How to Create and Manage Promo Codes

Promo codes give buyers a discount on an event's tickets. They are available on every plan, including Free. Owners, admins and event managers can manage them.

Creating a promo code

1. Open your event in the dashboard and go to the Promo Codes tab.
2. Click Create Promo Code.
3. Fill in the form:

- Code: what buyers type, for example EARLYBIRD. Letters, numbers, hyphens and underscores only. Codes are saved in capitals and buyers can type them in any case.

- Discount Type: Percentage (%) or Fixed Amount.

- Discount % (up to 100) or Discount Amount. The fixed amount is entered in your event currency's smallest unit: for a US dollar event, type 500 for $5.00 off, not 5. For a currency with no minor unit, such as the Japanese yen, 500 is ¥500 off.

- Max Uses (optional): the total number of times the code can be used. Leave blank for unlimited.

- Start Date (optional) and Expiry Date (optional): when the code works. Times are in your event's time zone.

- Active: tick it for the code to work straight away.

1. Click Create Code.

Each code must be unique across all your events. To offer the same discount on another event, create a code with a different name on that event.

How the discount works

• A percentage code takes that percentage off the ticket subtotal of the order.
• A fixed amount code takes that amount off the order once, however many tickets are in it. A $10 code on three tickets saves $10 in total.
• Each email address can use a code once.
• A code works only on the event it was created for.

What buyers do

On your event page, the buyer chooses their tickets, clicks Have a promo code?, types the code into the Promo Code field and presses Apply. The order summary then shows the discount with its rate, for example "Promo EARLYBIRD (20% off)" or "Promo EARLYBIRD ($5 off)", and the new total, before they pay. They can press Remove to take the code off. If a buyer types a code and continues without pressing Apply, the code is applied for them first; if it can't be used, they stay on the form and see why under the field.

If the code can't be used, they see why, for example "This promo code has expired" or "This promo code has reached its usage limit". A code that doesn't exist, belongs to another event, or isn't available for the time slot they chose all show the same message: "This code isn't valid for this event." Only wrong codes count toward the wait: after several wrong codes in a few minutes the buyer has to wait before trying again, and a correct code never uses up an attempt.

Pressing Apply does not use up the code. A use is counted when the buyer goes to payment, and the one-use-per-email check also happens then, so a buyer who already used the code with their email sees that message at that point. If the total changes between Apply and payment, the buyer sees the new total and presses Complete Checkout again to confirm it.

If they don't finish paying, the use is given back when their checkout ends, so a code with Max Uses can briefly look used up while someone is still paying.

Managing codes

The Promo Codes tab lists every code with its discount, Uses (for example 3 / 50), expiry date and status. For each code you can:

• Edit: change the code, discount, Max Uses, dates or Active, then click Save Changes.
• Turn it off: click the Active status to switch it to Inactive. Click again to turn it back on.
• Delete: click Delete, then Confirm. Deleted codes stop working.

Promo codes on timed-entry bookings

On a timed-entry series page, the buyer picks a date and time slot, types the code under Have a promo code? and clicks Apply. The page shows the discount with its rate, for example "20% off", and the new total, including any organizer fee and tax, before they book. A code typed but not applied is applied when they click Book Now. If the total changes before payment, the buyer sees the new total and clicks Book Now again to confirm.

Ideas

• Early bird: a percentage code with an Expiry Date.
• Partner or sponsor codes: a separate code per partner, each with its own Max Uses, so you can see who drove sales.
• Flash sale: a code with a start and expiry date a day apart.

To hide a ticket type entirely until someone enters a code, use an access code instead. See Access-Code Gated Tickets.

Still need help? Contact support.