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The Coupons Help Thread

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    sskoutassskoutas Registered Users Posts: 437 Major grins
    edited December 8, 2009
    Andy wrote:
    for now, yes.

    Thanks, Andy. I appreciate the reply.
    __________________
    Stephen Skoutas
    http://stephenskoutas.com
    sskoutas@gmail.com Certe, toto, sentio nos in kansate non iam adesse

    Please feel free to retouch and repost my images. Critique, Suggestions, and Technique tips always welcomed.
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    takeflightphototakeflightphoto Registered Users Posts: 194 Major grins
    edited December 8, 2009
    Grabbing Coupon with ZScreen
    Here's a sweet way to get the coupon off the page. :D

    Download ZScreen: http://code.google.com/p/zscreen/

    Once you get your coupon built and the graphic is the way you want it, use the HotKey combination of Ctrl-PrtScn to get a set of crosshairs. Use the crosshairs to crop the coupon out of the wizard and send to your clipboard. Crtl-V to paste into your email, website, facebook, whatever as a png file. wings.gifclap.gifwings.gif
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    richturkrichturk Registered Users Posts: 100 Major grins
    edited December 8, 2009
    send e-mail or cut and paste of coupon
    Thanks. I'll try it . but why should I?
    Why can't smugmug enable us to send it as an e-mail or easily cut and paste into an e-mail? is it security?

    It's just not very cool sending a message saying "hey, here's 10.00 off, my photos" and btw, key in xys22. People respond to visuals which is why we get so many discount codes in our e-mail that well actually look like **coupons**

    everyone up the chain makes money on this, no???

    rt


    quote=takeflightphoto]Here's a sweet way to get the coupon off the page. :D

    Download ZScreen: http://code.google.com/p/zscreen/

    Once you get your coupon built and the graphic is the way you want it, use the HotKey combination of Ctrl-PrtScn to get a set of crosshairs. Use the crosshairs to crop the coupon out of the wizard and send to your clipboard. Crtl-V to paste into your email, website, facebook, whatever as a png file. wings.gifclap.gifwings.gif[/quote]
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    JohnBiggsJohnBiggs Registered Users Posts: 841 Major grins
    edited December 8, 2009
    Thank you Smugmug for the coupons. Now I have nothing to complain about....

    Requests.
    At least initially allow us to restrict coupons to one of the three categories (Prints, Products, Downloads) The reason is I don't mark up products that much and any coupon I offer will cause me to loose money if they order products. I'm actually considering removing all product offerings from all galleries because of this.

    Allow the coupon creation page to have a different option for the code box. Put a check box next to it that randomly fills in the coupon code and has a place to put the number of codes to generate for the same coupon. Automatically this would mean each coupon only applies once.

    On the generated coupon graphic place the text *does not apply to shipping*. It doesn't make sense to leave it off if that's how it works. That just means we all have to explain this every time since it's not there.
    Canon Gear: 5D MkII, 30D, 85 1.2 L, 70-200 2.8 IS L, 17-40mm f4 L, 50 1.4, 580EX, 2x 580EXII, Canon 1.4x TC, 300 f4 IS L, 100mm 2.8 Macro, 100-400 IS L
    Other Gear: Olympus E-PL1, Pan 20 1.7, Fuji 3D Camera, Lensbaby 2.0, Tamron 28-75 2.8, Alien Bees lighting, CyberSyncs, Domke, HONL, FlipIt.
    ~ Gear Pictures
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    sellissellis Registered Users Posts: 192 Major grins
    edited December 9, 2009
    proof delay glitch or me???
    I gave my cousin 50% off photos of her kids. When I got the email that she had ordered, I went to submit the order since I have a three day proof delay, but the order already went through. Granted, I was watching TV at the time, but I'm preeeeety sure I didn't hit the button yet. ne_nau.gif

    Was this a fluke? A glitch? Or just me?

    No other orders have come in yet, so I can't compare. Has that happened to anyone else?

