Management Center: Create a buy catalog entries from category X, get catalog entry Y free promotion

Operate > IBM Management Center for WebSphere Commerce > Promotions tool > Work with promotions > Create promotions > Creating catalog entry level promotions

Creating a buy catalog entries from category X, get catalog entry Y free promotion

This promotion type rewards a purchase of a catalog entry from the selected category with a free catalog entry.
Promotion summary
Purchase condition Order contains a specified number of catalog entries from a category.
Reward A free catalog entry.
Examples of promotions based on this promotion type

Buy 2 or more items from the Table Glasses category, get a decanter for free.

Buy items from any category (excluding Clearance items), get a decanter for free.

Procedure

Open the Promotions tool.

From the toolbar, click New. The Promotion Type Selector window displays.

In the left pane, select the Category promotions folder.

In the right pane, select Buy catalog entries from category X, get catalog entry Y free; then click OK.

In the Promotion Properties section, define general information about the promotion:

Option Description
Administrative name Type a name that uniquely identifies the promotion. This name is displayed in the Promotions tool to identify the promotion.
Redemption method
Select the redemption method that customers must use to apply the promotion to their order. You can choose from the following options:

Qualifying purchase

Customers who have met the purchase conditions will automatically qualify for the promotion; no promotion code or coupon is required.

Requires promotion codes

Customers must enter a promotion code to have the promotion applied to their order.

In the promotion code specification:

Public promotion codes are promotion codes that can be reused by any customer, provided they know the promotion code.
To create public promotion codes:

Select Create public promotion codes to type a reusable public promotion code, for example HOLIDAYPROMO.

Unique promotion codes enable you to prevent customers from sharing promotion codes, and helps ensure that only targeted shoppers are given discounts.
To create unique promotion codes:

Select Simple system-generated unique promotion codes and generate unique promotion codes by entering a prefix, code length, suffix, and the number of unique promotion codes to generate. See Simple system-generated unique promotion codes for more information.

Select Advanced system-generated unique promotion codes and generate unique promotion codes by specifying an advanced pattern of characters to generate promotion codes. See Advanced system-generated unique promotion codes for more information.

Select Using imported promotion codes and search for and select the previously imported promotion codes name using the Utilities view. See Import promotion codes for more information.

Coupon promotion

Customers must possess a virtual coupon. You can make coupons available to customers by using an e-Marketing Spot to display content that has the following predefined click action for a promotion: Add coupon to customer's coupon wallet. Another option is to create a Dialog activity that uses the Issue Coupon action. If the customer applies the coupon when checking out, the promotion is applied to the order. If you select this option, also enter a number of days after which the coupon expires. This expiration date means that customers have a limited time in which to redeem the coupon, starting from when they receive the coupon.

Combination with other promotions
Select the degree to which multiple promotions can be combined. You can choose from the following options:

Combine with other promotions – stackable

This promotion can be combined with all other promotions in an order. In addition, this promotion can be stacked on top of other promotions in the same group, which overrides certain promotion policies. Specifically:

For catalog-entry promotions: If this promotion is applied to an item, additional catalog-entry promotions can be applied to the item.

For shipping promotions: If this promotion is applied to an item, additional shipping promotions can be applied to the item.

For order promotions: If this promotion is applied to the order, additional order promotions can be applied to the order.

Combine with other promotions

This promotion can be combined with all other promotions in an order; however, the following promotion policies apply:

For catalog-entry promotions: If this promotion is applied to an item, no other catalog-entry promotions can be applied to the item.

For shipping promotions: If this promotion is applied to an item, no other shipping promotions can be applied to the item.

For order promotions: If this promotion is applied to the order, no other order promotions can be applied to the order.

Exclusive within selected groups

This option is renamed to: Exclusive within the same group If this promotion is applied, no other promotions from the same promotion group can be applied to the order. For example, if this is a catalog-entry promotion, no other catalog-entry promotions can be applied to the order.

Exclusive within all groups

This option is renamed to: Exclusive within an order If this promotion is applied, no other promotions can be applied to the order.

