How to setup a BOGO for every $35

[mspreema]

I'm trying to setup a BOGO sale for every $35. Any items purchased that total over $35 will receive any $8 item for free. I'd like to have a 2nd $8 item free if they spend $70, 3 for $105, etc...

If this can't be completed, how do I make the $8 free item only one per purchase? Right now if they have any 1 item (>$35), it will give $8 free item, with a 3rd item (any $), it will give another $8 free (even though another $35 min is not reached).

I'm setting it up as:

Percentage, 100%

Discount rules: 1 item, include all items in shop

Apply discount: 1 item from all $8 items

Minimum spend is $35

Maximum discount is $8

[Ellie_]

Hi there, @mspreema,

It sounds like setting up an automatic discount would be what you are looking for. Automatic discounts are automatically applied at checkout when a sale meets pre-set conditions. For example, you can use a quantity discount to set up a Buy One, Get One deal, or use a discount schedule to set up Happy Hour offers. You can find how to set those up here. If you have any other questions, please let me know!

[TheRealChipA]

@mspreema  it is obvious from your post that you are already using automatic discounts, which is correct. I’m pretty sure I know what you are missing but I need to test out my theory tomorrow. Tonight I’m out with friends. I promise I’ll look at it tomorrow and let you know how to change your automatic discount. Hang tight, please. 

[TheRealChipA]

Hi there @mspreema.. So, you are going to have to bear with me on this explanation.  Just trust me, and don't start throwing lots of silent "but...." questions in your mind as you read this.  It's confusing at best, so follow along and trust in the process. It's going to be a long ride!

Your setup IS working just as you want it to for your second scenario of only one free item per transaction.  Unfortunately, the POS cart (and ultimately the receipts) are confusing you (and me!!!).  Here's what I did in my ice cream shop.  I set up a discount to give the customer a free small apple cider after they purchased $7.  So my discount is setup up as:

Percentage, 100%

Discount rules: 1 item, include all items in shop

Apply discount: 1 Small Apple Cider

Minimum spend is $7

Maximum discount is $2.70

Here comes the confusing part.  

• I add $70 in affogatos to the cart.  Then I add one apple cider.  That cider is discounted $2.70 as expected, with my transaction total still being $70.  
• I then add a second apple cider. The first one is still discounted $2.70, but the second one is full price, so the transaction total is $72.70, as expected since I only want one of them to be free.
• I then add a third apple cider to the cart. Two of them are now discounted $1.35 each, for a total discount of $2.70.  So the transaction total is, as expected, $75.40 -- representing the original $70 plus three ciders less one free cider.

The point here is that the way I set up the discount, the transaction DOES INDEED get a maximum discount of $2.70 -- or one free apple cider -- and no matter how many ciders I add after that the total discount never exceeds $2.70.  Square is just confusing us by distributing that free item among all of the eligible free items on the transaction.  But no matter how many free items are added, the total discount IS STILL ONLY equal to one free item.

Now....

To your first, ideal, scenario.  That is simply not possible with Square right now.  I tried doing what I call discount stacking and the results were not at all what I wanted or expected.  In fact, they were downright erratic.  Every work-around I could come up with runs me into a wall.

I'm trying to come up with a way to word a feature request because automatic discounts are SO CLOSE to being able to do what you are wanting (for every $35 spend, get an $8 item free).  Later today, I'll see what I can do and get one submitted.  When I do, I will tag you on it so that you can upvote it and give your input.

Let me know if any of this needs clarification.  I've read it a dozen times and it makes sense to me. LOL

[mspreema]

Thanks for investing this for me! However, when I setup this discount, it does not work for as it does for you. 

Percentage, 100%

Discount rules: 1 item, include all items in shop - I select all items which are varying prices.

Apply discount: 1 item from all $8 items - I select a category that includes all my $8 items.

Minimum spend is $35

Maximum discount is $8

When I add a $36 item and an $8 item, the $8 is free.  If I add any other item, say $8, the price is $8. If I add a 3rd $8 item, it is also free. The discount is not a max discount. And, I believe this is because my discount rule includes all items. So, as long as the subtotal is greater than $35, you get a free item for each item.

