This guide is for course providers who want to reduce a course price. It explains how to create a Discount and how customers or administrators can apply it.
Discount and promo code mean different things: A Discount is the saved rule that reduces the price. Each Discount has one application method: Automatically, or Require Promo Code. The promo code is simply the code a customer enters to use a Discount set to Require Promo Code.
What is a Gift Card? A Gift Card holds a reusable monetary balance. It is separate from Discounts. Read Create, Sell and Redeem Gift Cards.
Before you begin: You need System Admin access to create, edit or delete Discounts. If you cannot see Discounts, ask a System Admin for access.
Customer and administrator journeys are different: A customer can enter a promo code during a new booking through the public course checkout. An administrator does not need to enter the code. They can choose the saved Discount with Add Discount while creating an order or editing an existing order whose price can still be changed. A customer cannot enter a promo code on an invoice or payment link.
Open Discounts
Sign in to your Cademy admin dashboard.
Select Discounts from the left menu.
Select New Discount. If you have no Discounts yet, select Create Discount.
Create a Discount
1. Add the basic information
In Basic Information, enter a required Name.
Add an optional Internal Note. This is for administrators and is not the public description.
2. Set the calculation
In Calculation, choose a Discount Type:
Percentage reduces the qualifying price by a percentage.
Fixed Value deducts a fixed amount in your account's primary currency.
Enter a value greater than zero in Percentage Amount or Fixed Amount.
3. Choose the application method
In Application, choose one option:
Automatically means the customer does not need a code. The Discount applies when all course, availability and eligibility rules are met.
Require Promo Code means the customer must enter the code during public checkout and meet the same rules.
If you choose Require Promo Code, enter the required Promo Code.
4. Choose the courses
In Applies To, choose one option:
All courses
All courses except..., then use Exclude these courses
Specific courses only, then use Select courses
Courses in specific collections, then use Select collections
5. Add optional eligibility criteria
Leave Criteria empty if no additional checkout or customer rules are needed. Select Add Criteria to add one of these fields:
Checkout Total
Checkout Spaces
Contact Tag
Organisation Tag
Choose the operator and value for each rule. Use Add Condition for another rule in the same group, or Add Group for grouped AND/OR logic.
Example: To apply a Discount only when the checkout total is over £100, add Checkout Total, choose is greater than, and enter 100.
6. Set the availability
In Availability, choose one option:
Fixed Dates uses the From and to date fields and the selected timezone. Leave both dates empty to keep the Discount available without a fixed start or end date.
Relative to Course Start uses Available starting and Available until. Each number is the number of whole days before the course starts.
Courses without a selected start date: Relative availability cannot be calculated when the booking has no course start date. Use Fixed Dates for on-demand or other no-date courses.
7. Choose what customers can see
In Visibility, choose whether to:
Show discount on qualifying course page
Show discount on qualifying course checkouts
Add an optional public Label and Description.
Visibility does not control eligibility: These checkboxes only advertise the Discount. Hiding a Discount set to Automatically does not stop it applying. A displayed Discount is not guaranteed to apply because checkout totals, spaces, contact tags and organisation tags are evaluated later in checkout.
8. Save the Discount
Review every section.
Select Create Discount.
Confirm that Discount created appears.
To make a later change, open Discounts, select the Discount, change its settings and select Save Discount. To remove it, select Delete and confirm Delete.
What customers see
Public course page and checkout
If the relevant Visibility option is enabled, the public course page or checkout can show the Discount's Label and Description. The final eligibility decision is still made during checkout.
Discounts set to Automatically appear at the Payment step under Discounts Applied: when their rules are met. The order summary shows each amount deducted.
Use a promo code during public checkout
Start a new booking from the course provider's public course page.
Continue to the Payment step. The step number can vary if the checkout includes Sign In.
Open Apply promo code or gift card.
Enter the code in Enter code....
Select Apply.
Confirm that Voucher applied successfully! appears and check the updated total.
