Promo codes can be a vital lever for your business growth. In fact, for B2B and B2C enterprises, coupon codes can be an ideal strategy for moving your firm to a more significant financial level. However, if mishandled, they can cause some unanticipated losses to your business. This applies to both the business owners and consumers. That is where coupon restrictions have found their relevance.
So, restrictions are already in place to ensure smooth use of coupon deals. Here are numerous ways in which coupon can be created and controlled. Once again, the restrictions apply to both the seller and the buyer.
- New Customer Restriction
Some promo codes can be enabled for only new customers. In this case, a new customer is the one who is yet to complete an order on the site or a customer whose first order is still in progress. In progress means the order is being processed. Also, clients with active accounts but no completed orders can be considered new.
- Existing Clients
A company may decide to use this strategy to motivate their repeat customers by enabling coupons just for them. This means that the promo codes won’t apply to new customers. It will only apply to those who have completed orders with the enterprise before.
- Location
This will apply to countries your shop sells to. Here, one can choose country restriction, zip code restriction or both of them. For instance, as a customer, when an item that is free shipping is offered and your country is restricted, you can’t enjoy that privilege.
- Manufacturer’s Coupon
A manufacturer’s coupon must have a code that can be scanned plus a remit address printed on it. And they should also have expiration dates or a ‘No Expiration Date’ note on the coupon.
- One Coupon at a Time
Some items may have like two promo codes. In this case, you can only use one of them for one thing. Get this right. For example, you can buy an item with two; $0.5 off discount. Here, you can only get that discount for one item. If you want to get both, you must buy another item (and the same brand).
- Promo Days
In some stores which offer discounts on specific days, for instance, Friday, you can only access that discount during that day. If you come on a Thursday, you won’t benefit from it.
- New arrivals Versus Final Sale
If a promo code promises a 30% discount on new arrivals, that amount will apply to the products on final sale. It’s restricted to the new items only. And never can it be applied to prior purchases. So, you cannot claim a discount if you had bought a piece last week, but the promotion began this week on a Tuesday.
- Several Products Plan
Restricting a coupon to multiple products or components is possible. If you fail to restrict the coupon, it will apply to any product which belongs to the same family.
- Expiration of Coupons
Most coupon codes that are dated expire at exactly 11:59 p.m. Past that time, it becomes invalid. It cannot be applied to the product.
Bottom-line
If you’re a retailer or a seller, you’ve seen how most coupon code restrictions work. The limitations that accompany the promo codes are well elaborated above. So, always be extra vigilant when it comes to coupons. Coupons can be a great marketing strategy for your business if you understand them wisely.
It’s good you’ve learned that they might not apply after expiration dates, they can only be enjoyed during the selected days, and if a particular company does not offer free shipping to your country, you’re required to cater for the delivery. So, it’s advisable to keep in the loop with current coupon news so that you can benefit from them when they’re applicable.