Vouchers

Inhaltsverzeichnis

Introduction

With this module, you can create and use voucher codes in the 21.COMMERCE shop or sell voucher items.

Vouchers are organized in campaigns. Here you can define how many vouchers you want to create, their expiration date and the amount (fixed or percentage).

The administration of the voucher module is fully integrated into the 21.COMMERCE Shop Administration and can be used from any location via a web interface. The module is optional.

The vouchers can either be used for an order or bound to an article. If an article binding is present, the coupon is accepted only if exactly this article occurs in the shopping cart of the order. This possibility helps e.g. with the introduction of a new product.

The vouchers created can be exported via CSV (Character Separated Values), so that they can be edited in Excel, for example, or used for personalized print documents.

With this voucher module it is also possible to create a voucher article in the shop, where the ordering customer can freely choose the price of the voucher.

Video

Here is another video that might help you: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fkTc71R4dVw

Redeem vouchers

After the first voucher campaign has been created, the customer will see an input field for the voucher code in the cash register.

In the order overview you can see that the coupon will be redeemed. If the voucher code is invalid, a message highlighted with the error color will appear indicating that the voucher code is invalid.

The voucher data are also available in the order confirmation e-mail, which the customer and shop operator receive immediately after receipt of the order.

Operation

If the voucher module is installed, the point ‘Marketing’ > ‘Vouchers’ appears in the main menu of the Shop Administration.

Create vouchers / campaigns

Vouchers are organized in campaigns. If you therefore want to create new vouchers, you create a new campaign. A new campaign can be created by clicking on ‘create new campaign’ in the vouchers main menu. Here you can enter the key data of the new campaign:

Name of the campaign, number of vouchers to be generated, the amount per voucher (either as a fixed amount in the basic shop currency or as a percentage), the expiry date of the voucher and whether the voucher should be linked to an item in the shop or not.

You also specify the number of times the generated vouchers can be used. This can be used, for example, to implement actions such as ‘get the first 500 buyers…'.

The Type field controls how the voucher is interpreted:

Promotion: VAT is calculated here on the basis of the reduced price.
Credit note: VAT is calculated on the basis of the original price.

The creation of the vouchers can take a little longer with a number greater than 1000 vouchers…

coupon code multiple redeemable

Vouchers can be redeemed only once after creation. The number of possible redemption can be increased for each voucher in the field ‘possible number of redemption’ (edit voucher after creation). The value is automatically reduced with each redeemed voucher.

In the same configuration mask, you can also enter a comment, e.g. to enter a person or something similar.

Minimum purchase amount

For each voucher a minimum purchase amount can be entered in the field ‘Redeemable from total article’ in the basic currency. The voucher can only be redeemed when the total of the items in the shopping cart reaches or exceeds the minimum purchase amount. If no minimum purchase amount is required, simply enter 0.

Foreign currencies

If you want to use vouchers in foreign currencies, you still have to enter the fixed values here in the basic currency. Depending on the conversion factor, the base currency amount is then displayed translated into the foreign currency.

The current exchange rate can be found in the shop administration in the Currencies menu.

Article binding of a voucher

Article Binding: You can create vouchers for orders. These simply subtract the specified value from the order total. However, if you enter an article number of an existing article in the ‘For article no.’ field, you can also bind a voucher to an article. This means that the voucher only works if you buy this item - this can be used for introductory actions, for example.

Note: The creation of the vouchers can take a little longer with a number greater than 1000 vouchers, because the uniqueness of each individual code is checked after its creation.

After the creation process you will find yourself in the voucher main menu and see the newly created campaign. A file with the scheme voucher_campaign_name_date.csv was created. This file contains all generated coupon codes of this campaign as CSV data (Character Separated Values), which can be processed automatically - e.g. via Excel or LibreOffice. This file should be clicked and downloaded immediately after creation.

Article binding of a voucher to the articles of a category

This voucher is then valid for all items in this category and will be charged as a discount per item. The category can be selected via a dialog, or the category number can be entered manually.

Article binding of a voucher based on a special field

You can use a dropdown to select a field on the article (for example, additional field3). Write the value to be checked in the empty field next to it. Each article with the selected field contains the entered value, gets then the possibility of the coupon discount.

Show / delete campaigns

You can view and delete campaigns directly from the voucher main menu.

Vouchers in the campaigns

If you click on ‘show’ in the voucher main menu of a campaign, you will see all(!) vouchers of that campaign displayed in a list form. There is no scrolling functionality. Here you can also see the status of each voucher (code) - e.g. whether it has already been redeemed.

Vouchers can also be displayed or edited later. For example, you can reassign a coupon code to another or new campaign by changing the campaign name accordingly when editing a coupon.

Export of voucher data

As described in the chapter ‘Creating vouchers / campaigns’, the voucher codes can be downloaded in CSV format after they have been created. Then you can also use this file in Excel OpenOffice or other programs to prepare it e.g. for printing.

coupon article

In addition to coupon codes, which are distributed in advertisements or by means of communication, coupons can also be offered for sale in the shop as classic gift coupons.

Create voucher article with given prices

If you would like to offer voucher articles at fixed prices, simply create the corresponding articles, e.g. voucher CHF 50 or voucher EUR 100. This is a normal article. If you send the vouchers with pre-printed, physical media, you may need to add stock information.

