Some products issue coupon codes automatically after purchase, so staff do not need to create them by hand. This article explains how Rhythm decides who owns a generated code, when it emails the code, and what happens if the purchase that created it is later cancelled or voided.
How Codes Are Issued
When a fulfilled order line includes a product set up to issue coupon codes, Rhythm checks each code entry defined for that product. It then issues the number of codes required by that entry.
Each code entry has its own fixed quantity, so the order line quantity does not multiply the number of codes issued. Buying three units of the product issues the same set of codes as buying one unit. Merchandise does not have a built-in setting that limits an order line to quantity 1, so if buyers should only purchase a coupon-issuing product once per order, you need to tell them that yourself. Rhythm does not stop them from ordering a larger quantity.
If a purchaser buys the same coupon-issuing product again in a later order, Rhythm issues another full batch of codes for that purchase. A purchaser who buys the product more than once receives more than one set of codes, with one set issued for each purchase.
Tip
If buyers need more codes than one code entry issues at once, some administrators create a separate merchandise product for each fixed bundle size they want to sell, such as a 10-pack. They then set that product’s code entry to single-use and issue that number of codes. The confirmation email sends the number of codes that matches the bundle, because the issued quantity still comes from the code entry, not the order line quantity.
If one code in an entry fails to save, Rhythm skips all codes for that entry on that line instead of issuing only part of the set. Rhythm logs the line and leaves it alone. It does not retry the line, so the codes are not issued automatically later.
A payment-processing problem has previously kept expected codes from being issued for some orders placed around the same time. If codes are missing for a batch of orders from a specific period, especially around a high-volume sale, contact Support to check whether they need to be issued by hand.
Automatic code generation also depends on Rhythm recognizing the order as successfully purchased. An order that stays open despite payment, or is otherwise in an abnormal state, may not generate codes. A cancelled order is not expected to generate a code at all.
Who a Code Belongs To
An issued code belongs to the party the order line ships to, the same way an entitlement does. See Entitlements Explained. If the product also limits its codes to the order’s bill-to contact or organization, Rhythm adds that limit as well. The code can be owned by one party, such as the ship-to, and restricted to another party, such as the bill-to, at the same time.
That restriction works in two ways. Limiting the code to the purchaser means it can only be redeemed under the purchasing contact’s own account or email. Limiting it to the purchaser’s organization means anyone in that organization can redeem it, not only the purchaser.
Expiry and Use Limits
If the code entry sets a relative end date, each issued code expires that many days after Rhythm issued it. Rhythm counts from when the order was processed, not from the date the order was originally placed. A code entry with no end date issues codes that do not expire on their own.
The code entry’s use limits carry over to the codes it issues. If the entry issues single-use codes, Rhythm sets both the per-customer limit and the total limit on each issued code to one, even if the entry does not otherwise set those limits. Rhythm does not support a separate per-organization limit for issued codes, so you cannot set that limit on codes generated this way.
Every issued code keeps a link back to the order and order line that issued it. This helps you trace where the code came from and lets Rhythm find and withdraw the code if that line is cancelled.
Emailing the Codes
If email is enabled for the issuing process and the order’s bill-to contact has an email address, Rhythm emails the issued codes to that bill-to contact. Rhythm does this even when the codes are owned by a different party, such as another person the line was shipped to.
Rhythm does not automatically apply the issued code to the purchase that generated it. A buyer can use the code on other eligible products. If the code needs to apply to the same purchase, apply it to that order retroactively instead. See Apply a Coupon to a Processed Order.
Turning off a product’s automatic issuance stops Rhythm from generating new codes for future purchases. It does not deactivate or invalidate codes that were already issued before you turned the setting off. Those codes keep working under their own use limits and end date.
What Happens on Cancellation or Void
If the order line that issued a code is later cancelled, or the order itself is voided, Rhythm withdraws the codes it issued:
- Rhythm deletes an unused code.
- Rhythm cannot delete a code that has already been used on an order, because that order still refers to it. Instead, Rhythm switches the code off and records a note on it, so the code can no longer be redeemed even though the record remains.
Tip
If a customer reports that a coupon code from a cancelled or voided purchase still works, check whether that code was already used on another order. A used code is deactivated rather than deleted, and deactivation, unlike deletion, leaves the code record on file.