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Apply a Discount to a Customer Segment

The Eligibility control on a discount decides who can use it. You can leave it open to all customers, or limit it to a market, to specific customer segments, or to individual customers. Limiting a discount to a segment means only customers who match that segment can redeem it, which is how you run an offer for a chosen group such as returning or high-value customers.

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The Eligibility control on a discount decides who is allowed to redeem it. By default it is set to All customers, so anyone can use the discount. You can change it to limit the discount to a market, to specific customer segments, or to individual customers you choose. When you limit it, a customer who does not match is not given the discount at checkout, even if they have the code, so eligibility is how you keep an offer to the group you intend.

Limiting a discount to a segment is useful when you want an offer for a defined group, such as customers who have ordered before or customers who spend the most. Because a segment is a live group that customers move in and out of as they meet or stop meeting its rules, the discount applies to whoever is in the segment at the time they check out. The segment itself is built in the Customers area, so it must exist before you can select it here. See Customer Segments.

Eligibility options

Option Who can use the discount Result
All customers Anyone The discount is open to every customer, with no eligibility limit
Markets Customers in the market you choose Only customers in that market can redeem it
Specific customer segments Customers in the segments you choose Only customers who match a chosen segment can redeem it
Specific customers The individual customers you choose Only the customers you pick can redeem it

Before you begin

  • Your role includes Edit discounts.
  • If you plan to use Specific customer segments, the segment already exists in the Customers area. Create it first if it does not. 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. Open the discount form

Create or open a discount. The Eligibility control is part of every discount form, so you set who can use the discount in the same place as the value and the other rules. See Create a Discount Code.

2. Open the Eligibility control

Find the Eligibility section. It starts on All customers, which means the discount is open to everyone. This is the control you change to narrow who can redeem the discount.

The Eligibility control on a discount, set to All customers, which you change to limit who can use the discount. (opens full size)

3. Choose Specific customer segments

Set Eligibility to Specific customer segments, then choose the segment you want. Only customers who match that segment can redeem the discount, so this is how you run an offer for a chosen group. Because the segment updates on its own as customers meet or stop meeting its rules, the offer follows the group rather than a fixed list.

4. Or choose another option

Choose Markets to limit the discount to a market, or Specific customers to pick individual customers by hand. Leave it on All customers when you want the discount open to everyone.

5. Save and test

Save the discount. Check out as a customer who is in the chosen group and confirm the discount applies, then check out as a customer who is not and confirm it does not, so you know the eligibility limit is working.

Verify the result

  • A customer who matches the chosen eligibility sees the discount at checkout.
  • A customer who does not match does not get the discount, even with the code.
  • On All customers, every customer can use the discount.

Best practices

  • Pair a segment limit with a code for sensitive offers, so a customer needs both to be in the segment and to have the code, which keeps an exclusive offer from spreading.
  • Confirm the segment before a large promotion, because a segment that is bigger than you expect means the offer reaches more customers and costs more than planned.
  • Use a clear segment, so it is obvious which customers the discount is meant for.

Common mistakes

  • Selecting the wrong segment, so the discount goes to a different group than you intended.
  • Assuming a segment is a fixed list, when a customer who qualified earlier may no longer be in the segment at checkout.
  • Sharing an offer that is limited to a segment publicly without a code, so customers who do not qualify try it and cannot redeem it.

If something goes wrong

  • A customer says they should qualify but the discount does not apply. Check that they match the chosen segment, since the check happens against their state at checkout.
  • The discount applied to the wrong customers. Confirm the correct segment or customers are 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 Detail Page

    Clicking a discount opens its detail page, which is the discount form filled in with its current settings, plus a Summary panel that shows the status, type, and a list of the discount's rules in plain language. From here you can review a discount in one read, edit any part of it, duplicate it, and see how many times it has been used.

  • 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.

  • 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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