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Discounts Applied to a Customer Segment

When a discount's eligibility is set to a customer segment, only customers who are in that segment when they check out can redeem it. This companion explains what that means in practice, and links to the full setup for choosing a segment.

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Setting a discount's Eligibility to Specific customer segments limits who can use it to the customers in the segments you choose. This article explains how that behaves so you know what to expect; and Apply a Discount to a Customer Segment has the steps to set it.

The key point is that a segment is a live group, not a fixed list. Tanqory checks whether the customer is in the segment at the time they check out, so a customer who has since joined the segment can redeem the discount and one who has left it cannot, even if that changed after you created the discount. This is why a discount limited to a segment can reach a different set of customers over time as membership changes, which is useful for offers meant for a group such as returning customers or customers who spend the most.

How a discount limited to a segment behaves

Situation Result
Customer is in the segment at checkout The discount can be redeemed
Customer is not in the segment at checkout The discount does not apply for them
Customer joins the segment later They can redeem it once they qualify
Customer leaves the segment They can no longer redeem it

Before you begin

  • Your role includes Edit discounts.
  • The segment you want to use already exists. See Customer Segments.
  • Open Discounts in the admin sidebar, then create a discount or open an existing one, since this section is part of every discount form.

Steps

1. Set the discount's eligibility to a segment

On the discount, set Eligibility to Specific customer segments and choose the segment. This is the setup step; the full walkthrough with the control is in Apply a Discount to a Customer Segment.

2. Pair it with a code for a private offer

If the offer should stay private, set the Method to a discount code as well. That way a customer needs both to be in the segment and to have the code, so the offer does not spread to people outside the group. See Create a Discount Code.

3. Test as a member and as someone outside the segment

Check out as a customer who is in the segment and confirm the discount applies, then check out as a customer who is not and confirm it does not. This is how you verify the restriction works before you promote the offer.

Verify the result

  • A customer in the chosen segment can redeem the discount at checkout.
  • A customer who is not in the segment does not get the discount, even with the code.
  • As membership changes, the same discount reaches whoever is in the segment at checkout.

Best practices

  • Pair a segment offer with a code when it should be private, so being in the segment alone is not enough to redeem it.
  • Confirm the segment size before a large promotion, since a bigger segment means the offer reaches more customers and costs more.
  • Tell customers the offer is limited to a group, so those who do not qualify are not surprised when the discount does not apply.

Common mistakes

  • Choosing the wrong segment, so the discount goes to a different group than intended.
  • Treating the segment as fixed, when a customer who qualified earlier may no longer be in it at checkout.

If something goes wrong

  • A customer says they should qualify but the discount does not apply. Confirm they are in the chosen segment, since membership is checked at checkout.
  • The discount reached the wrong customers. Open the discount and check which segment is selected under Eligibility.
  • You cannot edit the discount. Your role may not have permission to manage discounts.

Next steps

Still stuck?

More in Discounts

  • Schedule Discounts

    The Active dates section controls the window in which a discount runs. You set a start date and time so the discount begins on its own, and you can turn on Set end date to add an end date and time so it stops on its own. Because the start and end drive the discount status, scheduling lets you plan a sale in advance and be sure it does not run longer than you intend.

  • Discount Management

    The Discounts page is where you manage every discount in your store. You filter the list by status, search for a discount, select rows to activate or deactivate several at once, manage the columns shown, export the list, and open any discount to edit it. Because everything is in one list, you can review and update your discounts from a single place.

  • Automatic Discounts

    An automatic discount applies at checkout with no code to enter. You create one like any discount, but set the Method to Automatic discount and give it a Title that customers see in their cart and at checkout.

  • Discount Status Flow

    Every discount has a status that says where it is in its life: Active, Scheduled, Expired, or Draft. The status tabs on the Discounts page group discounts by status, and a discount moves between them on its own based on its active dates, so the status tells you whether it is working right now.

All 32 articles in Discounts

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