Priority
Select the priority for the promotion. You can assign a number between 0 (lowest) and 1000 (highest). When a single order qualifies for multiple promotions from the same promotion group, the promotion with the highest priority is evaluated first and then applied if the customer qualifies. In cases where multiple promotions are permitted, the promotions are evaluated and applied in order according to their decreasing priority values. For example, consider a store that offers two order-level promotions:

Get 10% off the order - priority is set to 1

Get $15 off orders over $100 - priority is set to 10

If a customer's order qualifies for both, then only the second promotion is applied, since it has the higher priority of 10 and a single order can qualify for only one order-level promotion.

In the Purchase Condition and Reward section:

In the Categories for "X" field, enter the name of the category to which qualifying catalog entries must belong. You can either enter the category name and click Find and Add, or click the Show utilities view icon to open the utilities view, and then search or browse for the appropriate category.
To exclude a category from the promotion (for example a subcategory of a qualifying category), add the category to the table; then select the check box in the Exclusion column.

In the Attributes of catalog entries for "X" table, specify the attributes that "X" must possess to qualify for the promotion. For example, you could specify that the promotion applies only to catalog entries that have a Manufacturer attribute with a value of either Thiscompany or Thatcompany. Use attributes and values that are already defined in the Catalogs tool:

Above the table, click New. The Attribute page opens.

In the Attribute name field, type the exact name of the attribute as it appears in the Catalogs tool. The attribute name is not case-sensitive.

Select the Data type for the attribute values.

Select the Matching rule for the attribute values.

Above the Values table, click New to add a row to the table.

In the new row, type the attribute value exactly as it appears in the Catalogs tool. The attribute value is not case-sensitive.

To add additional attribute values, click New to add a row to the table; then add the attribute value to the table.
For example, if you want the promotion to apply to all catalog entries for which the Manufacturer attribute has a value of either Thiscompany or Thatcompany, then add two rows to the Values table, one for Thiscompany and another for Thatcompany.

Click Save and Close to return to the promotion properties view.

To add additional attributes, repeat steps 6.b.i to 6.b.viii.

Optional: In the Excluded catalog entries field, enter catalog entries in the selected category that should be excluded from the promotion (for example, a catalog entry belonging to the qualifying category).

In the Minimum purchase (quantity) field, enter the minimum number of catalog entries from the selected category that the order must contain to qualify for the promotion.

In the Free gift catalog entry "Y" field, enter the catalog entry that the promotion will add to the cart of qualifying orders. You can either enter the catalog entry code and click Find and Add, or click the Show utilities view icon to open the utilities view, and then search or browse for the appropriate catalog entry. This could be a SKU or kit. The SKU or kit must be a purchasable item, that is, it must have an offer price defined.
Free gifts are added to the customer’s order during check out. Before checking out, if the customer happens to have a SKU or kit in the cart that is the same as the free gift SKU or kit, then the customer will still be charged for that SKU or kit.

In the Quantity to give for free field, enter the number of gifts that to add to qualifying orders.

Expand the Redemption Limits section. The redemption limit defines the number of times that the promotion can be used, depending on the option you select.

Option Description
Maximum redemptions for this promotion Either select Unlimited, or select Set maximum redemption and then enter the total redemption limit in the Maximum redemptions field.
This option limits the number of times that a promotion can be used in total, by all customers. This could be used to define a loss-leader style of promotion that limits redemption of the promotion to the first 100 qualifying orders. When the maximum redemption limit is reached, the promotion status changes to Suspended the next time the promotion is evaluated.
As each order is evaluated for the promotion, the limit you specify is checked against submitted orders. If multiple orders are being evaluated just before the redemption limit is reached, the number of redeemed promotions can be higher than the limit you specify.
Maximum redemptions on a single order Either select Unlimited, or select Set maximum redemption and then enter the redemption limit per order in the Maximum redemptions field.
This option limits the number of times that a promotion can be used in a single order. This could be used to define a promotion that limits the redemption of the promotion to the first 5 qualifying catalog entries in an order. This option has no effect on order level or shipping promotions.
Maximum redemptions by a single customer Either select Unlimited, or select Set maximum redemption and then enter the redemption limit per customer in the Maximum redemptions field.
This option limits the number of times that a promotion can be used by a single customer. This could be used to define a promotion that limits redemption of the promotion to a single use per customer.