A customer can enter one promo code or Gift Card at a time. Discounts set to Automatically may also apply when their rules are met.
Invoices and payment links: A customer cannot enter a promo code on an invoice or payment link. An administrator may instead edit the order and choose the saved Discount if the order's price can still be changed.
Apply a Discount to an order
A System Admin can choose a saved Discount while creating or editing an order. This includes a Discount set to Require Promo Code. The administrator selects the Discount and does not type the code.
When creating an order
Open Orders.
Select New Order.
Add the customer, course and spaces.
In the totals, select Add Discount.
Select the saved Discount and check the updated total.
Complete the order using the relevant Create Order action.
When editing an existing order
Open Orders and select the existing order.
Select Edit Order.
In the totals, select Add Discount.
Select the saved Discount.
Select Review Changes….
Check the preview and select Apply Changes.
If the order already has one or more Discounts, remove them first. Add Discount appears when no Discount remains.
What Add Discount shows: It lists saved Discounts that match the selected course and date. This includes Discounts set to Automatically and Discounts set to Require Promo Code. The administrator selects the Discount instead of entering its promo code.
Check the Discount before applying it manually: Add Discount does not use Checkout Total, Checkout Spaces, Contact Tag or Organisation Tag criteria to decide what appears. Confirm that the Discount is appropriate for the order before saving it.
Add Discount does not apply Gift Cards: A Gift Card is not a Discount. Use the Gift Cards guide instead.
When an order cannot be repriced: Discounts and VAT are locked after money has been received on the order or when its charges are split across multiple issued invoices. When money has been received, use Add Credit Note from the invoice's More menu to reduce the remaining balance, or refund a payment from its ⋯ menu. Contact Cademy Support if the charges are split across multiple issued invoices.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between a Discount and a promo code?
A Discount is the saved rule that reduces the price. A promo code is the code a customer enters to use a Discount set to Require Promo Code.
Can a Discount apply without a promo code?
Yes. Choose Automatically. The Discount applies without a code when its course, availability and eligibility rules are met.
Can a Discount require a promo code?
Yes. Choose Require Promo Code and enter the required Promo Code. The customer must enter that code during public checkout.
Why is a promo code not accepted?
Check that the customer is using a new public checkout for the provider and course covered by the Discount. Check the code, availability dates, course rules and any checkout, contact or organisation criteria. If it still cannot be applied, contact Cademy Support.
Can a customer enter a promo code on an invoice or payment link?
No. The customer code field is available during a new public checkout. If an order already exists, a System Admin can choose the saved Discount while editing the order if its price can still be changed. Do not ask the customer to create another booking.
Can an administrator use a Discount that requires a promo code?
Yes. Select the saved Discount with Add Discount while creating or editing an eligible order. The administrator does not need to type the promo code.
Can Add Discount apply a Gift Card?
No. Add Discount lists saved Discounts. Gift Cards are separate and hold a reusable monetary balance.
Can multiple Discounts apply together?
During public checkout, multiple Discounts set to Automatically can apply together. One Discount used through a promo code may also apply. When an administrator uses Add Discount, they select one saved Discount.
Can a Discount use checkout totals or the number of spaces?
Yes. Add Checkout Total or Checkout Spaces in Criteria, then choose the required operator and value.
Can a Discount be limited by customer or organisation?
Yes. Use Contact Tag or Organisation Tag criteria.
Can a Discount be limited to selected courses?
Yes. Use Specific courses only, All courses except... or Courses in specific collections.
What happens if no Fixed Dates are set?
The Discount has no fixed start or end date. Its other course and eligibility rules still apply.
Can Relative to Course Start be used for an on-demand course?
Only when the booking has a selected course start date. Use Fixed Dates when there is no start date.
Can a hidden Discount still apply automatically?
Yes. The Visibility checkboxes control what is advertised, not whether the Discount is eligible.
Does a visible Discount always apply?
No. A course page cannot confirm later checkout totals, spaces or customer tags. The final eligibility check happens during checkout.