How do promo codes work — and why was one declined?
Create promo codes to discount a payment or subscription. A code is declined when it's expired, out of uses, below the minimum order, wrong currency, first-time-only, or already used by that customer.
Promo codes let a customer apply a discount at checkout. You create them in Online payments → Promo codes, set the rules (validity, usage limits, currency, minimum order), and share the code. When a customer’s code is rejected, it’s always because one of those rules wasn’t met — here’s the full list.
Why a promo code gets declined
- “Expired” or disabled — the code’s validity window has passed, or you’ve turned it off.
- Redemption limit reached — the code has hit its total number of uses.
- Below the minimum order — the order is smaller than the code’s minimum spend.
- Currency mismatch — the code is set for a different currency than the payment.
- First-time customers only — the code only works for a customer’s first purchase.
- Already redeemed by this customer — a one-per-customer code they’ve used before.
- Can’t be combined — the code can’t be stacked with another promotion on the same order.
Fixing a decline
Check the code against these rules first — most declines are an expired code or a minimum-order gap. If the customer should qualify and the code still won’t apply, confirm the code’s settings in Promo codes, or issue them a fresh code.
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