Setting up Online Promotional Codes

Overview

Zaui provides you with the ability to create Online Promotional Codes to help you drive new or repeat online business. Note that in Zaui, Promo Code discounts are always applied to the sub-total of a booking, taxes and fees are then applied. 

 Promo Codes are set-up for use by customers on the Online Booking Engine and in Zaui Core (Back Office) whereas Discounts can only be redeemed in Zaui Core (Back Office). 

To find out about Zaui's Automatic Promo Code Generator, check out this article.

If you require a large number of distinct individual promo codes for your system please contact our support team at support@zaui.com and we will be able to handle the bulk upload for you. 

This article will cover the following topics:

• Why Use Online Promo Codes?
• How to Create Online Promo Codes in Zaui
• Promo Code specific URL Links 
• Online Promo Code Troubleshooting

Why Use Online Promo Codes?

Using online promotional codes to drive business is a fantastic independent niche type of marketing that is far-reaching, long-lasting and a great investment. But the BEST part of it all is using it in Zaui makes it automated, 100% quantifiable and eliminates the guesswork. 

Here are some great ideas on how you might want to approach using promo codes within your current flow, and with Zaui:

How to Create Online Promotional Codes in Zaui

1. From the navigation bar, select Settings > Pricing > Promo Codes.
   
     The system will default to displaying only Active Promo Codes. To view All or Expired Promo Codes, change the Status. 
2. Click on + Create Online Promotional Code from the shortcuts panel. 

Online Promotional Code Information

• Code Name is the name your customers will enter online to receive a discount. Please note spaces are not allowed and the codes are case-sensitive. 
• Description gives you a place to write internal notes that are only visible in Zaui Core (Back Office).
• Promo Code valid if BOOKED from and until is where you will enter your promotional date range (Purchase date). For example, if your promotion is to encourage early bookings for the summer during the month of March, enter  March 1 in the from box and March 31 in the until box. 
• Currently Enabled provides an easy way to turn a promo code on or off without having to delete or expire it. If for some reason you need to temporarily disable a promotion, simply uncheck the box.

Promo Code Tags

Promo Code Tags allow you to tag individual groups of promo codes. This allows you to group and report on defined groups of promo codes more easily. 

1. Click on +Add Promo Code Tag and type a tag of your choice into the empty field. The field will search to see if this is an existing code. If so, the code will be linked to any other which also contains this tag. 
2. Click on +Add Promo Code Tag to add additional tags, or click Remove to unlink a tag from this promo code. 
3. Tags can be used as filters on Promo Code Reports (Reports > Promo Codes). 
   
   

Promotional Code Component Configuration 

This section is where you will configure the rules surrounding your promotional code.