    Sam
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    AnneMcBeanAnneMcBean Registered Users Posts: 503 Major grins
    edited December 9, 2009
    sellis wrote:
    I gave my cousin 50% off photos of her kids. When I got the email that she had ordered, I went to submit the order since I have a three day proof delay, but the order already went through. Granted, I was watching TV at the time, but I'm preeeeety sure I didn't hit the button yet. ne_nau.gif

    Was this a fluke? A glitch? Or just me?

    No other orders have come in yet, so I can't compare. Has that happened to anyone else?

    Sam
    Hmm.. well I never want to dismiss the possibility of a glitch, but our system is showing you clicking the button to send that order to the lab with the following time stamp (Pacific):
    2009-12-09 05:23:12

    Possible?

    EDITED TO ADD: Do you want me to try and catch this and cancel it for you? The lab you chose has a wicked fast turnaround but I'd be happy to try if it's needed.

    -Anne
    SmugMug Support Hero
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    sellissellis Registered Users Posts: 192 Major grins
    edited December 9, 2009
    AnneMcBean wrote:
    Hmm.. well I never want to dismiss the possibility of a glitch, but our system is showing you clicking the button to send that order to the lab with the following time stamp (Pacific):
    2009-12-09 05:23:12

    Possible?

    EDITED TO ADD: Do you want me to try and catch this and cancel it for you? The lab you chose has a wicked fast turnaround but I'd be happy to try if it's needed.
    -Anne
    SmugMug Support Hero

    Anne,
    First, no need to cancel the order, I had done the retouching before she placed the order. Thank you anyway.
    That time stamp doesn't make sense though. My email and record of the order shows that she ordered at 10:02 pm Eastern. I immediately went on to submit the order, and like I said, I didn't think I had submitted it but within a few minutes of the order the page said the order was processing. It doesn't make sense that it shows that I hit submit at 5:23 this morning, that would be 8:23 am here on the east coast and that's after I posted here.
    Thanks for looking into it. The only other coupon I set up is for 20% off and one of the disclaimers is that no retouching is done on them. So if someone else places an order and this happens, it won't be a big deal. I'd be curious if anyone else experiences this though. There will be times when this will be an important factor.

    EDIT: My wife submitted it this morning. But that doesn't explain why it was showing that it was submitted immediately after the order was placed. EDIT AGAIN: It's not going to be processed twice is it?


    Sam
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    ooopieooopie Registered Users Posts: 1 Beginner grinner
    edited December 9, 2009
    disable digital downloads
    So what do I do if I want to let certain customers print at cost, but not allow them to get tons of digital downloaded copies to float around out there?

    thanks
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    AnneMcBeanAnneMcBean Registered Users Posts: 503 Major grins
    edited December 9, 2009
    sellis wrote:
    Anne,
    First, no need to cancel the order, I had done the retouching before she placed the order. Thank you anyway.
    That time stamp doesn't make sense though. My email and record of the order shows that she ordered at 10:02 pm Eastern. I immediately went on to submit the order, and like I said, I didn't think I had submitted it but within a few minutes of the order the page said the order was processing. It doesn't make sense that it shows that I hit submit at 5:23 this morning, that would be 8:23 am here on the east coast and that's after I posted here.
    Thanks for looking into it. The only other coupon I set up is for 20% off and one of the disclaimers is that no retouching is done on them. So if someone else places an order and this happens, it won't be a big deal. I'd be curious if anyone else experiences this though. There will be times when this will be an important factor.

    EDIT: My wife submitted it this morning. But that doesn't explain why it was showing that it was submitted immediately after the order was placed. EDIT AGAIN: It's not going to be processed twice is it?


    Sam

    Hi Sam, the original timestamp on the order was:
    2009-12-08 19:02:32 Pacific


    Were you maybe looking at the sales history page rather than the individual order page? The sales history page is currently misleading with proof delay orders. It says "processing and printing" when it should say "in proof delay". I'm sorry if that threw you. We're getting that fixed soon.

    This order will only process once, no worries.

