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Discount types and passcodes

The four discount types, when to use each, and how to gate a discount with a passcode.

Discounts come in four flavours, plus an optional passcode gate. Pick by how the deal behaves at the till.

The four types

  • Amount (£) — a fixed pound discount, e.g. £2.00 off. You enter the amount here.
  • Percentage (%) — a fixed percent discount, e.g. 10% off. You enter the percentage here.
  • Variable amount (£) — the operator types the pound amount at the till. You don't set a value when you create it.
  • Variable percentage (%) — the operator types the percentage at the till. You don't set a value when you create it.

Use a fixed type when the discount is always the same. Use a variable type when staff need to decide the amount in the moment (for example, a goodwill gesture).

Which type for which deal

There is no dedicated "Happy hour", "Staff" or "Time-limited" type — those are all built from the four above, plus how you name and gate them.

  • A consistent, always-the-same deal (e.g. "10% off for students", "£2 off the lunch box") → Percentage (%) or Amount (£) (fixed). The value is locked in, so every member of staff applies exactly the same amount.
  • A manager-judgement or goodwill gesture (e.g. a complaint, a regular's treat) → a variable type. Name it something like "Goodwill" and consider requiring a passcode.
  • A staff discount → a fixed Percentage (%) named "Staff" (e.g. 25%), with Require passcode at checkout on.
  • A time-limited offer like a happy hour → see Scope and limits. There is no built-in time window.

Require a passcode

Each discount has a Require passcode at checkout switch. When it's on, you pick one of your Generic passcodes from the passcode library, and the operator has to enter that passcode before this discount can be applied on the till. Use it for discounts you don't want applied without sign-off (staff rates, goodwill, manager rates).

Staff passcodes don't appear in the list — they're personal sign-in codes, not sign-off codes. If you haven't created any passcodes yet, the form links you to the library to create one first.

A passcode is a different control from Who can apply this (shown on the same form when you use staff roles): the role list decides which signed-in staff see the discount on the till; the passcode decides whether it can be applied once chosen. Use either, or both.

Note

Staff enter this passcode on every till. If a mode already locks the Discounts area, the mode's passcode applies instead. A discount shows a small "PIN" tag in the list when it requires a passcode.

Note

Older discounts may still say Per-device passcode (legacy) — they used a PIN configured on each terminal. Pick a passcode from your library and save to move them over.

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