Promo Codes Guide

This document is a guide to using the “Registration Groups as Promo Codes” module in Certain.

Introduction

The new module is called “Registration Groups as Promo Codes”. Why that name?

Prior to Certain 5.5, many users had been using Certain’s Registration Groups module to handle their requirements for promo codes.

When the new module is enabled, you use Promo Code Wizard to add and edit promo codes in four easy steps. These steps include creating associated fixed or percentage discounts.

New functionality was introduced. The new functionality includes Total Inventory and Availability. Availability determines when a promo code becomes available for use.

Everything is described in this Quick Guide. The Page Help in Certain contains additional detail. Click Help & Support in the top right corner. Then select Page Help.

> Note: Under the hood, the new module still uses Groups and Agenda Items to assign the associated discounts.

Discounts

When creating a promo code in the Promo Code Wizard, you assign one or more discounts to the promo code (in the Discounts step).

They are created as Fee-type agenda items. These discounts also appear under Plan > Event Setup > Agenda.

Enabling the Module

To enable Registration Groups as Promo Codes for an event, go to Plan > Configure > Functional Areas Needed by This Event. Then select that sub-module under the Event Module.

> Important Note: The original “Registration Groups” module and the new “Registration Groups as Promo Codes” module are mutually exclusive. You cannot enable both modules in the same event.

(Similarly, you cannot enable both the “Registration Groups as Promo Codes” and “Rotations” modules in the same event.)

Using the Module

When an attendee registers with a valid promo code, the discount(s) assigned to that code are applied to the attendee fees.

You make discount application possible by adding a Promo Codes section to the registration form. Use the Forms page for this task.

When the module is enabled, a Promo Codes option is available under Plan on the top level navigation bar.

The Promo Codes option takes you to the Promo Code List page. The Promo Code List page displays the list of existing promo codes.

Promo Code List actions

• Search for a promotion by typing any part of a Promo Name or Promo Code in the by name or code text box. The list updates dynamically as you type. The list shows only matching promo codes.
• Edit an existing promotion by clicking the Edit icon in the Actions column. Then use the Promo Code Wizard to modify the promotion.
• Create a new promotion by clicking the Add New button. This launches the Promo Code Wizard.
• View a listed of completed registrations that have used a promo code by clicking the View Registrations icon in the Actions column.
• Export the list of promo codes to Excel by clicking the Excel icon.

Promo Code Wizard

The Promo Code Wizard is where you enter or edit the details of a promo code.

The Promo Code Wizard is displayed when you click Add New to add a promo. The Promo Code Wizard is also displayed when you click edit an existing promo.

The Promo Code Wizard consists of four steps.

1. Overview 2. Discounts 3. Availability 4. Done

When adding a new promo, click Next at the end of each step to continue.

When editing an existing promo, you can skip straight to a step by clicking its name at the top of the wizard.

Overview

Enter the basic details for the promo code.

1. Promo Name. This is a descriptive name for internal use.

2. Promo Code. This is the code used by the attendee when registering. This promo code is unique in the event.

3. Code Inventory. This is the maximum number of times this promo code may be used. The allowed range is up to 999999.

• Default = Unlimited.
• Blank also equates to “Unlimited”.
• Caution: Entering 0 is treated as zero. Entering 0 is treated as zero rather than unlimited.
• Zero inventory would mean the code couldn’t be used at all.

4. Attendee Types. These are the attendee types who can use this promo code.

Discounts

Select or create one or more discounts to be applied when an attendee uses this promo code.

The list of discounts is as per Plan > Event Setup > Agenda. These discounts include fees with negative amounts. These discounts include fees with unlimited inventory.

These discounts include any created in this wizard as custom discounts for promo codes (including the current one).

• Discount Name
• Unique Code
• Select Fixed Discount, and enter the Discount Amount. Or:
• Select Percentage Discount, and enter the Percent (%) figure.

Click Add to List. The discount record is created. The discount record is automatically added to the Discounts field for this promo code.

The discount is created as a Fee-type agenda item. The discount therefore also appears under Plan > Event Setup > Agenda.

Availability

Specify when the promo starts and ends.

The promo is available for use by attendees only during the specified window.

Starts

Select one of the three options for when the promo becomes available.

• Now. The promo becomes available immediately. This is the default.
• Specified Date and Time. Select a Start Date. Or enter the Start Date in mm/dd/yyyy format. Then enter a Start Time. Example Start Time is 8:00 AM.
• Before Event Start Date. Select numbers in the Months, Days, and/or Hours fields. These fields determine at what point before the event’s Start Date the promo becomes available.

Ends

Select one of the three options for when the promo ends.

• When Event Ends. Availability ends on the event’s End Date/Time.
• Specified Date and Time. Select an End Date. Or enter the End Date in mm/dd/yyyy format. Then enter an End Time. Example End Time is 8:00 AM.
• Before Event Start Date. Select numbers in the Months, Days, and/or Hours fields. These fields determine at what point before the event’s Start Date the promo becomes no longer available.

Done

Click Close to close the wizard. Click Create New Promo to add another one.

More Features

Imports

There are options to Import Promo Codes and Import Discounts from .csv files.

The Page Help contains full details.

If you will be importing Promo Codes, you may need to import Discounts first.

The Promo Code import file must specify discount codes that already exist in the event.

> Note: You can update existing Promo Codes by importing a .csv file with Promo Codes that already exist in the event. The same applies to importing discounts to update existing records.

Reports

To report on the use of promo codes, go to Reports/Analyze.

Add a report of type “Registration Groups with Promo Codes”.

The report returns one row per registration. Columns and filters include all Registration Groups as Promo Codes fields.

Forms

To enable attendees to enter a promo code in a registration form, add a Promo Codes Section to the form.

The attendee sees a field in which the attendee can enter a promo code.

You can determine whether the promo code field is a required field. A required field means whether the attendee must enter a promo code.

You can also configure the error messages that attendees may see.

Placement of the Promo Codes section in Online Form Sequence

Place the Promo Codes section in the Online Form Sequence when adding it to the form on the Form Setup page.

1. After the Attendee Type section.

• Promo codes are based on attendee type.
• The Promo Codes form section must come after the Attendee Type section.
• You can put both sections on the same page.
• If Promo Codes was earlier in the sequence, there would be no promo codes available to the attendee.

2. Before the Verify and Payment sections.

• The promo code’s discounts will be applied to the fees.

> Important Note: If a registration with a promo code is edited via a form, changing or re moving the promo code does not remove the discount assigned with the original promo code automatically. The planner must remove the discount on the admin side.

Discounts Assigned via Forms

Two notes about discounts assigned via promo codes.

1. Assigning Discounts

Discounts tied to promo codes are only assigned to a registration when the registrant enters a promo code on an attendee form.

> Warning: If a planner assigns a promo code to a registration via the admin interface, then any associated discounts are not added. The planner must assign the discounts manually.

2. Removing Assigned Discounts

When discounts have been assigned to a registration because they are tied to a promo code, discounts are removed automatically only if the registrant changes the promo code on an attendee form.

> Warning: If a planner changes a registrant’s promo code via the admin interface, that action does not remove the assigned discounts. The planner must remove the discounts manually.

Best Practices

Some suggested best practices are listed below.

• Make the names of discounts self-explanatory. Include the percentage or $ amount. Discount names are what you see when searching for discounts to apply to new promo codes.
• When you have created a discount in the Promo Code Wizard, do not change its inventory by editing it in Plan > Event Setup > Agenda.
• Do not modify the fee expiration date in Plan > Event Setup > Agenda. Making the discount expired means the appropriate discount will not be applied.
• Do not add more than one percentage discount to a promo code.