    -Anne
    SmugMug Support Hero
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    AnneMcBeanAnneMcBean Registered Users Posts: 503 Major grins
    edited December 9, 2009
    ooopie wrote:
    So what do I do if I want to let certain customers print at cost, but not allow them to get tons of digital downloaded copies to float around out there?

    thanks

    That's a good question. One idea would be to make a "exclude digital downloads" option on the coupon.

    In the meantime, remember that if downloads aren't normally available for purchase in a gallery, they won't be available even with an "at cost" coupon. Probably not a viable solution for all cases, though.

    -Anne
    SmugMug Support Hero
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    CindyCindy Registered Users Posts: 542 Major grins
    edited December 10, 2009
    Concern about % & $ off if applied towards products
    In reviewing the coupons and the way they stand right now... I don't see anyway I can use the % or $ off unless I dissable products (which I really don't want to do). The products high initial cost leaves very little to no room for profit... if a client applies 20% off on almost any of the products, I'll be paying out of pocket... can't take that risk.

    Print Credits & At Cost: I don't care what the client buys... it's the same $ either way.

    % & $ off: I'd like to request that smugmug please make a way for us to have coupons apply towards prints only - excluding all products ASAP.

    EDIT: In the meantime I will be reviewing my product pricing structure... maybe mark up crazy high to cover the cost of the highest %off I'd like to use. $'s off still would be risky I think.
    Cindy Colbert (Utterback) • Wishing You Co-Bear Love, Hugs & Laughter!!!
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    jfriendjfriend Registered Users Posts: 8,097 Major grins
    edited December 10, 2009
    Cindy wrote:
    In reviewing the coupons and the way they stand right now... I don't see anyway I can use the % or $ off unless I dissable products (which I really don't want to do). The products high initial cost leaves very little to no room for profit... if a client applies 20% off on almost any of the products, I'll be paying out of pocket... can't take that risk.

    Print Credits & At Cost: I don't care what the client buys... it's the same $ either way.

    % & $ off: I'd like to request that smugmug please make a way for us to have coupons apply towards prints only - excluding all products ASAP.

    EDIT: In the meantime I will be reviewing my product pricing structure... maybe mark up crazy high to cover the cost of the highest %off I'd like to use. $'s off still would be risky I think.
    Isn't the solution here for you to mark up the prices on the products to a point where you still make money when you give your customers a reasonable discount?
    --John
    HomepagePopular
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    CindyCindy Registered Users Posts: 542 Major grins
    edited December 10, 2009
    jfriend wrote:
    Isn't the solution here for you to mark up the prices on the products to a point where you still make money when you give your customers a reasonable discount?

    Yes & as said above I will be reviewing & doing so but...
    The products (I think) very high initial cost already leaves very little to no room for profit... when in truth (no haters here I'm just saying) I can buy the same personalized photo products from other quality labs at a much more reasonable/profitable price. So marking them crazy high in order to make a profit PLUS to cover any coupons I put out there is really tough to sell &/or market.
    Cindy Colbert (Utterback) • Wishing You Co-Bear Love, Hugs & Laughter!!!
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    jfriendjfriend Registered Users Posts: 8,097 Major grins
    edited December 10, 2009
    Cindy wrote:
    Yes & as said above I will be reviewing & doing so but...
    The products (I think) very high initial cost already leaves very little to no room for profit... when in truth (no haters here I'm just saying) I can buy the same personalized photo products from other quality labs at a much more reasonable/profitable price. So marking them crazy high in order to make a profit PLUS to cover any coupons I put out there is really tough to sell &/or market.
    I see. I guess you're either asking for more reasonably priced products or the ability to have coupons not apply to products.

    There is a general theme on coupons that people want the ability to control what they apply to (not to digital downloads, not to products, only to a particular gallery or category, 20% off prints only, etc...). Hopefully Smugmug will put that on their list.

    If you don't sell many products or don't make much money off them, you could just stop offering them at all by setting their price to $0 and then you could use coupons the way you want to drive your print sales.
    --John
    HomepagePopular
    JFriend's javascript customizationsSecrets for getting fast answers on Dgrin
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    lynnesitelynnesite Registered Users Posts: 747 Major grins
    edited December 10, 2009
    I appreciate getting the coupons.

