Setting up and troubleshooting discount codes

Create Amazon and Shopify codes that work at checkout, hand them out through a flow, and sort out the rare code that doesn't.

A discount is the most common reason customers scan. This guide walks through getting codes from your store into Swapt, into a flow, and into your customer's hands, plus what to check when someone says a code didn't work. For the screens themselves, see Promotions.

Ground rules

One channel per code. A code made in Amazon Seller Central only works on Amazon, and a Shopify code only works on Shopify. Create codes separately for each channel, and never reuse one across both.
Prefer one-time codes. Unique, single-use codes stop a code from spreading on coupon sites and make sure each reward is claimed once. Save a shared code for broad, low-risk offers.
Have enough codes. Make at least as many codes as you have QR codes printed or expect winners.
Line up the dates. The dates in Swapt should match the dates in your store, so Swapt never hands out a code that has already expired.
Test at the real checkout. Before launch, redeem one code yourself on the channel it was made for.

Amazon codes

Amazon codes are created in Seller Central, then uploaded to Swapt.

In Seller Central

Go to Advertising → Promotions → Create a Promotion. For Swapt campaigns, the type is usually Percentage Off or Buy One Get One.

Set the products, any minimum purchase, and the discount.

Choose single-use claim codes for one-per-customer rewards, or a group code with a per-customer redemption limit.

Set the start and end dates and submit it for Amazon's review.

In Seller Central, the promotion type, qualifying conditions, and claim-code setting can't be changed after you create the promotion. Amazon also caps how long a promotion can run, so set yourself a reminder to create a fresh batch before this one expires. Amazon's screens change from time to time, so check their help pages if these steps don't match.

In Swapt

There are two ways to add the codes, depending on which tabs you see on Rewards Hub → Promotions.

Beta

The Vault tab may not be switched on for your account yet.

Click New promotion → Discount, set Platform to Amazon, and upload your single-use codes as a CSV (or enter one shared code). Set the Expiration date to match Amazon's end date. Once it's Active, the reward shows on your customers' Vault reward path. See Promotions for every field.

Shopify codes

With your store connected (see Integrations), you can create Shopify codes in two places. Both can make buy-one-get-one offers.

In the Swapt app inside Shopify: click Create Campaign on the app's dashboard.
In Swapt: go to Rewards Hub → Promotions, choose Create Promotion → Promo Codes, then Shopify Discount.

Either way, the settings that matter are:

Setting	What to choose
Discount type	Amount off products, Amount off order, or Buy X get Y (for buy-one-get-one offers). The Swapt form also offers Free shipping.
Number of codes	At least your QR code quantity
Usage limit per code	1, so each code is single-use
Start date	Today, so you can test straight away
End date	At least a year out, so codes don't expire mid-campaign

To track redemptions, open promo-code analytics from the Flows tab and choose the Shopify tab.

Hand the codes out in a flow

Promo-code campaigns reach customers through an Apply Promotion step in your flow.

Add Apply Promotion after the landing page that captures the customer's details, and before the success page.

Set Selection Method to Specific Promotion, then pick your campaign under Choose Promotion.

Leave Usage Limit as it is. For Shopify codes, turn on Apply to Order so the discount is added at checkout.

Turn off Send Notification if your email tool will deliver the code.

Then choose how the customer gets it:

On the success page: add the Promotion block so the code appears right away. See Building a landing page that converts.
By email or SMS: send the code through Klaviyo or your email tool, and tell customers on the success page that it's on its way.
Auto-apply link (Shopify): add a Button on the success page that links to https://yourstore.com/discount/{promotion.promotionalCode.code}. Swapt fills in the customer's code, and Shopify applies it at checkout. Remember to save the page.

When a customer says a code doesn't work

Most of the time nothing is broken. These reports are usually one of three edge cases, while most customers redeem with no trouble. Work through them in order.

Check the channel. Ask where they entered the code. An Amazon code won't work on your Shopify store, and a Shopify code won't work on Amazon. This is the most common mix-up.

Check the per-customer limit. Amazon promotions can be capped at one redemption per customer. If they already used a code from this batch, Amazon blocks the second one even though it's valid. This setting isn't shown on the main promotion screen in Seller Central, so you'll need to check it there manually.

Rule out Amazon's checkout display. After a code is entered at Amazon checkout, the price doesn't always update straight away. The discount appears once the customer clicks Review order further down the page, so it can look like the code failed when it actually worked.

If none of these explain it, check the code's campaign under Promotions: make sure it hasn't expired and that the pool hasn't run out of codes.