If you have ever shopped online, there is a good chance that you saw a box on the checkout page asking you to enter a coupon code. This is because online retailers and those involved with e-commerce, use coupon codes, also known as a promo code, to incentivize potential shoppers to purchase things. So what is a coupon code you ask?
A coupon code is a computer generated code that can consists of both numbers and letters, that once entered into the appropriate place, will entitle a consumer to some sort of discount on their purchase.
Different Types of Coupon Codes
While most of the coupon codes available will offer you some sort of discount towards your purchases online, there are several different types of discounts that a coupon code is able to provide for you. For example, some coupon codes will get you a specific dollar amount off your entire purchase, while other coupon codes will get you a certain percentage off of your entire purchase order. There are even coupon codes that entitle the purchaser to get free shipping on their order.
While they are mainly known as a coupon code, there are a few other phrases that online retailers will use to describe the coupon code, but rest assured that they all mean the same thing. These phrases include: promo code, offer code, promotional code, discount code, digital coupon, gift code, and some other similar variations as well.
Why Do Merchants Use Coupon Codes?
While there are a number of different reasons why an online merchant may want to use coupon codes, the main reason is to incentivize potential customers and shoppers to take action and make a purchase. When you think about it, it makes complete sense. Would you rather purchase an item online at it’s regular price, or purchase the same item from a different site that is offering you an extra discount as well?
Even though most of the online retailers have a section for you to enter a coupon code, this does not necessarily mean that they will offer you the coupon code directly from their online store. Instead, you will find that many online retailers will instead have the coupon codes listed within some sort of affiliate program, or even keep them reserved to special ‘member-only’ type promotions that they send out through their email newsletters or blog posts. Some retailers have even gone as far as placing their coupon codes in actual print advertising, such as magazines and newspapers.
Finding Coupon Codes
If you are interested in finding yourself some coupon codes for discounts when you shop online, there are several different websites that share new coupon codes. They include websites like:
- Coupons.com
- RetailMeNot
- Coupon Cabin
These sites typically post thousands of coupon codes from retailers around the world. If you do decided that you need to find a coupon code, you usually can by searching the above listed sites and looking for the online retailer you would like the discount code from.