    I would also like the ability to exclude merchandise (still using EZ Prints for events, though I'll probably switch over to Bay for events eventually.) My T shirts for example are priced at $25. Got an order for two of them today, after smuggy's piece the profit is $13-something. If she'd used the 20% coupon she had access to, profit would be even lower--it's true I have my wearable gift items priced very low as it has benefited me marketing-wise to have it that way. I have more traditional profit margins on prints and downloads aren't even enabled since they can't have proof delay.
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    timk519timk519 Registered Users Posts: 831 Major grins
    edited December 10, 2009
    AnneMcBean wrote:
    One idea would be to make a "exclude digital downloads" option on the coupon.
    Or checkboxes for the user to select that it applies to print/product/download/future category.
    • Save $5 off your first year's SmugMug image hosting with coupon code hccesQbqNBJbc
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    MoxMox Registered Users Posts: 313 Major grins
    edited December 10, 2009
    Products
    I think of products as boutique items. Yes, clients can get photo mugs elsewhere, but they can't get them with images I took of them unless they first purchase the digital file, which makes it pretty expensive.

    As much as I love working with SmugMug, I also have an inherent distaste for putting my images out there for SmugMug and EZ Prints to profit off of when I won't. For that reason, I've priced all the merchandise at an amount that I personally find ridiculous, and would be hard pressed to spend, with the thought that it won't sell. When it does, it's a bonus. For that reason, even with my 15 & 20% coupons, I've still made some profit off of them.
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    sellissellis Registered Users Posts: 192 Major grins
    edited December 10, 2009
    AnneMcBean wrote:
    Hi Sam, the original timestamp on the order was:
    2009-12-08 19:02:32 Pacific


    Were you maybe looking at the sales history page rather than the individual order page? The sales history page is currently misleading with proof delay orders. It says "processing and printing" when it should say "in proof delay". I'm sorry if that threw you. We're getting that fixed soon.

    This order will only process once, no worries.

    -Anne
    SmugMug Support Hero

    Thanks Anne. I clicked on the link from the email SM sends, so unless it took me to the wrong page, that's not the problem. No worries though. Nobody else seems to have had the issue, so I'm guessing it was a fluke/glitch.

    Sam
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    JohnBiggsJohnBiggs Registered Users Posts: 841 Major grins
    edited December 10, 2009
    I don't mark up products either.

    1. Products already have a high initial cost.
    2. Prints on products are never as high of a quality as prints on paper
    3. Products wear out and seen more disposible by customers (a T-shirt can only take so many trips through the washer)
    4. Making products insanely priced will make the buyer possibly consider you over priced even when you are not.

    Hypothetically.
    If I decide my license fee for a 5x7 image of mine is $5 then I can sell the 5x7 for $5.99. If they take 25% off of that fee I still make $3 or so.

    Now I put the same 5x7 on a t-shirt. $15.99 for the shirt + $5 for my license fee = $21. They take 25% off of that $21 and I actually loose 25 cents.

    Why should I have to jack my licencing fees because it is now printed at inferior quality on a t-shirt that will wear out in less than 2 years.

    I'm just going to turn off the products on all galleries until this is fixed because I don't even charge $5 markup on the products. It's just not right.
    Canon Gear: 5D MkII, 30D, 85 1.2 L, 70-200 2.8 IS L, 17-40mm f4 L, 50 1.4, 580EX, 2x 580EXII, Canon 1.4x TC, 300 f4 IS L, 100mm 2.8 Macro, 100-400 IS L
    Other Gear: Olympus E-PL1, Pan 20 1.7, Fuji 3D Camera, Lensbaby 2.0, Tamron 28-75 2.8, Alien Bees lighting, CyberSyncs, Domke, HONL, FlipIt.
    ~ Gear Pictures
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    troutstreamingtroutstreaming Registered Users Posts: 116 Major grins
    edited December 10, 2009
    Thanks for getting the initial version of the coupons out! It has been long awaited.clap.gif

    That said - unfortunately the current implementation only covers one of the scenarios that I have been manually working around : extending a blanket percentage discount to a customer.

