Vouchers

1. Introduction

‘Vouchers’ is an additional feature in Maileon, which enables you to create and manage voucher pools for campaigns/product promotion.

Note: In case you do not have it activated, please contact our sales department .

The tool offers flexibility in the way vouchers are allocated, allowing contacts to either always receive the same code (reuse) or receive a unique code for each interaction. Voucher codes can be seamlessly integrated into mailings in the mailing editor.

The pools can either

• generate voucher codes automatically, or
• import codes uploaded from an external system.

Find this tool in Mailings > Tools > Vouchers > Voucher Pools (fig.1).

Manage various voucher pools in this section and integrate them into the content area during the creation  of emailings.

 

2. Creating a voucher pool

Click on Mailings > Tools > Vouchers > Voucher pools icon or use the + sign on the right side of the interface (fig. 2).

Fig. 2: Start to create your voucher pool by using one of two methods.

This step opens the voucher pool management, where you can add a short pool name (required) and a longer Description to your voucher (optional) (fig. 3).

Note: It is recommended to name and describe the voucher in a way that includes the name of the campaign to which it applies.

 

Fig. 3: Name and describe the voucher pool as a first step of pool management.

Voucher Dummy value is for test transmissions, content previews, and reporting. This value specifies what information should appear in the emailing if no code is generated for a specific emailing address.

Enter any value here but note that dummy is just a placeholder: replace it with a meaningful value (fig. 4).

Fig. 4: Since ’Voucher Dummy value’ is a placeholder, replace it while editing the voucher pool.

 

Activate voucher reuse allows that if a contact has already received a voucher from this pool, they will receive the same voucher code again in future mailings when reuse is activated. This option cannot be used if abuse detection is activated, which generally blocks multiple use (fig. 5).

Fig. 5: The voucher can be reused by selecting ’Activate voucher reuse’.

 

Active abuse detection ensures that an Email address receives only one voucher. This protection is valid beyond unsubscription (fig. 6). This option cannot be used if refuse is activated.

Fig. 6: By activating ’active abuse detection’, the contact will receive the same voucher code in future mailings if reuse is activated.

 

Select Enable notification by Email to receive an email alert when the number of vouchers in the pool falls below the specified threshold (fig. 7).

Fig. 7: Track the number of vouchers below the threshold by selecting the ’Enable notification by Email’ option.

 

Set the threshold of the unpublished vouchers and enter the emailing address of the receiver where you desire to get the notifications (fig. 8).

Fig. 8: Set the threshold for an unpublished voucher and specify the recipient of the notifications.

 

Click on the Save voucher pool button to save the settings (fig. 9).

Fig. 9: Completion of voucher pool management.

Note: Click on the question mark icons for help and additional guidance on completing the voucher pool management.

 

3. Structure of the Voucher pool

After creating a voucher pool in the Voucher Pool Management, it will appear in the Voucher Pools interface (fig. 10).  Below we will look at its structure, from left to right:

• Name of the voucher pool,
• Notification: Indicates whether the voucher pool it is activated or not,
• Pool size: Number of vouchers,
• Published: Number of vouchers that the recipients will have received,
• Not published: Amount of voucher codes, which have not yet been integrated into an emailing,
• Author: Emailing address of the creator of the voucher pool,
• Creation: Date when the voucher pool was generated.

Fig. 10: General introduction to the ’voucher pool‘ interface.

 

In the last column on the right (fig. 11), you can

• delete voucher pool(s) with the X ,
• generate voucher codes with the +, or
• import externally generated voucher codes with the .

In this case, select the voucher pool you desire to change.

Fig. 11: Options for deleting, generating, or uploading vouchers in the voucher pool.

 

The latter two functions are described in detail below.

 You will find further options for managing the total number of voucher pools in the top right corner (fig. 12, from left to right) to:

• export voucher pools with the ,
• create a new voucher pool with the +, or
• delete one or more voucher pool(s) with the X. In this case, select the voucher pool you desire to delete by checking the box to the right of its name.

Fig. 12: Options for deleting, exporting, or creating vouchers in the voucher pool.

 

4. Two methods for generating voucher codes

Voucher codes can be constructed to the voucher pool in one of two ways: uploaded from an external file or generated through the Maileon system.

4.1. Upload voucher codes into Maileon from an external file.

• Click on register vouchers (    ) (fig. 13):

Fig. 13: First step: Select ’Register Vouchers’.

 

• A pop-up window will appear, allowing you to copy and paste the column with voucher codes (without header) stored in a file (e.g. .xls, .csv, .txt etc.) (fig. 14).

 

Fig. 14: Paste the voucher codes (without header) into the pop-up window.

 Note: The entered data should not exceed the file size of 32kB or 788894 characters.

 

• After pasting the voucher codes, they can be used directly in the emailing via copy & paste. By selecting the Ignore duplicates option, a voucher code will be allowed to be used more than once (fig. 15).

 

Fig. 15: Enable ignore duplicates to allow voucher codes to be used multiple times.

Note: If the voucher pool is still completely empty, the codes will be added from scratch.
This function also allows you to extend an existing pool by adding more voucher codes (e.g. from 100 to 150 vouchers).

Important: Importing vouchers overwrite the originated chosen “allowed characters” .

 

For example: if you only allowed characters from 0–9 but import codes like:
X12345
Y23456
—these codes will still be added to the pool, despite containing disallowed characters.

• By clicking on import vouchers, the entered list of voucher codes will be displayed in the voucher pool size (fig. 16).

Fig. 16: Click ’Import Vouchers’ to add the codes to the pool and update its size.

 

• Click on the pool size in the pop-up window to view the vouchers within the selected pool (fig. 17).

