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How it works

Coupons and giftcards are issued by n1co, not by your business. The shopper pays for them on n1coCupones and receives a code. That code is presented at your point of sale.

The flow is the same for both. What is specific to giftcards is at the end of this page.

Full flow​

The code​

  • It is an alphanumeric string. The shopper sees it on screen, in their email and in the pass they add to their phone wallet.
  • It is also delivered as a QR code, for businesses whose registers can read them.
  • Redemption is anonymous: the bearer is not identified. Whoever presents the code can use it, so treat it with the same care as cash.
  • It is consumed once. The redemptionLimit field that arrives with the purchase confirms this.

Validity​

Every code travels with its start and expiry dates. You can enforce them locally, but the source of truth is the redemption API: your copy can go stale if a code is voided after being sent to you.

Availability after the purchase​

n1co sends the webhook the instant the payment is confirmed. How long it then takes to become available at your registers depends on your own architecture.

Communicate an activation window

If your system loads codes in batches or on a periodic sync, define a window and tell the shopper. n1coCupones can show it in the product description, so nobody arrives to redeem before their code is available.

Giftcards​

Everything above applies unchanged. The difference is that a giftcard does not stand for a specific promotion, but for an amount, which adds two considerations a coupon does not have.

The amount is deducted from the bill​

A coupon defines by itself what you hand over. A giftcard, in contrast, behaves as a means of payment: redeeming it applies its value to the customer's bill.

That value arrives with the purchase, in the price field. Your system must take it from there rather than asking the cashier — see which field is the amount.

All-or-nothing, no remaining balance​

warning

A giftcard is consumed in full, in a single transaction. There is no partial spend and no leftover balance: if the customer's bill is lower than the giftcard's value, the difference is lost.

Split payments​

Being a means of payment, it can coexist with others. On a $30 bill with a $20 giftcard, the $20 is applied and the remaining $10 is charged by another method. The order in which they are applied is up to your business.