Feature Discount Schemes
A feature discount scheme applies promotional pricing to a feature. It’s how you run introductory offers like “half price for the first three months” or reward long-standing customers with a loyalty discount.
Overview
Section titled “Overview”A scheme reduces the charges on a feature: it can waive them, charge them at zero, take a percentage off, or make the first units free. You control:
- Whether it applies to one-off charges, recurring charges, or both
- How long it runs, from a fixed initial length to running indefinitely
This keeps promotional pricing consistent and easy to apply, rather than editing each feature’s charges by hand.
How It Differs From Discount Plans
Section titled “How It Differs From Discount Plans”- A feature discount scheme reduces the charge on a feature, such as line rental at half price for three months.
- A discount plan gives usage allowances, such as 500 inclusive minutes.
Use a scheme for promotional pricing on charges, and a discount plan for inclusive usage.
Key Fields
Section titled “Key Fields”Feature Discount Scheme Name
Section titled “Feature Discount Scheme Name”Basic identification and display information for the discount scheme, including names, descriptions, and how it appears in the system interface.
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Scheme Name | Full name of the discount scheme |
| Discount Scheme (Short) | Abbreviated name for the discount scheme |
| Discount Scheme Description | Detailed description of what the discount scheme provides |
| Discount Scheme Display Class | CSS class used for displaying this discount scheme in the interface |
| Discount Scheme Display Position | Numerical order for displaying this scheme in lists and menus |
Feature Discount Scheme Availability
Section titled “Feature Discount Scheme Availability”Settings that control which customers can access this discount scheme and under what conditions it is available for use.
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Discount Scheme Availability | Controls the availability of this discount scheme |
| Currency | Limits the availabilty to customers using the specified currency |
| Customer | Specific customer this discount scheme is restricted to |
| Customer Groups | Customer groups that can use this discount schem |
Discounts
Section titled “Discounts”Discount amounts and types applied to one-off charges and recurring charges when this scheme is used.
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| One Off Charge Discount Type | Type of discount applied to one-off charges |
| One Off Charge Discount Amount | Amount of discount for one-off charges |
| Recurring Charge Discount Type | Type of discount applied to recurring charges |
| Recurring Charge Discount Amount | Amount of discount for recurring charges |
Initial Length
Section titled “Initial Length”Optional initial period settings that define how long the discount scheme remains active when first applied.
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Initial Length | Duration for which the discount scheme initially applies |
| Initial Length Type | Unit of time for the initial length period |
- Availability works like other lists. Set a scheme to Historic to retire it without affecting features that already used it.
- Discounts set the discount type and amount separately for one-off and recurring charges.
- Initial Length sets how long the discount runs before normal pricing resumes. Leave it open for an ongoing discount.
Discount Types
Section titled “Discount Types”The one-off and recurring discount types each offer:
- No Charge: no charge is raised.
- Zero Charge: the charge is raised at £0.00, so it still shows on the invoice.
- % Discount: the charge is reduced by the percentage in the discount amount.
- First Count No Charge and First Count Zero Charge: the first units of the feature’s count are free, where the discount amount is the number of free units. Units above that are charged as normal. Within the free count, First Count No Charge raises no charge and First Count Zero Charge raises a £0.00 charge.
The discount reduces only the retail charge. For First Count schemes, the connection and recurring charges still record the carrier cost of every unit, including the free ones.
Raising a running feature’s count within a First Count scheme’s free count charges nothing for the extra units, and leaves the connection charge set on the feature unchanged.
Managing Feature Discount Schemes
Section titled “Managing Feature Discount Schemes”Adding a Scheme
Section titled “Adding a Scheme”- Open the Feature Discount Schemes list.
- Click “Add Feature Discount Scheme”.
- Set the discount, the charge types it applies to, and the initial length.
- Save.
Applying a Scheme
Section titled “Applying a Scheme”Apply the scheme to a feature so the discount flows onto its charges. The platform works out the reduced amount when it creates each charge.
A feature, or the standard feature it is linked to, can carry two schemes:
- Initial Discount Scheme, which runs until its Initial Discount Scheme End Date.
- Ongoing Discount Scheme, which applies after the initial scheme ends, until its own end date if one is set.
The initial scheme applies for the whole of its initial period, even where the ongoing scheme also has an end date.
Access
Section titled “Access”- Permission: Users need the Feature Discount Schemes permission to view or edit schemes.
Related
Section titled “Related”- Features: the items a scheme discounts.
- Discount Plans: inclusive usage allowances, a different kind of discount.
- Standard Features: reusable feature templates.
Want to run introductory offers and loyalty discounts without fiddly manual pricing? see how SAFE Billing Platform handles promotional pricing