Coupon codes

A coupon code is a discount for people who have the code — past guests you'd like back, your newsletter list, a local business you partner with, or a radio promotion. Unlike a special, which applies itself to every eligible guest, a coupon only rewards the guests you've reached: everyone else pays full price.

Creating a code

1. Open Distribution → Booking Engine and go to the Coupons tab.
2. Create the coupon: the code itself, the discount it gives, and a cap on how many times it can be used if you want one.
3. Save, then share the code wherever it suits — an email, a flyer, a partner's website.

You can edit or deactivate a code from the same list at any time. Deactivating stops any new use immediately, but keeps the record of bookings that already used it, so your history stays complete.

How guests apply a code

At checkout on your booking page there's a field for a coupon code. The guest enters it, the discount comes off, and the total updates before they pay — so they see exactly what the code saved them. A code that isn't valid, or has already reached its use limit, is simply declined; the guest can fix a typo or continue at full price.

Use limits are enforced strictly. Once a code has been used its allotted number of times, no further booking can slip through with it — even two guests checking out at the same moment can't oversell it.

Where the discount shows

The booking is saved with the discounted total — the amount the guest actually paid — so what you see on the calendar, in your reports and in your accounting all matches the money that arrived. If the stay also qualified for a special, the coupon stacks on top: the special's discount comes off first, then the coupon comes off the reduced price.

If you run a deposit policy, the deposit is worked out on the discounted total too, so a couponed guest isn't asked to front more than their share.

Troubleshooting

A guest says their code doesn't work

Check three things on the Coupons tab: the code is still active, it hasn't reached its use limit, and the guest is typing it exactly. A declined code is almost always one of those three.

Can guests use a coupon on top of a special?

Yes. The special applies automatically first, and the coupon comes off the discounted price. Bear that in mind when setting generous codes — the two savings combine.

Can I retire a code without losing its history?

Yes — deactivate it rather than deleting. New uses stop straight away and past bookings keep their record.