Expand the Schedule section; then set the schedule for the promotion:

Option Description
Start date, End date Enter a Start date and End date for the promotion. If you do not specify a start date, then the start date is set to the current server date at 12:00 a.m. when you save the promotion. If you do not specify an end date, the promotion is in effect until you deactivate it.
Optionally, you can specify a time of day for the Start date and for the End date. For example, you can specify that the promotion starts February 1, 2010 at 7:00 a.m. and ends February 14, 2010 at 10:00 a.m.
These fields use the time zone set in Management Center preferences.
The Start date and End date fields define the continuous period of time that this promotion can be available on the storefront. To further define the schedule within this continuous period, use the Days promotion is available and Time of day promotion is available sections.
Days promotion is available If you want the promotion to be available only on specific days of the week, select Selected days of the week and then select the individual days when the promotion is available.
This setting uses the time zone for the computer where WebSphere Commerce is installed.
Time of day promotion is available If you want the promotion to be available only during a specific block of time each day, select During a specified time and then enter the Start time and End time. For example, for an early bird promotion, you can specify that the promotion starts at 7:00 a.m. and ends at 10:00 a.m. each day.
These fields use the time zone set in Management Center preferences.
Keep in mind that all the schedule conditions must be met for the promotion to be available to customers. Consider the following promotion schedule:
Example promotion schedule
Set for the Start date and End date fields Start date: December 1, 2009 at 12:00 a.m.
End date: December 31, 2009 at 11:59 p.m.
Set for the Days promotion is available section Friday only
Set for the Time of day promotion is available section Start time: 7:00 a.m.
End time: 10:00 a.m.

Based on these settings, this promotion is available to customers on the store only from 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. on Fridays in December 2009. Notice that although the start and end times in the first and third row are different, the promotion is available only during the common window, that is, from 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m.

Optional: Expand the Target Customer Segment section. In the Customer segments table, specify the customer segments to which a customer must belong in order to qualify for the promotion. You can either enter the name of the customer segment and click Find and Add, or click the Show utilities view icon to open the utilities view, and then search or browse for the appropriate customer segments.

Optional: Expand the Miscellaneous section.

Target sales volume
Use this field to record the target sales objective for the promotion. This information is used to record the goal of the promotion.

Click the Descriptions tab. Enter the descriptions as appropriate.

Option Description
Administrative description Enter a description that will be meaningful for business users. This description displays on the Promotions - List page in the Management Center.
Customer viewable short description Enter a short description that will be meaningful for customers. This is typically used on product display pages.
Customer viewable long description Enter a longer description that will be meaningful for customers. This is typically used on promotion details pages to provide information about the promotion that customers might need to understand how to qualify for some promotions.

Click the Descriptions tab. Enter the descriptions as appropriate.

Option Description
Administrative description Enter a description that will be meaningful for business users. This description displays on the Promotions - List page in the Management Center.
Customer viewable short description Enter a short description that will be meaningful for customers. This is typically used on product display pages.
Customer viewable long description Enter a longer description that will be meaningful for customers. This is typically used on promotion details pages to provide information about the promotion that customers might need to understand how to qualify for some promotions.

Click Save to save the promotion, or click Save and Close to close the promotion editor, and return to the updated Promotions - List page. The promotion is displayed in the Promotions - List page, and its Status is set as Inactive.
When activating a promotion that generates codes or imports them from a CSV file, the promotion is set to the Activating state while the backend population occurs. The promotion refreshes every five seconds while it is in this state, providing updated information on the status of the promotion and its code population.
This process can take time, depending on:

The complexity and length of the promotion codes to generate.

The number of unique promotion codes to generate or populate.

The current status is available in the Promotions tool after activating a promotion associated with the generated or imported unique promotion codes.

What to do next
To make the promotion available to customers, activate it.

