A voucher is a code that a contact redeems for an offer. In Mapp Engage, you send vouchers as coupon codes or as barcodes. You manage both in the Voucher Manager.
Coupons and Barcodes
Type | What the recipient gets | Typical use |
|---|---|---|
Coupon | An alphanumeric code that the recipient enters manually | Online redemption, for example at checkout in an online shop |
Barcode | A scannable image | Redemption in physical stores or at the point of sale |
Choose the type based on where the voucher is redeemed and how your shop or point-of-sale system processes it. Barcodes let you link digital campaigns with redemptions that happen offline.
Typical use cases:
Email campaigns with individual discount codes
In-store offers with scannable barcodes
Welcome messages with a special offer
Win-back campaigns with personal incentives
Triggered vouchers based on contact behavior, for example after a cart abandonment
Where the Codes Come From
The codes are usually created in an external system, such as your online shop or CRM. You can also generate them yourself. You then import them into a coupon list in Mapp Engage. The coupon list is the source for coupons and for barcodes based on coupon codes.
The system that creates the codes also controls whether a code is valid when it is redeemed, for example its expiry date or whether it can be used more than once.
How Codes Are Assigned
When you insert a coupon list into a message, Mapp Engage adds a placeholder. During sendout, it replaces the placeholder with a code from the list:
Each recipient receives a different code.
Each code is sent only once.
If the placeholder of the same coupon list appears several times in a message, the recipient sees the same code in each place.
To send several different codes in one message, use a separate coupon list for each code.
Test messages and previews do not use real codes. They show the preview text of the coupon list instead, so your codes are kept for the actual sendout. You define the preview text in the settings of the coupon list.
When a Coupon List Runs Out
Each coupon list defines what happens when there are not enough codes for all recipients. You select this in the setting Insufficient Number of Coupons:
Display Alternative Text: For recipients without a code, Mapp Engage replaces the coupon with the alternative text of the list.
Pause Sendout: Mapp Engage pauses the sendout. After you import more codes, you can resume it.
To avoid running out, set up a reminder that notifies you when the list runs low. With Display Alternative Text, you can also show other content to recipients without a code. For details, see Create and Manage Coupon Lists and Adapt Message Content Based on Coupon Availability.
Forwarded Messages
How a coupon behaves in a forwarded message depends on how the contact forwards it:
With the Forward Message link of Mapp Engage, the new recipient receives a new code from the same list, as long as codes are available. Mapp Engage tracks the forward.
With the forward function of the email client, the new recipient sees the original code. This code may already have been redeemed, and Mapp Engage cannot track the forward.
You can also hide the coupon in forwarded messages. For details, see Insert a Link to Forward an Email Message.
Barcodes
A barcode turns a value into a scannable image. Mapp Engage can take the value from one of these sources:
A coupon list: Each recipient receives a barcode of their own coupon code. Use this for unique, trackable offers.
A custom attribute: The barcode shows a value from the contact profile, for example a membership or customer number.
A fixed value: All recipients receive the same barcode, for example for a general in-store promotion.
Barcodes are saved and can be reused in several messages. You insert them with Mapp Engage Variables. A barcode with a fixed value can also be saved as a content element in the Content Store and inserted from there.
For the available formats, see Barcode Types. To create a barcode, see Create a Barcode.
After Sendout
Mapp Engage records which code was sent to which contact. You can export this information with a coupon export. See Create and Generate a Coupon Export.
Codes are redeemed in your shop or point-of-sale system. Combine the export with the redemption data from that system to see who redeemed an offer. You can use this information for segments, for follow-up campaigns, or to measure the success of a campaign.