Do you offer coupons? If the answer is yes, then there is the question of presenting them. Many stores have a coupon field at checkout. You may consider doing the same for your store because it’s what everyone is doing but I’m here to tell you that you shouldn’t.

Why?

Let’s take a hypothetical customer, John. John is looking for a purple and gold iPhone 14 back cover. A google search introduces him to your store. So John adds a purple and gold back cover to his cart. Maybe he buys other accessories, say customized purple and gold AirPods to match the back cover because he doesn’t like Apple’s regular white AirPods.

After selecting the two items, John heads to checkout. He inputs all his details but just before paying, John sees that mocking field: “Enter coupon code.” The problem is: John doesn’t have a coupon code.

Now, John is a guy who prides himself on his ability to always get the best deal possible. There is no way on earth he is paying full price when other people are getting a discount. So, John clicks off your site or opens a new tab. He asks his friend Señor Google the question: “Coupon codes for purplengoldiphonecovers.com.”

What happens next?

In the best-case scenario, John finds himself a coupon code, returns to your store, and buys his back cover and AirPods for 10% off. He’s happy, you’re happy, no harm no foul.

But that’s just the best-case scenario. There are plenty of worst-case scenarios:

• Worst case scenario one: John sees a video of a skateboarding cat and forgets all about the back cover he was trying to buy.
• Worst case scenario two: John finds another store selling the back cover and AirPods for 99 cents less than you. He decides to save his precious pennies and buy from the other guy.
• Worst case scenario three: John doesn’t find a coupon code and decides he will not buy from you unless he finds a coupon code.
• Worst case scenario four: John finds a coupon code but it’s from an affiliate. So, on top of losing money on the discount, you’re also out an affiliate commission. All this on a customer who discovered your store without an affiliate link in the first place.

Is there a better way to present coupon fields?

Absolutely. Don’t present coupon fields as empty textboxes just begging to be filled. This is because 27% of your customers will abandon their carts to look for one.

Use links instead. Links are more convenient and allow customers to apply a coupon code without leaving your store. If you are offering discounts to customers, just auto-apply them and tell them you have done it. It’s a pleasant surprise and many will like it better that way

You should also deemphasize the coupon field. You can have a small plus button instead. Avoid using the words “coupon” and “discounts.” If a customer doesn’t qualify for a discount, they might feel left out and this might make them resentful. If there’s no code, hide the coupon field entirely.