Discount & Coupon Codes

MakerVera lets your makerspace run controlled promotions with discount codes (also called coupon or promo codes). Staff create a code, choose how much it takes off and who can use it, and members enter it at checkout. This guide covers both admin configuration and member usage.

How Discount Codes Work

1. A staff member with the right permission creates a discount code — choosing the discount amount, where it applies (store, events, or both), and any limits or targeting
2. The code becomes active immediately (or starts working once its conditions are met)
3. A member enters the code in the promo-code field at store or event checkout
4. The system validates the code and shows the discount applied and the updated total before payment
5. When the order completes, the redemption is recorded so usage limits are enforced and the promotion can be reported on later

A discount reduces the price of the items it applies to — it is taken off before any tax is calculated. This is different from a gift card, which is applied as a payment after the total is set. If a member has both a discount code and a gift card, the discount lowers the price first, then the gift card pays toward what’s left.

Tip

The promo-code field is separate from the gift-card field at checkout. A member can use one discount code and one gift card on the same order.

For Administrators

You need the Manage Discounts permission to create or manage discount codes. By default this permission is granted to Admins and Managers, and it can be assigned to a designation.

Creating a Discount Code

Navigate to Admin → Store → Discount Codes and choose Create Discount Code. Fill in:

Field	Required	Description
Code	No	The text members type (e.g. BACKTOSCHOOL). Leave blank to auto-generate a unique code. Codes are case-insensitive and must be unique within your makerspace.
Description	No	An internal note describing the promotion. Members never see this.
Discount type	Yes	Percentage (a percent off, 1–100), Fixed amount (a set dollar amount off), or Free (100% off).
Discount value	Depends	The percent (for percentage) or dollar amount (for fixed). Ignored for free codes.
Applies to	Yes	Store, Events, or Both — which checkout surfaces accept the code.
Who can use it	Yes	Everyone, Specific members, Role(s), or a Designation.
Product scope	No	Restrict the discount to store products: All products (default), By category (applies to all products in the chosen categories, including sub-categories), or Specific products (individually chosen). Not available for event-only codes.
Minimum order	No	A floor the order total must reach before the code is accepted.
Total use limit	No	The maximum number of times the code can be redeemed across all members. Leave blank for unlimited.
Per-member limit	No	How many times one member can use the code. Leave blank for unlimited.
Expiry date	No	When the code stops working. Leave blank for no expiry.

Note

All discount math is calculated by MakerVera at checkout. A discount can never take off more than the value of the items it applies to — a $50 code on a $30 eligible item only takes off $30.

Targeting Who Can Use a Code

Targeting	Who can redeem
Everyone	Any member checking out
Specific members	Only the members you list
Role(s)	Only members holding any one of the roles you select — pick one role or several
Designation	Only members currently holding that designation

A member who isn’t eligible sees a clear “not eligible” message — the code’s targeting details are never revealed.

Restricting Which Products Are Discounted

When a code applies to the Store or Both surfaces, you can restrict which products it applies to:

Product scope	How it works
All products	The discount applies to every eligible item in the cart (default).
By category	The discount applies to all products in the categories you choose, including any sub-categories of those categories. If none of the items in a member’s cart fall into those categories, the code is rejected with a clear message.
Specific products	The discount applies only to the individual products you select. If none of those products are in the cart, the code is rejected with a clear message.

Tip

Category-based codes are handy for seasonal promotions — for example, a “20% off all filaments” code where filaments is a product category. Any new products you add to that category later are automatically included without changing the code.

Event-only codes always apply to all event tickets — product scoping is not available for the Events surface.

Managing Discount Codes

Navigate to Admin → Store → Discount Codes to view all of your codes and how many times each has been redeemed. You can filter by status (Active or Archived).

Editing a Code

You can edit most fields of a code at any time. Once a code has been redeemed at least once, its discount type and value are locked to protect the integrity of orders that already used it — you can still change targeting, limits, expiry, and the description.

Archiving vs. Deleting

Action	When to use	Effect
Archive	A promotion has ended but has redemptions you want to keep on record	The code stops working for new checkouts; its history is preserved
Delete	A code was created by mistake and never used	The code is permanently removed. Only available for codes with no redemptions — redeemed codes must be archived instead

Code Statuses

Status	Meaning
Active	The code works at checkout (subject to its limits and expiry)
Archived	The code has been retired and no longer works for new checkouts
Expired	The code passed its expiry date — it no longer works, even while still active

For Members

Applying a Discount Code

You can apply a discount code on the following checkout flows:

Checkout flow	Discount code accepted?
Store purchases	Yes (codes scoped to store or both)
Paid event, class, and workshop registration	Yes (codes scoped to events or both)
Free event registration	N/A — nothing to discount
Donations	No
Buying a gift card	No

To apply a code:

1. Enter your code in the promo-code field on the checkout summary
2. MakerVera validates the code and shows the discount amount and your updated total
3. Complete payment — the discount is already reflected in the amount you pay

If the code can’t be used, you’ll see a specific message explaining why — for example, the order is below the minimum, the code doesn’t apply to anything in your cart, you’ve already used it, or the promotion has ended.

Discount Codes and Gift Cards Together

If you have both, the discount applies first to lower the price, and your gift card then pays toward the discounted total. For example, a 20% code on a $50 order brings it to $40, and a $25 gift card then covers $25 of that — you pay $15.

Limits and Fairness

• Per-member limits stop one member from reusing a single-use code.
• Total use limits cap how many redemptions a promotion can have across everyone.
• Repeated invalid code attempts are temporarily rate-limited to discourage guessing codes. A valid code is never throttled.

Next Steps

• Gift Cards — Stored-value cards applied as payment at checkout
• Store Guide — Managing your store products
• Permissions Overview — How roles and designations grant access
• Overview — Return to the billing overview