Pre-Set Your Most-Used Discounts for One-Click Applying
How to configure recurring promotions in AskBiz so cashiers apply your standard discounts with one tap — without needing manager approval for every price reduction.
Key Takeaways
- Create recurring promotions in Operations > Promotions so discounts appear as presets at the till.
- Named promotions allow cashiers to apply a discount with one tap — no percentage calculation needed.
- All applied promotions are tracked in your Reports > Promotions section with full audit trail.
- Set validity dates on promotions so they deactivate automatically without manual removal.
The problem with ad-hoc discounts
When a cashier applies a manual percentage discount, three things happen: they might calculate it wrong, the discount is recorded as 'custom' with no label, and the manager can't see at month-end whether that discount was authorised or accidental. AskBiz Promotions solves all three problems — define your discounts once in Operations > Promotions and they appear as one-tap options at the till, with full tracking.
Step 1 — Create a named promotion in Operations > Promotions
Go to Operations > Promotions. Click '+ New promotion' and fill in: Name (e.g. 'Staff Discount 15%'), discount type (percentage or fixed amount), value (15), and optionally a validity period. Give it a clear name that cashiers will recognise at the till. Save it. The promotion is now live and visible to cashiers as a one-tap option at checkout. If you set an end date, it disappears automatically when the promotion expires.
Step 2 — Set up your recurring standard discounts
Most businesses have 3–5 standard discounts they apply regularly: staff discount, loyal customer discount, bulk purchase discount, market day discount, and a general 'manager override' option. Create each as a named promotion with the correct percentage. This replaces the need for cashiers to type a number — they tap the discount name and the correct amount is applied. If a cashier tries to apply a discount not on the list, they'll need manager approval, which acts as a natural control.
Free — no card needed
See this in action for your business
AskBiz tracks these metrics automatically — just connect your data and start asking questions.
Start for free →Step 3 — Track promotion usage in Reports
Go to Operations > Reports to see the total discounts given over any period, broken down by promotion name. If 'Staff Discount 15%' was applied 47 times last month, you can see the total value given away and which cashier applied it most. This data is invaluable for understanding if a promotion is being over-used or if there are unauthorised patterns. It also feeds directly into your gross profit calculation, so your margin figures are always accurate.
Hack — Use expiry dates as your promotions calendar
Instead of manually removing seasonal promotions, set their end date in advance. A 'Valentine's Week 20% off flowers' promotion set to expire on 15 February disappears automatically. This means your Promotions list stays clean and cashiers never accidentally apply a deal that ended last season. Combine this with a note in your team WhatsApp group announcing the promotion start and end dates — AskBiz handles the technical deactivation.
Hack — Minimum purchase promotions for upselling
If your promotion requires a minimum basket value (e.g. 'Spend KSh 1,000, get 10% off'), configure the minimum value in the promotion settings. The till will only show this promotion as available when the basket reaches the threshold. This nudges cashiers to mention the deal when a customer is close — 'You're KSh 150 away from 10% off' — without requiring any mental arithmetic from the cashier.