1. Click on the edit button to expand the Promo Code Rules. 
   • Valid if ACTIVITY DATE is FROM and until is the range of activity dates that the promo code can be used for. Please be aware that customer will be able to use a promo code before the start date if they are booking an activity which will occur within this date range. 
   • Valid Days of the Week is where you can apply additional restrictions on valid activity dates. For example, if Tuesday is the only checked box, a booking must be made for an activity which occurs on Tuesday in order to use this code. These boxes do not restrict the days of the week that a booking is made on, but rather, the days of the week the booking is made for. 
   • Valid if Minimum Booked allows you to configure specific numbers and types of passengers which must be on a booking for the promo code to be used. For example, if you specify 2 adults here, there must be 2 adults on a booking for the code to be used. A booking with 2 children or 3 students and 1 adult would not be able to use this code. 
   • Max Uses Per Code restricts the number of uses for the promo code. Every time a promo code is applied to a component of a booking, that will count towards the use of that code. If there are multiple valid items in a shopping cart and the promo code is set up to apply to all eligible items in the cart, then a single booking would have multiple uses of the code. However, only one distinct promo name can be used on a booking, so this prevents customers from layering multiple discounts.
   • Type and Value allow you to specify whether this will be a flat dollar discount or a percentage discount. If you choose flat, you will be prompted to select whether the value is to be deducted on a per person or per booking basis.
   • Include all surplus fees as part of promo code allows you to choose whether to include the surplus fee in the discount or not. 
   • Apply Discount To allows you to select whether a discount is to be taken off of all eligible items in a shopping cart or only one item. If “only one eligible item” is selected, then the discount will be calculated on the least expensive eligible item in the cart.
   • Specify a Moving Date Window allows you to restrict how far or close in advance to the activity date a booking can be created. This allows you to do “early bird” and “last-minute” promotions. Some examples include “Purchase date is at least 30 days before activity date” in this case, the customer will need to purchase the activity 30 days in advance or “Purchase date is at most 2 days before activity date.” In this case, the customer can only purchase the activity 2 days before and up until the day of the activity.
   • Specify Number of Items allows you to restrict how many items are in the cart before the promotion is applied. Some examples are: "The cart must have exactly 2 unique items in the cart" in this case, the customer will need to purchase the two separate activities or "The cart must have at least 2 unique items in the cart" in this case the customer will need to add two or more activities before the promotion is applied. 
   • Required Activities means that the promo code is only valid if the specific activities listed are included in the cart. 
   • Promo Code Valid ONLY For allows you to control which passenger type the promotion is valid for. This is useful is you do not want the less expensive passenger types, for example, infants, to be able to claim a discount. 
   • Minimum Item Price is an optional field to control the minimum price of an item for it to receive the discount. If you have items that are already inexpensive and you do not want to further discount them you can use this field to control that. Note that this field is based on the sub-total. 
   • Passenger Maximum Per Item is an optional function that works to enforce a maximum amount of passengers a promo code can be applied to. Useful when applying a 100% discount to enforce a maximum amount of passengers that are complimentary. 
   • Promotional Code Components is where you can specify individual activities and products that are valid for this promo code or check the boxes to allow the promo code to be used for any activity or any product.
     
     

The promo code module in Zaui allows you to use one code across multiple date ranges if you choose. This is achieved by configuring multiple rules on the promo code.

Click +Add  at the bottom of the rules configuration to place another rule on the promo code, and then configure the rule for a new start and end date. This can be useful if you have seasonal promotions that run every year. Simply add a new rule for each year that you want the promotion to run. Please note that if the date ranges overlap the system will apply the first promo code. This is also useful for setting up a Buy-One-Get-One Promotion. 

If more than one rule is created per promo code, you will notice the additional rules listed with blank names on your List of Online Promotional Codes

If you are setting up multiple rules for one promotion, make sure the 1st Promo Code Rule you create has the biggest discount. This is very important because the logic behind the rules is that the system will check if there is a match based on the first rule first before moving on to the next rule within that promotion.

Promo Code Specific URL Links

Your Zaui Online Booking Engine has the ability to automatically apply promotional codes to front end bookings through URL links. Here's how you set this up:

1. Create an Online Promotional Code.
2. On your portal URL (https://yourdomainname.zaui.net/modules/webBookings/index.php?), add the parameter "promoCode=promocodename" to the end. 
3. Example: 
   https://yourdomainname.zaui.net/modules/webBookings/index.php?promoCode=promocodename
   
    Don't forget that the promo code names are case sensitive and to always capitalize the "B" in booking and the "C" in code.
4. Use this link on your Book Now Button on your website. The promo code will automatically be applied to any bookings made from that link within one hour as long as they meet all promo code requirements. 

Online Promo Code Troubleshooting

• If your Online Promotional Code is not working, make sure you have not accidentally created a second promo code name with the same promo code name. If you have two codes with the exact same name, neither one will work. It doesn't matter whether one promo code is valid and the other is expired.
• Please note that Promotional Codes cannot be used on Activity Pricing Options.

Check out this Video Tutorial to learn more about Discounts and Promotional Codes.