Types of coupons
There are two basic forms of discount. A percentage, like 10% off, works well across all purchases and feels generous on large orders. A fixed amount, like 50 off, is easy to understand and very attractive on small purchases.
Choose based on your goal. If you want to raise the average ticket, combine the discount with a minimum purchase. If you want to attract new customers, a small fixed amount on the first purchase is usually enough.
Coupon ideas that work
The best coupons have a clear purpose and a defined audience. A code for everyone, with no expiration date, ends up used on purchases you would have made anyway. One designed for a specific moment or group generates new sales.
- Welcome: a discount on the first purchase
- Regular customer: an exclusive code for your best buyers
- Win-back: for those who haven't bought in a while
- Seasonal: Mother's Day, Black Friday, Christmas
- Minimum spend: a discount above a certain amount
- Collaboration: a code for a creator's or partner's followers
Protect your margin with clear rules
Before creating a coupon, work out how much you make on your products and how much discount you can give without losing. If your margin is 30%, a 25% discount leaves you almost no profit. Adjust the percentage or add a minimum purchase to compensate.
Use usage limits and expiration dates. A coupon that expires in a week creates urgency, and one with a maximum number of uses prevents uncontrolled sharing.
- Calculate your margin before setting the discount
- Add a minimum purchase amount
- Set an expiration date
- Limit the number of uses
How to create coupons in Vallen
With Vallen's Growth plan you create coupons from your dashboard: choose the code, the discount type, percentage or fixed amount, and optionally a minimum purchase, a usage limit, and an expiration date.
The customer enters the code when ordering and the discount applies to the total automatically. The order reaches you with the code used and the discount itemized, so you know which promotion generated each sale.
How to communicate your coupons
A coupon nobody knows about doesn't sell. Share it in your WhatsApp statuses, your Instagram stories, a direct message to regular customers, or printed on a card inside your orders to encourage the next purchase.
Make the code easy to remember and type: MOM15, COMEBACK10, or THANKS20 work better than random letter combinations.
Measure which coupons work
Check how many times each coupon was used and on which orders. If a code is barely used, maybe the discount wasn't attractive or you didn't communicate it well. If it's used a lot but only on small purchases, raise the minimum.
Over time you'll learn which type of promotion moves your customers most and can repeat it at the right moment.
Well-designed discount coupons attract new customers, bring current ones back, and raise the value of each order. The key is giving them a purpose, clear rules, and measuring results.
Start with a welcome coupon and one for regular customers. With those two you already have a simple, effective strategy.