    As others have mentioned greater control of product/gallery/shipping address would all be welcome, but in my case I am most interested in using coupons to:
    - reward certain customers for just being good customers. The current coupons do that with the aggravation of needing to produce individual coupons for each customer for one use throw away 'thank for being a good customer/booking me/referring me' situations.
    - encourage customers to order specific products (the metal prints and high end canvas prints for instance). Not doable without product specific capabilities as meaningful discounts on those products would swamp lower priced offerings and if I just reprice them in the gallery then no one thinks they are getting a great deal.
    - reward customers that buy large amounts by offering a generic percentage discount on big orders (I guess the current system with very high minimum order size would covers this) But I often do this on a 'buy 8 of one size get 2 free' basis so again need per more per product specificity
    - encourage the ordering of additional products based on the same image file to maximize the 'profit per post-processing effort' for an individual image file as I can eat some of the standard mark-up for additional products at the same 'size' or smaller based on the same image.
    - an extension to the buy something get something concept like offering a 'free' product of a specific size with any order.
    - buy a specific item at a specific price that is different than the standard shopping cart price (get an 11x14 at 8x10 prices if you sign up at the booth) Again, just repricing the entire gallery loses that excitement of getting a great deal with the coupon.

    Thanks again for launching the coupons V1 - now on to extending them!

    Andy

    PS Coupon vs Package - I much prefer that my customers order what they want rather than shipping some product that might not actually have been desired in order to realize savings on the products that they really wanted that are also included.
    www.troutstreaming.com
    Outdoor and Sports Media
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    UWsmuggerUWsmugger Registered Users Posts: 16 Big grins
    edited December 10, 2009
    Andy wrote:
    We may add such a feature, but here's one way right now

    20091204-efiwtdauw2ty7w23rfendibq9x.jpg

    Thank you Andy for providing me with a copy. I really appreciate it and all the hard work you and the SmugMug team has done. If you look back over this calendar year I think you've set an enhancement record with all of the major upgrades and helpful changes to the SmugMug service, SmugMug's web site and all for the goal of our web sites and the services we can offer through them.

    As a SmugMug customer it says volumes...even though you have a great product you're not standing pat. That's exactly what great businesses do, which in turn makes them very successful. thumb.gif

    To all at SmugMug, job well done, exhale, take a break, and enJOY this wonderful Christmas season!

    Blessings,

    Tom

    PS

    Tomorrow I'm picking up my Canon 7D package (comes with a Canon EF-S 18-135 IS lens) and going out and having a blast with it! wings.gif To make it even sweeter, just as my camera order came in, our local camera store started a 3 day promo on this package and is not charging sales tax, so the whole enchilada is $1999. deal.gif
    UWsmugger :thumb

    Canon 7D & 20D;
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    UWsmuggerUWsmugger Registered Users Posts: 16 Big grins
    edited December 10, 2009
    Cindy wrote:
    Yes & as said above I will be reviewing & doing so but...
    The products (I think) very high initial cost already leaves very little to no room for profit... when in truth (no haters here I'm just saying) I can buy the same personalized photo products from other quality labs at a much more reasonable/profitable price. So marking them crazy high in order to make a profit PLUS to cover any coupons I put out there is really tough to sell &/or market.


    I know this isn't fool proof, but what I'm putting on my coupons (whether $ or %) is a clarification of what the coupon is for. Here is one of my % coupons:

    As a Way of Saying "Thanks for Your Business with PhotoWorksSGV" here's a Special Holiday Gift for You on all photos! (Please note: This does not apply to shipping)

    So I'm clarifying for them it's for photos only and also letting them know that the % discount doesn't apply to shipping. Now, I have to trust they will use it that way but I think most will and to be honest, for me, sales on products are very rare as they are too expensive. If they apply it to downloads that's fine. In fact, now that I'm think about it, I'm going to add that in there...photo's & downloads. Talking things through helps!

