Create and import a database of discount codes

Your business success often depends on the effectiveness of your promotional campaigns. At SARE, we enable you to create and manage a database of dedicated discount codes for your subscribers. This tutorial will help you learn how to properly prepare, save and import such a database.

Preparation of Discount Code Base

Depending on your needs, we can prepare discount codes in EXCEL in several ways:

• If you have several codes for one recipient and you want them all to display in one column (e.g. column L “February discount codes”), you must put each code in a separate column. Then leave one column for the result of the calculation. The result of the function (all codes intended for one recipient) is entered in column “L”.
• If you want the codes you have for one recipient to be in separate characteristics, just create as many columns in the EXCEL file as the number of codes assigned to that recipient.

After preparing the file as described above, you need to save it as a CSV (comma-separated) and it is ready to be imported into the database in the SARE system.

Creating a New Feature in the Base Structure

To set up a new feature into which data (discount codes) will be imported from the CSV file, select ADDRESSES → BASE STRUCTURE. You can create a feature in the Basic Base Structure settings section or in the Extended Base Structure settings, depending on your preferences.

Importing Discount Code Base

Once your discount code database is prepared, you can proceed to import it into the SARE system. It’s a simple three-step process:

1. From the menu on the left, select ADDRESSES → IMPORT ADDRESSES. Proceed in the same way as for a regular database import. Select the appropriate file and click IMPORT.
2. At this stage, indicate to the SARE system which codes it should assign to which feature. Using the mouse, drag from the right pane the feature (previously defined in the SARE system structure) to the left pane with the features pulled from the imported file. Once all the information has been assigned, click NEXT.
3. In the last step, you define the settings of the imported database: assign a status, select a group into which to import code emails, or create a new group by giving it a name/shortcut/description. Click NEXT.

After completing these steps, you will receive a summary of the imported database. To verify that the codes have been correctly added to the email address, simply search for the corresponding address in ADDRESSES → SEARCH and check in the address details whether the correct code has been added to the feature.

Now you are ready to use these codes in your newsletters. For more information, see Inserting a Code in a Newsletter.