Create voucher item with variable prices

If a voucher article is to be set up, where the purchasing customers can then determine the price themselves, this is also possible.

First we create a buyable article in the shop. Here it is important to assign a unique article number to the article, e.g. voucher_variabler_preis. The article must be created with price = 0.00. Select a suitable picture and arrange the article in the category of your choice.

For this you have to use an additional functionality of the voucher module. The administration of this function is done in the form of a voucher article module in the shop administration (also included in the scope of delivery of the voucher module). To activate, please proceed as follows:

Shop-Administration -> Modules -> Module administration

Here you can install the voucher article module

After successful installation you can confirm this and click on the button ‘Back to module administration’ to return to the overview. There you can now see the Installed Voucher Article Module (see picture on the right). Here you click on the ‘Gift Certificate Articles’ button to switch to the administration for voucher articles with variable price.

The administration screen looks as follows:

Configuration possibilities

Activation: Activation of this module. Attention: If the module is deactivated, the shop will treat a previously defined voucher article as a normal article with price = 0.00
Voucher article no.: Here you enter the article no., which signals to the shop, which article should function as a voucher article. This article must have been previously created in the shop administration as a normal article with just this article number. This item must have a price = 0.00 and must not have any stock restriction defined.
Show price in name: Should the price of the voucher items in the shopping cart be shown in the name?
Voucher minimum value: Do you want to set a minimum value for the voucher? Note: This value should be taken into account when dropdown displaying the number of selections in the item definition. The value = 0.00 means that no minimum limit should be set. This limit is detached from the currency and is used 1:1 for the active currency.
Voucher maximum value: Do you want to set a maximum value for the voucher? Please note that this value must not be smaller than the minimum value. Note: This value should be taken into account when dropdown displaying the number of selections in the item definition. The value = 0.00 means that no maximum limit should be set. This limit is detached from the currency and is used 1:1 for the active currency.

How it works

A coupon article is recognized as such if it has the article number assigned, which has been defined in the coupon article module administration in the field “Coupon article number”. This article must be assigned the price = 0.00. The article can have a warehouse stock, but you cannot define a minimum or maximum order quantity for it. This article has no number of input fields. It will be used directly as an allocation of the amount of the voucher. As a customer, you can define the price of the voucher and then only add one voucher at a time to the shopping cart. The number can still be changed there.

Warehouse management: If the article is marked as ‘not reorderable’, it is not possible to define a larger amount in the current currency as the voucher price. This is due to the technical implementation and integration of this special article.

Voucher article processing

Up to now, the voucher article is only passed through with the price defined by the customer when the order is placed, so that a connected ERP system can create the article afterwards. So no coupon code is created and distributed automatically by the shop, this must still be done manually!

Voucher article and VAT

There are two VAT-relevant topics for vouchers, which are handled differently depending on the purpose of the voucher:

When selling a voucher: VAT rate of the voucher
When using a voucher: The underlying amount from which the VAT portion is to be calculated.

VAT set choice for voucher items

To the first point: Which VAT rate must be selected for voucher articles? (voucher article or with a self-created article in the shop, which results in a voucher delivery):

The decisive factor for the taxation of the article is whether the voucher is linked to a specific service (fixed amount, VAT rate predefined), or whether it is not clear from the voucher which services are being purchased. In this case, the voucher will be regarded as a means of payment (amount or percentage reduction, VAT rate unknown, as the service purchase is still unknown at the time the voucher is issued and thus = 0%).

Examples:

Enter VAT rate: Vouchers for a specific service (e.g. “shopping voucher for a dinner for two in our restaurant”): The VAT rate is fixed here. The performance is fully compensated with the redemption of the voucher.
VAT rate = 0%: “Shopping voucher worth CHF 100”. The voucher purchase is exempt from VAT as it is to be regarded as a (pre)payment. Accordingly, VAT is calculated on the total amount at redemption and not on the final amount to be paid.

The point is that VAT should not be delivered twice to the state. Here is an example:

We sell a voucher article for CHF 100 with VAT = 7.7%. The customer now buys an article in the shop, the shop charges 7.7% again. So we got twice 7.7% which is wrong.

Since you don’t know how many vouchers are used in the shop – so you don’t know which VAT rate combination of the shopping cart will be available when you actually redeem / shop – you should invest most vouchers with 0%, unless they are performance vouchers.

Where do I set this? A VAT rate is defined for the article (article processing mask, or in the corresponding field for imports).

VAT amount calculation

To the second point: With achievement coupons, which stand for a concrete achievement, in each case an article is sold - it is thus no coupon in the classical sense. Here we look at the vouchers, which can be used variably: A distinction is made here between two types when creating campaigns:

The ‘Type’ field controls how the voucher is interpreted:

Promotion: Here the VAT is calculated on the basis of the price reduced by the voucher: The price of the service is reduced. VAT will only be claimed via the reduced price. Classic use of a voucher in promotions / advertising / marketing.
Credit note: Here the VAT is calculated on the basis of the original price (not reduced price): This is applied if the voucher is only understood as a means of payment and the VAT still has to be paid over the complete price – e.g. if the voucher is understood as customer credit.

Further Help

Do you need further support? PepperShop provides you with different options.

Often a click in the administration on the top right on the question mark icon helps. Here you can get direct help on the relevant topic.
We are also available to you by email swiss21-support@peppershop.com