    Again, not fool proof, just a thought.
    UWsmugger :thumb

    Canon 7D & 20D;
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    tjl1388tjl1388 Registered Users Posts: 94 Big grins
    edited December 11, 2009
    Coupon question
    I know I have to be missing this right in front of my nose but how do I send my customers the coupons once I make them. I know I can send them to the coupon code but what of all the fancy wording that makes up the coupon?

    Thanks in advance.
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    AndyAndy Registered Users Posts: 50,016 Major grins
    edited December 11, 2009
    tjl1388 wrote:
    I know I have to be missing this right in front of my nose but how do I send my customers the coupons once I make them. I know I can send them to the coupon code but what of all the fancy wording that makes up the coupon?

    Thanks in advance.
    For now, make a screen grab if you want the graphic. We're building in a 'print' function at somepoint.
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    RBrogenRBrogen Registered Users Posts: 1,518 Major grins
    edited December 12, 2009
    Andy wrote:
    For now, make a screen grab if you want the graphic. We're building in a 'print' function at somepoint.

    Andy et al SM Gurus: THANK YOU for the COUPON feature. This is WONDERFUL!!!clap.gifclapclap.gifthumbthumb.gifthumb
    Randy Brogen, CPP
    www.brogen.com

    Member: PPA , PPANE, PPAM & NAPP
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    teamnoirteamnoir Registered Users Posts: 2 Beginner grinner
    edited December 19, 2009
    Wishlist
    I wish coupons could be restricted to particular products and also to particular galleries.

    For example, I'd like to issue coupons to my models to allow them to download at cost - but only for the galleries which include them and they can still pay regular price for prints.
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    CindyCindy Registered Users Posts: 542 Major grins
    edited December 19, 2009
    teamnoir wrote:
    I wish coupons could be restricted to particular products and also to particular galleries.

    For example, I'd like to issue coupons to my models to allow them to download at cost - but only for the galleries which include them and they can still pay regular price for prints.

    Have you voted for it on smugmugs uservoice? If not the direct link to vote is: http://bit.ly/4Lwa4m
    Cindy Colbert (Utterback) • Wishing You Co-Bear Love, Hugs & Laughter!!!
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    jswhighamjswhigham Registered Users Posts: 23 Big grins
    edited December 21, 2009
    Print Credit question
    Are the print credit coupons single use? Say I want to give coupons to 4 recipients, do I need to create a seperate coupon code for each recipient, or is Smugmug able to track them by other criteria?
    Scott Whigham
    Whigham Photography, LLC
    www.whighamphotography.com
    www.altashot.com
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    CarnageCarnage Registered Users Posts: 8 Big grins
    edited December 21, 2009
    jswhigham wrote:
    Are the print credit coupons single use? Say I want to give coupons to 4 recipients, do I need to create a seperate coupon code for each recipient, or is Smugmug able to track them by other criteria?

    Hi Scott,

    Thanks for contacting SmugMug.

    Whoever you send the coupon code to will be able to use the coupon. If you have any more questions please ask.

    Have a Nice Day :)
    Anthony
    Support Hero
    help@smugmug.com
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    AnneMcBeanAnneMcBean Registered Users Posts: 503 Major grins
    edited December 21, 2009
    jswhigham wrote:
    Are the print credit coupons single use? Say I want to give coupons to 4 recipients, do I need to create a seperate coupon code for each recipient, or is Smugmug able to track them by other criteria?

    For At-cost, $ off, and % off:
    Yeah, we don't yet limit 1 per customer at all. I'm not sure how we'd implement that in the future, maybe tie it to an email address? People would still be able to game the system, but the vast majority would be guided to use the coupon as intended.


    With print credits, it is JUST like a gift card. So you don't want to give that to more than one person. They would each eat away at the gift card's total with their orders. Make sense?

    -Anne
    SmugMug Support Hero
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