less than a minute read • Updated 2 hours ago
Coupons and discounts overview
What coupons, product discounts, and category discounts are in Foxy, how tiered discounting works, and where to set each one up.
Foxy gives you three ways to discount an order: coupons, product discounts, and category discounts. This article explains what each one does, how Foxy's tiered discount model works, and where to configure them.
The three ways to discount
Coupons are codes a customer enters at checkout (or that you apply automatically). A coupon adds a single discount as a separate line item in the cart between the subtotal and total. It does not change individual product prices. A coupon can apply to one or many categories and to specific product codes.
Product discounts are automatic quantity discounts attached to a single product through its add to cart link or form. The discount is reflected in that product's per-item price. This is useful for items bought in bulk.
Category discounts are automatic quantity discounts applied to every product in a category. The discount is reflected in each product's per-item price. They work best when the category's items are similarly priced or you use a percentage discount.
How tiered discounting works
Every discount applies a value or percentage based on a value or quantity tier. You cannot apply a flat "$5 off" with no tier, even if that tier is simply "minimum quantity of 1".
Two choices define a discount:
Method: whether the discount is an amount or a percentage, and whether it is based on quantity or on value.
Type: how the discount spreads across the affected items (all units, incremental, repeat, or single).
The admin builds this for you with a Rules builder (IF / THEN / BY), so you rarely need to write the syntax by hand. For the full breakdown, see Discount syntax reference.
Native vs externally controlled coupons
This section covers Foxy's native coupons. On the Advanced and Enterprise plans, you can control coupons from an external system using the Pre-Cart Webhook. Reach out to Foxy if you need externally controlled coupons.
Where discounts appear
A coupon shows as a line item in the cart totals, between the subtotal and the total.
The "Add a coupon" entry field only appears in the cart when your store has at least one valid coupon (one that is applicable right now). This prevents customers from leaving to hunt for a code that does not exist.
Product and category discounts appear in each affected product's per-item price, not as a separate line item.
Notes
Dates and times for coupons follow your store's timezone settings.
If a customer reaches checkout with a coupon that has since become invalid (for example, it hit its usage limit), they are returned to checkout with the coupon removed and an error message.