When I say different types of coupons, I do not mean to classify them based on their appearance.
Here, I’m talking about the different coupon types an e-commerce store provides to its customers – percentage discount coupons, BOGO coupons, gift card coupons and more.
Each coupon type serves different users. Those seeking cost savings may prefer percentage discount coupons, while gift cards may appeal to employers, and so forth.
Running different types of coupons will also help you gain a better knowledge of what your customers are actually buying and their preferences.
In this blog, we’ll discuss the most widely used ecommerce coupons you can implement on your online store.
Coupon code ideas for the coupon types
Some of the solutions will auto generate coupon promo codes for the different coupon types.
But it is advisable to use coupon codes that match a particular event or campaign. For example, discount coupon code ideas can be DISCOUNT10, DISC15, SALE20.
For Black Cyber season, you can use BFCM30, BLACKFRIDAY2024, etc.
Refer to these coupon codes examples to have the perfect discount code ideas for different occasions.
24 types of coupons with examples and who can better use them
You may use any ecommerce platform, these types of coupons will work like a charm.
But if you are using WooCommerce, you can easily set up all these coupon types with Smart Coupons, an all-in-one and best-selling coupons plugin on the Woo marketplace.
Smart Coupons will also save you $500+ from spending on multiple plugins.
Let’s delve into the coupon types.
Percentage discount coupon
The most common and day savior when sales are low. Customers get a percentage off the total order value. For example, enjoy a 20% discount on your entire purchase.
Best suited for: General promotions like storewide sale to appeal to a wider customer base.
You can also use an action bar to display the coupon code sitewide.
Fixed cart discount coupons
The fixed cart discount coupons provide a fixed monetary discount on the entire shopping cart. For example, save $15 on your order total.
Best suited for: Encouraging higher order purchases.
Fixed product discount coupon
As the name suggests, this coupon allows customers to save on specific products. Get $10 off on branded Chocolate box using coupon code Choc5.
Best suited for: Targeting specific items for promotion, boosting their sales.
Note – Percentage discount, fixed cart discount and fixed product discount coupons are available with core WooCommerce. But using Smart Coupons, you can add advanced restrictions to them for better targeting and sales.
Automatic coupons / Auto-apply coupons
Coupons applied automatically at checkout without customer input.
Best suited for: Almost all applications.
In fact, you can set all coupon types to auto-apply with Smart Coupons.
Gift cards
Gift cards are very flexible. You can send gift cards to your customers on their birthdays or allow customers to purchase them from your store.
These customers can use these gift cards to:
- Make purchases on your store.
- Send it to their loved ones who can then redeem them on your store.
Gift card examples:
- Allow customers to purchase fixed denomination gift cards – $5, $10, $20, $50.
- Allow customers to purchase a gift card of any value – $3, $5, $9, $29…
- Sell a fixed amount gift card worth $19.
- Sell gift cards at a discount, $50 gift card for $40.
Best suited for: Increasing customer loyalty, and encouraging repeat purchases.
BOGO coupons
Buy one get one free, buy one get one at a discount…you can run hundreds of BOGO offers on the same or different products.
For example:
- Buy 1 T-shirt, get another for free
- Buy 1 perfume, get another at 50% off
- Buy 1 mobile and get bluetooth headset for free
Best suited for: Promoting related products and clearing out inventory.
Here’s to create a WooCommerce BOGO coupon
Store credits
Store credits provide customers with a credit amount they can use for future purchases on your store. Store credits are mostly provided when a customer asks for a refund.
Example – When a customer asks for a $99 refund for product related issues, you offer them store credit worth $99 instead of giving the refund.
Best suited for: Retaining customers and compensating for a poor customer experience.
Here’s how to issue store credit for a refund
Instant cashback coupons
Cashback coupon is also a store credit but when you provide it instantly on any product purchase with an urgency, customers will make a purchase again before it expires.
For example, get $50 cashback if you purchase a laptop today.
Best suited for: Food delivery sites and online payments for daily necessities where customers spend more and more.
Free shipping for one year coupon (Amazon Prime based)
This is a very smart benefit you get if you use Smart Coupons.
You can create an Amazon-Prime inspired service in WooCommerce, thus allowing a one-year free shipping for customers.
This can drastically reduce abandonment rate for physical products.
Best suited for: Customers who make frequent purchases, customers who abandon the cart just due to shipping charges, and price-savvy customers.
Bulk purchase or Quantity discount coupon
Offers discounts based on the quantity of items purchased.
Some widely used bulk discount / volume discount examples:
- Buy any 5 items and get 10% off.
- Apply a 15% off coupon only when there are five T-shirts in the cart.
- Apply a flat $10 off coupon if the number of products from the stationary category is above ten.
- Offer 40% off if there are 2000 or more fasteners in the cart.