I think the difference between your setup and mine, is that I have a group of items that can be free while you have just the one item (I'm assuming).

[TheRealChipA]

@mspreema That was a great theory.  So, to test it I added other items to my redemption list so that there was more than one possibility, so that now Apple Cider, Arnold Palmer and Black Tea can be chosen for a discount.  But on my test, it still limited the total discounts to the amount of ONE item.  (see screen shot)

That means there is something else at play here.  Let's review how I set up my automatic discount.

Name = whatever

Type = Percentage

Amount = 100%

Discount Rules turned on

When customer purchases any 1 item from all items

Apply 100% discount to `1 additional item from a list

• Apple Cider
• Arnold Palmer
• Black Tea

Minimum Spend = $7

Maximum Value = $2.70

Do you have anything in your discount set up differently (amounts excluded, of course)?

[TheRealChipA]

@mspreema Also, which POS app are you using? And what device?

[mspreema]

I'm using Square for Retail (free) on my iPad.

[TheRealChipA]

@mspreema Thank you for all of that detail!  I'm going to try this on my iPad when I get to the shop.  I tried it (using a category "Beverages" to mimic your setup exactly) on my iPhone Retail app and it still limits me to the maximum discount.  May it is iPad related.  Who knows! LOL. I'll get back with you later.  But, most likely, I'm going to find out that it works for me, and doesn't for you.  If so, that is account related.  For that matter, maybe it is working for you and mine is messed up.  LOL

[TheRealChipA]

@mspreema it works on my iPad Retail POS, too.  So, I just started a new thread and tagged the moderators.  We need to have the development team look more closely at this to figure out why my automatic discount and yours work differently.  Why does mine limit to the maximum discount, but yours doesn't seem to do the same?

[TheRealChipA]

@mspreema After I posted my new thread, I deleted it.  That's because I just found the difference and why we are getting different results.  This is because of the ORDER in which we are adding items to the transaction.

I added my $7 item first, then picked a free item.

You added your free items first and THEN added the $35 item.  When you added the $35 item, your cart totaled 3 x $8 + 1 x $45, or $69 plus tax which totaled over $70.  I'm betting that if you went to the retail POS and added your $35 item first, then added three $8 items, only one of those would be discounted.

Also, isn't that more like the order a customer would enter it?  Yes, I still think there is a bug here and I can report that.  But first I want you to try it the way a customer would -- filling the cart with non-free items AND THEN selecting free items.  I bet it works.

[TheRealChipA]

@mspreema Sorry for YET ANOTHER post, but I just had another thought.  For you discount definition, EXCLUDE the free category items.  That way, adding them to the cart won't affect the amount needed to reach the minimum.  If you do that, then it won't matter which order the free items are added to the cart.  Once $35 of OTHER items are added, the automatic discount should apply as you want it and the limits should then be relevant.

[mspreema]

My workaround was to only add items that are $35 or greater to the discount definition... this makes it for any ITEM over $35, rather than EVERY $35.  Not exactly what I want, but it worked.

I do believe there is an error in the system since you are able to create a max discount where I can't.

[mspreema]

I don't usually use my iPhone, but it shows something different than the iPad. Same products (can't see all items in my screen capture), entered the same order... Iphone is giving the max discount, while iPad is giving more than one discount. 

iphoneiPad

[mspreema]

I reversed the order... and it's no different.

[dipesh]

In your case you would need to create 1st discount for $35, 2nd for $70. Also I noticed that you had created a separate category for “Free Gift” if all the items has same value you can toggle on the “all item” and turn off the “Options” toggle if they are not the same since it is less than 20 items just add them individually so that you don’t have to worry about the amount. Or you can just create a new category for those items and have it all in 1 place. Post here if this doesn’t help or any other issue. 

[mspreema]

I created the free gift category, which contains all my $8 items, so I didn't have to select all 20 items.  But, I did a test with selecting all the individual items with the Max option on; selecting all individual items with the Max option off, both were no change... still getting more than one discount.

As a workaround, I created a discount with only the items that were above $35 rather than all items.  This discount is a free gift for ITEMS over $35, rather than a free gift for every $35 total (multiple items).