New promotion types: Amount-based discount and Combination discount

We've added two new automatic discount types to Shoporama's promotions module. Both have been created for the same reason: merchants are looking for more ways to reward customers without having to provide a discount code. They are triggered all by themselves as soon as the basket matches the conditions.

Along with the three existing types (fixed price, cheapest free, and percentage discount), you now have five ways to create automatic promotions in Shoporama. Read on to see when to choose what.

Amount-based discount (threshold)

The amount-based discount is triggered when the customer has purchased a certain amount. You specify two things: how high the basket amount should be and how many percent discount should be deducted. The amount is compared including VAT, exactly as the customer sees the basket in the store.

You can target the threshold to the entire basket or only certain products, categories, and landing pages. If you don't select anything, the promotion applies to the entire basket.

Three concrete examples

• "Buy at least $500 and get 10% off everything from the Fashion category" - target the campaign to the Fashion category, set the threshold to 500 and the percentage to 10.
• "Buy $500 more and get 15% off your entire basket" - without product targeting, the discount applies to all items. Good for pushing up the basket amount.
• "Spend £1,000 on wines, get 20% off" - target one category with a high threshold to reward real big spenders.

Practical tips

• Turn on Exclude sale items if you don't want to discount items that are already discounted.
• Test the threshold on a small group of items first. It's quicker to adjust than undoing a whole-shop promotion.
• Set an expiration date if the promotion is a short-burst promotion, such as Black Friday or January sales.

Combination discount (buy A, get a discount on B)

Combination discount consists of two lists: a trigger item that the customer must buy and one or more discounted items that are then discounted. Both lists can be specific products or entire categories. When the customer adds something from the trigger list to the cart, the discount is automatically applied to the discounted items.

The two lists must not overlap. The system automatically checks this both when you save the campaign and when the basket is calculated, so a product can never be both a trigger and a discount item at the same time.

Four strong use cases

• Accessory cross-sell: trigger item is a scooter, discount item is the Helmets category. If the customer buys a scooter, the helmet price drops 25%. Promote it on the scooter page.
• Boost slow-movers: trigger item is your bestseller category, discount item is the outlet category. Sell what people want and give a carrot to pick up the dust collectors.
• Seasonal combination: trigger item is Christmas gift ribbon, discount item is Christmas gift wrapping. Classic product pairing that the customer will use together anyway.
• Business and B2B: trigger item is a machine, discount item is the Spare Parts category. Sell the machine at normal price and entice the customer to add spare parts to the basket immediately.

Practical tips

• Set the percentage higher than usual. Make the customer feel that it's worth adding the extra item to the basket.
• Use categories as discount items so that new products are automatically included without maintenance.
• Turn on Exclude sale items so you don't double discount items that are already discounted.

Which type should you choose?

How to create a campaign

Both new types are created in the same place as existing ones:

1. Go to Products and select Promotions
2. Click Create new campaign and give it a name
3. Select Amount-based discount or Combination discount in the Pricing model field
4. For Threshold: fill in Buy for least and Percentage discount. For combo: fill in Percentage discount and select trigger items and discount items
5. Optionally set an expiration date and click Save

Read more in the general article about promotions in Shoporama.

Frequently asked questions

Does the customer need to enter a code to get the discount?

No, they don't. Both types are automatic. As soon as the basket fulfills the conditions, the discount is deducted at checkout. The customer does not need a code or button.

Is the threshold amount including or excluding VAT?

Including VAT. The amount you enter is the same amount the customer sees in the basket, so it's easy to communicate ("Buy $500 and save $50"). This applies regardless of whether your shop displays prices incl. or excl. VAT in the rest of the store.

Can I run multiple campaigns at the same time?

Yes, you can. Both new types can be stacked with your existing campaigns. Each campaign is calculated separately and the discount is applied to the relevant lines in the cart. However, be careful that a customer doesn't end up with a 70% discount because three campaigns are stacked - consider enabling Exclude sale items on the weakest layers.

What happens if a product is both a trigger and a discount item?

This can't happen. The system blocks overlaps, both when you save the campaign and when the basket is calculated. If your trigger field and discount item field point to the same product (e.g. via a shared category), that product will be skipped in the discount list and will only be seen as a trigger.

What do I do if the promotion is not triggered in the cart?

Check three things. Is the promotion active (not expired)? Is the basket amount including VAT above the threshold? If you've enabled Exclude sale items, items on sale will not count towards the qualifying total. Add a regular item to the cart and test again.

Where do I see how many orders the discount has triggered?

Go to the campaign overview in the admin. For each campaign, you'll see how many orders have used it. Click on the number to open the list and see the specific orders you can analyze.

What does the discount look like in the accounts?

When orders are exported to e-conomic, Billy, or other accounting systems, the promotion discount appears as a separate discount line on the invoice. This makes it easy to see how much promotional discount has been given for a period, and VAT is calculated correctly on the net amount.

Can I use the promotions together with a discount code?

Yes, you can. The promotion applies to the products you have selected and the discount code can be used on the other items in the cart. If you want to allow double discounts on the same item, enable Can be combined with promotions on the discount code.

Does it affect my existing promotions?

No, it won't. Fixed price, cheapest free, and percentage discount will continue exactly as before. The two new types are additions, not replacements.

Get started

Log in to the admin, go to Products " Promotions and try both types on a test campaign with a short expiration date. That way you can get your hands on them risk-free before rolling them out full-scale.

Questions, requests, or a specific campaign idea you can't make work? Write to us at support@shoporama.dk and we'll help you get started.