Using Groupon vouchers for use with products (Classic Products)

Learn how to set up Groupon vouchers for use with products in Checkfront.

New to discount and voucher codes? Read the first article in this series for an introduction to discounts.

Accessing the features mentioned in this article

Where can I find this feature using the top menu?

• Inventory > Discounts
  
  

What more do I need to use this feature?

• Admin permissions to manage inventory or restricted permissions to View discounts and Manage discounts.
  
  

Which Checkfront version supports this feature - classic items, classic products, or both?

• This feature is available in both our classic item version using classic items (Inventory > Items) and our classic products version using classic products (Inventory > Products). 
  → Learn more about products

• NOTE: Some features are not yet available with classic products, including the Active Discounts report, discount rules, open discounts, edit columns, and the option to export your list of discounts.

Groupon and websites like it can be a great way to attract new Customers and quickly drive revenue to your business.

Suppose you're willing to give a significant discount to get a large group of bookings. In that case, Groupon and similar solutions help you generate the number of Customers necessary to make it worthwhile.

While the following article uses Groupon as an example, so long as you can receive or generate a list of voucher codes, the principles stay the same no matter what service you use!

Groupon is an experiences marketplace that brings people more ways to get the most out of their city or wherever they may be. By enabling real-time mobile commerce across local businesses, live events, and travel destinations, Groupon helps people find and discover experiences––big and small, new and familiar––that make for a full, fun, and rewarding life. Groupon helps local businesses grow and strengthen Customer relationships––resulting in strong, vibrant communities.

Groupon works well for retail products but offers a challenge when the offering relates to a specific time. The complication with a schedule-based product is that although the Customer has already paid through Groupon, they have yet to schedule it with you, and those sales exist outside your booking system. If you are prepared for a burst of bookings, you could avoid an administrative nightmare and a host of unhappy Customers.

Our Checkfront and Groupon partnership can help you avoid this issue!

With Groupon, when your deal is completed, Customers receive a voucher (paid for at https://www.groupon.com/) to redeem your service. They also provide you, as the merchant, with a list of matching voucher codes to verify the sales.

With Checkfront, we offer merchants the ability to import voucher codes into the system and allow Customers to schedule and book online as if they were paying with a credit card. 

Once your vouchers have been uploaded, Customers can be directed to your website to make a booking and enter their voucher code. This significantly reduces call volumes and starts the Customer experience on the right foot.

To upload your Groupon vouchers for use with products, navigate to the Discounts page (Inventory > Discounts) and click + New Discount in the top left. 

1. Name your discount.
2. Specify the Amount of your discount.
3. Specify the Discount type.
4. Set your Discount period.
5. Select the Voucher code option under How to use this discount.
6. Click on the select a file box that appears on the left to upload your Comma-Separated Value (CSV) format file of voucher codes. Make sure the voucher codes are in Column A.
7. Select how to apply discounts, e.g. 25% per booking, after tax.
8. Select the products you wish the promotion to Apply To.
9. Click Save to save your discount, and you are done! 

We cover this in detail in previous articles in this series.

Checkfront schedules bookings for each voucher and closes the deal once all vouchers have been used or when you have set the deal to expire.

If the product is fully booked for the day or time, it does not allow the Customer to continue and instead asks them to choose an alternate date.

• Can I still process group bookings over the phone?

  Yes! Just log in to Checkfront and process the booking internally. This ensures the booking, inventory, and Customer are correctly tracked.
  
  

• Can I add an optional up-sell to a promotion that isn't free?

  Yes! This is an excellent opportunity to make up for some of the revenues lost to Groupon. You can add other upsell products from your inventory to the product (for example, a t-shirt).

  If a balance is due after the voucher code is applied, the Customer continues through the checkout process.

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