Running promotions and discounts

Sometimes you want to give customers a break. Maybe it is a slow month and you need to fill runs. Maybe you want to reward repeat customers. Maybe you are running a Facebook ad and need a promo code to track where the leads came from.

Petsoft supports a few different types of discounts. Each one works a little differently.

One-time promo codes

These are codes like "WELCOME20" or "SUMMER2024" that a customer types in during checkout. The system applies a fixed dollar amount or a percentage off the total bill.

To create one, go to Marketing > Campaigns or Facility > Promo Codes depending on your setup. Click New Promo Code and set:

• The code text (what the customer types)
• The discount amount or percentage
• Which services it applies to
• An expiration date
• How many times it can be used (total or per customer)

If you set a limit of one use per customer, the system tracks it by email address. A customer cannot create multiple accounts to reuse the code.

Daycare coupon packs

Some facilities sell prepaid daycare days at a discount. For example, buy ten days and get two free. In Petsoft, these are called coupon packs.

Go to Facility > Daycare Coupons to set them up. You define the pack size, the price, and which daycare services it covers.

When a customer buys a pack through the portal or at the front desk, the system creates a coupon on their account. Each time they book daycare, one day gets deducted automatically. You can see their remaining balance on their profile.

Store credit

Store credit is different from a promo code. It lives on the customer's account and gets applied automatically to their next invoice. You might give store credit as a refund alternative, or as compensation for a bad experience.

To add store credit, open the customer profile, go to the Billing tab, and click Add Credit. Enter the amount and a note explaining why. The credit will apply to their next checkout unless you specify otherwise.

Tracking what works

Not every promotion pays for itself. Petsoft tracks promo code usage so you can see which ones actually drove bookings.

Go to Reports > Promo Code Utilization to see:

• How many times each code was used
• The total discount amount given
• The revenue generated from bookings that used the code

If you ran a "20% off grooming" code and only three people used it, you know that either the code was not visible enough or your customers are not price sensitive about grooming.

Combining discounts

By default, Petsoft only allows one discount per invoice. If a customer has store credit and tries to use a promo code, they have to pick one. You can change this rule in your organization settings if you want to let customers stack discounts.

We usually recommend keeping the one-discount rule. It protects your margins and keeps the math simple at checkout.

Expired and invalid codes

When a customer tries to use an expired code, they get a clear message: "This code has expired." If they try to use a code that does not apply to the service they are booking, the message says: "This code does not apply to the selected service."

Your front desk staff should know these messages so they can explain them to customers who are confused at checkout.

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Discount type comparison

Feature	One-time promo code	Daycare coupon pack	Store credit
How it's redeemed	Typed at checkout	Auto-deducted per booking	Auto-applied to next invoice
Discount type	Percentage or fixed amount	Prepaid day bundle	Fixed dollar amount
Expiration	Set by you	No expiration	No expiration
Usage limit	Total or per customer	Pack size	Until balance is zero
Best used for	Attracting new customers, seasonal promos	Rewarding regular daycare clients	Refunds, goodwill gestures

Promo code lifecycle

Stacking rules matrix

Scenario	Default behavior	If stacking is enabled
Store credit + promo code	Customer must pick one	Both discounts apply
Promo code + coupon pack	Customer must pick one	Both discounts apply
Two promo codes	Only one allowed	Only one allowed

tip

We recommend keeping the default one-discount rule to protect your margins and keep checkout math simple.