{"title":"Choose the right offer type","slug":"choose-the-right-offer-type","url":"https://support.storeconnect.com/articles/choose-the-right-offer-type","url_markdown":"https://support.storeconnect.com/articles/choose-the-right-offer-type.md","subtitle":null,"summary":"Decide between automatic discounts, standard promo codes, Promotions v2, vouchers, and loyalty points for a given offer, and understand how they combine in one cart and how each affects subscriptions.","type":"Help_Documentation","video_url":"","keywords":"choose offer type, discount vs promotion, promo code vs discount, promotions v2, advanced promotions, voucher vs discount, loyalty points, offer comparison, price reduction types, stacking, which discount to use, sale, coupon, free shipping, buy one get one, spend and save","last_modified":"2026-09-16T07:15:50+0000","body_markdown":"Use this comparison to pick the mechanism that fits an offer before you build it. Each one is a different Salesforce record, so choosing the wrong one usually means rebuilding rather than adjusting.\n\n## The five mechanisms\n\n| Mechanism | Customer does | Where it shows | Build it with |\n|---|---|---|---|\n| [Discount](discounts) | Nothing | A reduced price on the product, with the original crossed out | A **Discount** record |\n| [Promotion code](promotions) | Enters a promo code at checkout | A discount line on the order | A **Promotion** record with actions and scopes |\n| [Promotion v2](advanced-promotions) | Nothing, or enters a coupon code | A discount in the cart totals | A **Promotion v2** record with conditions and rewards |\n| [Voucher](vouchers) | Enters a voucher code as payment | A payment against the order | A voucher product or a manual **Voucher** record |\n| [Loyalty points](loyalty-points) | Pays with points | A points price alongside the currency price | Points fields on the price book and its entries |\n\n## Which one to use\n\nPick by what triggers the offer and what the customer sees.\n\n- **The price on the product page should look lower.** Use a discount. It is the only mechanism that changes the displayed price, so it is what a shopper sees before adding to cart. Storewide sales, member pricing, and clearance all belong here.\n- **The offer needs a code and no conditions beyond scope.** Use a standard promotion. A percentage or fixed amount off scoped items, free shipping, or buy one get another at a discount, unlocked by a code you publish.\n- **The offer depends on what is in the cart.** Use a Promotion v2. Spend thresholds, item counts, tiered spend and save, a free product, a fixed price for any three items, and daily or day-of-week windows are only possible here.\n- **The customer is paying with something they hold.** Use a voucher. A voucher is money, not a price reduction. It does not change any price, it settles part or all of the balance, and it does not require an account.\n- **You are rewarding repeat purchases.** Use loyalty points. Points are earned on orders and spent on later ones, either alongside currency or as the whole payment.\n\n:::tip\nTwo mechanisms can produce the same headline offer with very different admin work. \"Free shipping for members\" is one discount record scoped to a membership, or a Promotion v2 with an always-applies condition, a discounted shipping reward at 100%, and a customer scope. Choose the discount unless you also need a cart condition.\n:::\n\n## How they combine in one cart\n\nEach mechanism is evaluated independently, so a single order can carry several at once.\n\n- Discounts and promotions are separate systems. A promo code applies on top of an already discounted price.\n- Multiple discounts combine according to each discount's **Behaviour when Applied**. See [Discount behavior](discounts).\n- Multiple Promotions v2 records combine according to each promotion's **Stacking Behaviour**, and the store variable `promotions.calculation_strategy` decides whether each is calculated against the original prices or the running subtotal.\n- A voucher is applied after the totals are settled, because it pays the balance rather than reducing it.\n- Points are a separate currency. A product priced in points is paid for in points, and shipping can be too.\n\nTo keep a product out of one or more of these, see [Exclude products from price reductions](exclude-products-from-price-reductions).\n\n## How each affects a subscription\n\nThe mechanism you choose decides whether a renewal is charged at the reduced price or the full one.\n\n| Mechanism | Initial order | Renewal orders |\n|---|---|---|\n| Discount | Reduced | Reduced, because the discounted price is locked in as the period price |\n| Standard promotion | Reduced | Full price, because the promotion is a separate order line |\n| Promotion v2 | Reduced | Full price, for the same reason |\n| Voucher | Cannot pay for subscription items | Not applicable |\n\nA 100% automatic discount on a subscription product therefore produces a genuinely free subscription, while a 100% promo code does not. See [Subscription products](subscription-products) for the full breakdown."}