- Buy up to 50 items, get 5% off…buy items above 50 but less than 100, get 10% off…buy items above 100 and get 20% off…(this tiered type of pricing will require three separate coupons).
Best suited for: Businesses selling products in bulk; encourages customers to buy in larger quantities, increasing the average order value.
Maximum discount limit coupon
You want to attract customers with huge discounts but also don’t want to hurt your profits. For example, get 70% off up to $50.
Best suited for: Travel and tourism industries, where you can encourage people to book flights, hotels, cabs and more by offering heavy discounts up to a certain limit.
Subscription coupons
Provides discounts for subscription-based services or products. For example, get 10% off for every renewal till 12 months for all courses from the Marketing category.
Best suited for: Subscription-based businesses like plugins, analytics solutions, streaming services, etc. to incentivize customers to commit to regular purchases.
Note – The subscription-based discount is provided by the WooCommerce Subscriptions plugin.
Free gift with purchase
This is also like a buy one get one offer wherein you offer a complimentary item (free gift) with a purchase.
For example, receive a free duffle bag on booking a stay at the resort. Or get cap + sunglasses on purchase of a hoodie.
Best suited for: Bookings, promotions and events. You increase the perceived value of the product/service and also give visibility to your other products.
Location based coupon
Targets customers in specific geographic locations with special offers.
Example: 10% off only to customers in the US on 4th of July.
Best suited for: Digital goods seller looking for conversions from specific loyal users.
Payment method based coupon
Provides discounts for using a specific payment method.
Example: Pay with either PayPal or Stripe only for new subscription sign-up and renewals.
Best suited for: Businesses promoting specific payment options and also to avoid frauds in certain locations.
User role based coupon
Offers discounts based on user roles.
Example – 10% off only to Subscribers.
Best suited for: Businesses to get sales from new and returning customers.
Affiliate coupons
Provides unique discounts for customers referred by affiliates.
Example – Chris, an affiliate can use chris15 in the referral URL, clicking on which the affiliate coupon will be auto-applied for the customer and Chris will get the desired commission.
Best suited for: Businesses with affiliate marketing programs.
URL coupons
URL coupons get auto-applied when the URL is clicked.
For example – https://www.fashionworld.com/product/specialshirt/?coupon-code=seasonsale15.
Best suited for: Targeted promotions for specific marketing channels like social media or emails during new product launches or sale season.
Next order coupons
Offers discounts for the customer’s next purchase.
Example: Receive a 10% off coupon for your next purchase with this order.
Best suited for: Encouraging repeat purchases and building long-term customer relationships.
Cart abandonment recovery coupons
Provides discounts to customers who abandoned their shopping carts.
Example: Complete your purchase using code COMEBACK5 to avail 5% off.
Best suited for: E-commerce businesses combating cart abandonment, and encouraging customers to complete their purchase.
Schedule coupons
Coupons activated at specific dates or times. In case someone forgets to send it at the appropriate time, the scheduling feature will save them.
Example: Your customers who purchase coupons/gift cards from your store on 10th of Dec can schedule them to reach their friends’ inboxes on 24th of Dec.
Best suited for: Christmas
Time sensitive coupons
Time-sensitive coupons have an expiration date, creating a sense of urgency for customers to make a purchase within a specified timeframe.
It encourages prompt action and can be effective in driving immediate sales. It also adds an element of exclusivity.
Example: “Flash sale! Use code FLASH20 for 24 hours to get 20% off your entire order”.
Watch the video to see how to create a flash sale offer in WooCommerce.
Best suited for: Businesses looking to boost sales during specific periods, promote events, or create excitement around limited-time offers using flash sales.
Welcome coupons / New users coupon
Welcome coupons are designed for new customers, providing them with a discount or special offer when they make their first purchase.
It attracts and incentivizes first-time customers, helping to convert them into loyal shoppers.
Example: “Welcome to our store! Enjoy 15% off your first order with code NEW15.”
Best suited for: Businesses aiming to increase their customer base and making a positive first impression.
Multiple-use coupons
Allow specific customers to use more than one coupon in your store.
Why to use: Widens the reach of promotions, encouraging more people to take advantage of the offer without restrictions on the number of users.
Example: 10% sitewide discount to all users in the US + additional 10% discount.
Best suited for: General promotions targeting loyal customer base to make a purchase again.
Utilizing a combination of all these coupon types can contribute to a well-rounded and impactful promotional campaign.
Conclusion
Each of these coupon types serve a specific purpose in marketing strategy, and the effectiveness depends on the goals of the business and the preferences of the target audience.
Better to experiment as to what works best for your business.
But make sure, gift cards, BOGO, cart recovery, store credits, and free shipping coupon should be there for regular conversions. Extra conversions are always a Bonus!
And you won’t need tens of plugins to do it. Smart Coupons will get the job done for your WooCommerce store, at a far better price.