Related concepts

Promotions

Related tasks

Create promotions
Raise customer awareness for the promotions
Changing promotions
Delete promotions
Copy promotions
Activating or deactivating promotions
Browse for promotions using lists and calendars

Related reference

Promotion type feature matrix

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Option	Description
Administrative name	Type a name that uniquely identifies the promotion. This name is displayed in the Promotions tool to identify the promotion.
Redemption method	Select the redemption method that customers must use to apply the promotion to their order. You can choose from the following options: Qualifying purchase Customers who have met the purchase conditions will automatically qualify for the promotion; no promotion code or coupon is required. Requires promotion codes Customers must enter a promotion code to have the promotion applied to their order. In the promotion code specification: Public promotion codes are promotion codes that can be reused by any customer, provided they know the promotion code. To create public promotion codes: Select Create public promotion codes to type a reusable public promotion code, for example HOLIDAYPROMO. Unique promotion codes enable you to prevent customers from sharing promotion codes, and helps ensure that only targeted shoppers are given discounts. To create unique promotion codes: Select Simple system-generated unique promotion codes and generate unique promotion codes by entering a prefix, code length, suffix, and the number of unique promotion codes to generate. See Simple system-generated unique promotion codes for more information. Select Advanced system-generated unique promotion codes and generate unique promotion codes by specifying an advanced pattern of characters to generate promotion codes. See Advanced system-generated unique promotion codes for more information. Select Using imported promotion codes and search for and select the previously imported promotion codes name using the Utilities view. See Import promotion codes for more information. Coupon promotion Customers must possess a virtual coupon. You can make coupons available to customers by using an e-Marketing Spot to display content that has the following predefined click action for a promotion: Add coupon to customer's coupon wallet. Another option is to create a Dialog activity that uses the Issue Coupon action. If the customer applies the coupon when checking out, the promotion is applied to the order. If you select this option, also enter a number of days after which the coupon expires. This expiration date means that customers have a limited time in which to redeem the coupon, starting from when they receive the coupon.
Combination with other promotions	Select the degree to which multiple promotions can be combined. You can choose from the following options: Combine with other promotions – stackable This promotion can be combined with all other promotions in an order. In addition, this promotion can be stacked on top of other promotions in the same group, which overrides certain promotion policies. Specifically: For catalog-entry promotions: If this promotion is applied to an item, additional catalog-entry promotions can be applied to the item. For shipping promotions: If this promotion is applied to an item, additional shipping promotions can be applied to the item. For order promotions: If this promotion is applied to the order, additional order promotions can be applied to the order. Combine with other promotions This promotion can be combined with all other promotions in an order; however, the following promotion policies apply: For catalog-entry promotions: If this promotion is applied to an item, no other catalog-entry promotions can be applied to the item. For shipping promotions: If this promotion is applied to an item, no other shipping promotions can be applied to the item. For order promotions: If this promotion is applied to the order, no other order promotions can be applied to the order. Exclusive within selected groups This option is renamed to: Exclusive within the same group If this promotion is applied, no other promotions from the same promotion group can be applied to the order. For example, if this is a catalog-entry promotion, no other catalog-entry promotions can be applied to the order. Exclusive within all groups This option is renamed to: Exclusive within an order If this promotion is applied, no other promotions can be applied to the order.
Priority	Select the priority for the promotion. You can assign a number between 0 (lowest) and 1000 (highest). When a single order qualifies for multiple promotions from the same promotion group, the promotion with the highest priority is evaluated first and then applied if the customer qualifies. In cases where multiple promotions are permitted, the promotions are evaluated and applied in order according to their decreasing priority values. For example, consider a store that offers two order-level promotions: Get 10% off the order - priority is set to 1 Get $15 off orders over $100 - priority is set to 10 If a customer's order qualifies for both, then only the second promotion is applied, since it has the higher priority of 10 and a single order can qualify for only one order-level promotion.

Set for the Start date and End date fields	Start date: December 1, 2009 at 12:00 a.m. End date: December 31, 2009 at 11:59 p.m.
Set for the Days promotion is available section	Friday only
Set for the Time of day promotion is available section	Start time: 7:00 a.m. End time: 10:00 a.m.

Option	Description
Administrative description	Enter a description that will be meaningful for business users. This description displays on the Promotions - List page in the Management Center.
Customer viewable short description	Enter a short description that will be meaningful for customers. This is typically used on product display pages.
Customer viewable long description	Enter a longer description that will be meaningful for customers. This is typically used on promotion details pages to provide information about the promotion that customers might need to understand how to qualify for some promotions.