order will need to be created with the full price. 

Require Credit Card When $0.00?

If set to YES (YES - Require Card), the credit card fields still show when the code brings the checkout total to 0.00: 

If set to NO (NO - Hide Credit Card Fields), the credit card fields are hidden when the code brings the checkout total to 0.00, so the signup completes without billing information.

Select Billing Cycles This Code Will Work With:

Select Membership Plans This Code Will Work With: 

In this section, select the Membership plans that the coupon code to work with.

• If the coupon code needs to work with ALL products, leave all UNCHECKED.
• If the coupon code needs to ONLY work with one of them, please check it.  

Internal Admin Notes

In this section, add any notes related to the coupon.

Ex: 30% OFF Facebook Code. 

Adding the Coupon in the URL

It is also possible to automatically include the coupon code in the signup URL. 

The format is the following: 

domain/checkout/membership_plan_url/?refcode=name of the coupon.

Example: https://bd-documentation.directoryup.com/checkout/2/?refcode=SPRING25 (1). The code is applied in the promo code box as soon as the page opens (2).

Usage Tracking

The Usage column shows two numbers for each coupon:

• Used is the number of times the code has been used to place an order. This is the count that checkout checks against Maximum Uses, so an order counts as soon as it is placed, including a free-trial signup that has not been paid yet.
• Max Uses is the limit set in Maximum Uses, or Unlimited when it is 0.

When Used reaches Max Uses, a Limit Reached label appears under the numbers, and checkout no longer accepts the code. In this example, LAUNCH50 allows one use and was used once for a free-trial signup, so it shows Used: 1 Time and Limit Reached.

Click Used to open Finance » Search Subscriptions in a new tab, filtered by that coupon code (1). It lists every subscription the code was used on, and each one shows the code next to its price (2).

Revenue

The Revenue column shows Applied Invoices, the number of paid invoices that include the code, and below it the total amount of those paid invoices.

Applied Invoices is counted separately from Used, so the two numbers can differ. An order that has not been paid yet, such as a free trial, counts as a use but not as an applied invoice. A recurring discount adds an applied invoice each time a renewal is paid, without adding a use. In this example, LAUNCH50 shows Applied Invoices: 0 because its free trial has not been paid, while SPRING25 has one paid invoice of 149.99.

Click Applied Invoices to open Finance » Transaction History in a new tab, filtered by that coupon code (1) and showing the Payments Received tab (2). Each invoice there shows the code under its product (3).

IMPORTANT NOTES:

• We recommend displaying only the monthly or yearly membership levels while using coupon codes because if the member uses the coupon code for 100% off the first time in a yearly membership, they will get a free year.  
  
  
• If Only visible when manually creating subscription within admin area? is ticked for every price of a membership plan (2), so no payment option is available at signup, the system uses the plan's Preferred Payment Term (1):

When a member applies a coupon code, a message appears below the promo code box saying whether the discount applies to every payment or only to the first one.

NOTE: The Order Summary needs to be enabled in the Membership Plan settings for the Promo Code field to display in the checkout page for that plan.

These messages are Text Labels and the admin can edit them under Settings » Text Labels:

NOTE: The text label will be displayed depending on the type of discount (Selected in step 2 above).

• Use Non-Recurring Help Text Label and Recurring Help Text Label for:
  
  » Percentage Discounts and Fixed Value promo codes.
  
  
• Use Promo Code Override Recurring Label and Promo Code Override Non-Recurring Label for:
  
  » Price Override promo codes.
  
  
• Use Promocode One Time Help Text Label when the code is applied to a one-time payment (a plan billed One Time). The label fills in the discount amount automatically.

In Finance » Transaction History, each invoice paid with a coupon shows Coupon Code: <code> under the product. The link opens that coupon in Finance » Coupon Codes:

Who is this for?

The Easy Coupon Codes add-on is for website owners and businesses who are ready to drive sales and increase conversions. 

This is the add-on is perfect if the answer is “Yes” to at least one of the following questions:

• Do you want more members to join your website?
• Do you want to generate more revenue from paying members?
• Do you want to increase your brand’s online visibility?
• Do you want a strategic tool to help market your website?
• Do you want to track conversions from affiliate partners?