---
title: Coupons and Discounts
description: A coupon is a code a customer types at checkout to reduce the total. RackHelm coupons can be a fixed amount or a percentage, can be limited by date and by number of uses, and can be restricted to particular…
url: "https://rackhelm.com/documentation/coupons-and-discounts/"
updated: "2026-09-24"
category: "Products & Catalogue"
---

# Coupons and Discounts

A coupon is a code a customer types at checkout to reduce the total. RackHelm coupons can be a fixed amount or a percentage, can be limited by date and by number of uses, and can be restricted to particular groups, products, billing cycles or add-ons. This article is for operators.

## Before you start

> **Note:** Requires the `manage_coupons` permission, which the built-in **Billing Manager** role holds by default alongside Super Admin and Administrator. See [Roles & Permissions](/docs/roles-and-permissions/).

## The Coupons screen

Open **Billing → Coupons** (`/admin/coupons`). The list shows the coupon name, its code, the discount, whether it is marked recurring, a live validity status and a uses counter in the form `3 / 100` (or `3 / ∞` when unlimited).

![The Coupons list showing name, code, discount, recurring flag, status and uses](/wp-content/uploads/rackhelm-docs/catalogue-coupons-index.png)
The **Status** column is computed live: a coupon reads "Inactive/Expired" if it is switched off, out of uses, or outside its date window.

## Creating a coupon

1. Click **Create Coupon**.
2. Give it a **Name** (for your reference) and a **Code** (what the customer types). The code must be unique.
3. Pick a **Discount Type** and enter the **Discount Value**.
4. Set any limits: **Quantity Limit**, start date, expiry.
5. Decide what it applies to — everything, or a restricted set.
6. Click **Create Coupon**. New coupons are always created active.

![The Create Coupon form showing discount type and value, limits, the global switch and the four restriction multi-selects](/wp-content/uploads/rackhelm-docs/catalogue-coupon-form.png)
Switching **Apply to ALL Products & Addons** on hides the four restriction selectors; switching **Recurring Discount** on reveals the duration box.

## Field reference

| Field | Rules and effect |
| --- | --- |
| **Name** | Required, up to 255 characters. Internal label only. |
| **Code** | Required, up to 50 characters, unique. Typed into the **Promo Code** box at checkout. The input renders in upper case. |
| **Discount Type** | Required. **Fixed Amount (£)** or **Percentage (%)**. |
| **Discount Value** | Required, numeric, at least 0. When the type is percentage it may not exceed 100. |
| **Quantity Limit (Optional)** | Optional whole number, minimum 1. Blank means unlimited. Once the use count reaches this figure the coupon stops validating. |
| **Start Date** | Optional date and time. Before it, the coupon is rejected. |
| **Expiration Date** | Optional date and time; must be on or after the start date. After it, the coupon is rejected. |
| **Recurring Discount (Subscriptions)** | See the warning below. |
| **Duration (Months)** | Only shown when Recurring is on. Optional whole number, minimum 1. See the warning below. |
| **Apply to ALL Products & Addons (Global)** | When on, the coupon has no restrictions and any existing ones are cleared on save. |
| **Apply discount to Setup Fees** | Defaults to on. When off, setup fees are excluded from the discountable amount. |
| **Apply discount to Addons** | Defaults to on. When off, add-on lines are excluded from the discountable amount. |
| **Restrict to Groups / Products / Billing Cycles / Addons** | Four multi-selects. Leaving one empty means "no restriction on this dimension". |
| **Coupon Active** | Only present on the edit form. Untick to switch a coupon off without deleting it. |

> **Warning:** **Recurring Discount** and **Duration (Months)** are stored and displayed in the coupon list, but no part of the billing pipeline reads them — renewal invoices are generated from the product's own pricing. A coupon discounts the checkout it is used on, once. Do not promise customers "20% off for six months" on the strength of these two fields.

## How a discount is worked out

Discounting runs line by line over the cart. A line qualifies only if it passes all three restriction checks:

- **Group** — either no groups are listed, or the line's product is in one of them.
- **Billing cycle** — either no cycles are listed, or the line's chosen cycle is one of them. A line with no billing cycle can never match a cycle-restricted coupon.
- **Product** — either no products are listed, or the line's product is one of them.

For a qualifying line, RackHelm then decides what part of it is discountable:

| What you restricted | Base price discounted? | Add-ons discounted? |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Nothing (or Global) | Yes | Yes, if **Apply to Addons** is on |
| Products and/or groups | Yes | Yes, if **Apply to Addons** is on |
| Add-ons only | **No** | Only the listed add-ons |
| Products/groups *and* add-ons | Yes | Only the listed add-ons |

Setup fees are added to the discountable amount for whichever parts qualify, provided **Apply discount to Setup Fees** is on.

Finally the discount is applied:

- **Percentage** — each qualifying line is reduced by that percentage of its discountable amount, capped at the amount itself.
- **Fixed amount** — the amount is a single pot spread across qualifying lines in cart order until it is exhausted. A £20 coupon against a £12 line and a £15 line takes £12 from the first and £8 from the second.

The order total is never driven below zero.

> **Tip:** An "add-ons only" coupon deliberately leaves the base product at full price. If you want the whole line discounted *and* want to name particular add-ons, list the products or groups as well.

## How customers redeem a coupon

The **Promo Code** box sits at the top of the order summary on the checkout page. Applying a code stores it against the customer's session and re-prices the cart; an applied code shows an **APPLIED** badge with a remove button. An invalid or expired code is rejected with "Invalid or expired coupon code."

The coupon is re-validated when the order is actually placed, and its use count is incremented in a single guarded update. If two customers race for the last use of a limited coupon, one of them is stopped with "Coupon has reached its maximum usage limit." rather than both succeeding. On a successful order the code is cleared from the session.

## Editing and deleting

Editing works the same as creating, plus the **Coupon Active** switch. Turning **Global** on while saving clears every restriction the coupon had. Deleting removes the coupon outright; prefer switching it inactive if it has already been redeemed, so the record survives.

## Troubleshooting

| Symptom | Cause and fix |
| --- | --- |
| "Invalid or expired coupon code." | One of four things: the code does not exist, **Coupon Active** is off, the use limit is reached, or the current time is outside the start/expiry window. |
| The code is accepted but the total does not change. | No cart line qualified. Check the four restriction selectors — remember that a cycle restriction excludes lines with no billing cycle, and that an add-ons-only restriction never discounts the base product. |
| A percentage coupon discounts less than expected. | Setup fees or add-ons are excluded because **Apply discount to Setup Fees** or **Apply discount to Addons** is off. |
| A fixed-amount coupon is only partly used. | Fixed amounts are capped at the discountable value of the qualifying lines. A £50 coupon on a £30 cart discounts £30. |
| Restrictions disappeared after saving. | **Apply to ALL Products & Addons (Global)** was left on. Saving with it on detaches every restriction. |
| The discount does not repeat on renewal. | Expected. Recurring and duration are stored but not applied — see the warning above. To give an ongoing reduction, price a dedicated product or cycle instead. |
| "Coupon has reached its maximum usage limit." during checkout. | The last use went to another customer between the code being applied and the order being placed. Raise the uses limit or issue a new code. |
| Credit top-ups are not discounted. | Deliberate — a "Credit Deposit" line is skipped by the discount pass so coupons cannot be used to buy account credit cheaply. |