Fig. 17: Click the pool size in the pop-up to view all vouchers in the selected pool.

• Here you will see (from left to right):
  • whether the voucher pools are published or not,
  • the voucher code,
  • the name and emailing address of the contact in case a voucher has been received,
  • the creation date, and
  • the unrecognition date, which is the publishing date of the voucher code in an emailing.

In the right corner you have the option to export (   ) or to delete (X) the voucher codes.

 

4.2. Generate voucher codes by Maileon

• Click on generate vouchers (+) (fig. 18).

Fig. 18: Select ’generate vouchers’.

A form will be displayed in the pop-up window. By filling this form, voucher codes will be generated in the Maileon system (fig. 19).

Fig. 19: Generate voucher codes by completing the form.

 

• Enter the amount of vouchers and the voucher prefix (fig. 20).

 

Fig. 20: Enter the number of vouchers and the voucher prefix.

 

Voucher number: Amount of generated and usable codes.

Voucher prefix: The codes start with these signs (e.g. for corporate identity or campaign identification).

There is no minimum character limit for the campaign prefix. Specify it to include a reference to the campaign name. Use special characters if needed.

 

 

Example:
You want every code to start with the year (e.g., 2025-XYZ) or with a promotion keyword (e.g., SUMMERSALE-X8Y5).

Allowed characters:
Here, you enter the characters that a voucher code can consist of.

Note:
You must list every allowed character individually (e.g., 0123456789ABCD…).

The number of vouchers generated may be less than specified because duplicates are ignored.

• Add the Allowed characters you would like to see in the voucher code (fig. 21).

Fig. 21:Choose the characters you want in your voucher code.

• Add the required number of characters in the code length. The number given represents the total length of the voucher code, as shown on the voucher example (fig. 22).

 

 

Fig. 22: Set the total number of characters for your voucher code.

Note: The code length must be greater than 3 in all cases. The system will indicate if the number of possibilities is smaller than the number of vouchers. The code length is inclusive of the coupon prefix length.

• Click on generate vouchers (fig. 23).

Fig. 23: At the end of the process, click on ’generate vouchers’.

 

• After clicking on generate vouchers, you will see the size of the voucher pool change (fig. 24).

Fig. 24: Generating vouchers updates the voucher pool size.

 

• Click on the pool size to view the randomly generated voucher codes (fig. 25).

Fig. 25: Click the pool size to see the generated voucher codes.

Note: If you desire to modify anything in the random codes, you need to adjust the prefix.

After creating the full voucher pool, please see below for how the voucher pool can be used in the mailing.

 

5. How to add voucher codes to the emailing

The voucher pool can be inserted and delivered to the contacts via email through a trigger mailing (e.g. Welcome mailings, contact events etc.) or it can also be used within regular (mass) mailings.

Difference:

Using voucher in trigger mailings: Every time when a new registrant subscribe to the newsletter or a contact event has been sent from outside the trigger mail with voucher code will be sent out.

Using voucher in regular mailings: You can send mass mailings with different voucher codes to a large group of recipients. Every contact gets his individual code with the same bulk mailing.

Go to Mailings > Trigger Mailings > Trigger drafts (fig. 26) and create a new trigger mailing by clicking on the + in the top right corner.

 

Fig. 26: Create a trigger mailing in which the voucher code will be sent.

 

Use the New content editor for this step (fig. 27).

Fig. 27: In this example, we use the new content editor to create trigger mailings.

 

Configure the basic settings, including the subject line.

Note: Although personalising the subject line with the insert placeholder icon (    ) is recommended, the voucher code should not be included, as it may reduce the open rates of the emailing (fig. 28).

 

Fig. 28: Personalise the subject line but avoid including the voucher code in it.

 

Select the trigger mailing template. In this example we choose from the Templates gallery (fig. 29).

Fig. 29: To place the coupon code, any template is appropriate.

 

Edit the text of the newsletter to suit its purpose (fig. 30).

Fig. 30: In the first step, edit the box text to align with the voucher code.

 

Select the insert placeholder {} icon to place the voucher code (fig. 31).

Fig. 31: Use the ’insert placeholder’ tool to add the voucher code to the trigger mailing.

 

Select the Voucher codes option in the pop-up window (fig. 32). You will find the previously configured voucher pools here.

Fig. 32: ’Voucher codes’ are on the ’Insert placeholder’ list.

 

Select the appropriate voucher pool from the list, which you intend to use in the trigger mailing (fig. 33).

Fig. 33: Select the appropriate voucher pool from the list.

 

At this point you have the option to specify a default value. This usually occurs when no voucher pool is available, such as when templates are imported or exchanged between invoices, allowing them to work immediately without needing to create a voucher set (fig. 34).

Fig. 34: The default value option is for cases where no voucher pool exists.

 

You have the option to select one function to make the voucher code more specific (fig. 35). Note: Only one of the options can be selected.

Fig. 35: Insert several functions into the voucher code as desired.

 

Format the inserted voucher code as you desire (fig. 36).

Fig. 36: The voucher code requires special formatting to make it noticeable.

 

After the formatting is complete, save the trigger draft and switch to Preview mode (fig. 37).

Fig. 37: Use ’Preview’ mode after inserting the voucher code.

 

You will find here the final voucher code in the appropriate format (fig. 38).

Fig. 38: The ’Preview’ mode displays the final form of the voucher code in the mailing.

 

The used voucher codes for each contact can be checked by clicking on the contact’s name in the Lists & Contacts > Voucher History submenu (fig. 39).

Fig. 39: The ’Voucher History‘ includes all relevant information about vouchers that have been sent, used, and linked to a contact.