Voucher Rewards

Voucher rewards provide an alternative to immediate pricing discounts and point redemption by issuing vouchers that members redeem during future transactions. Vouchers support promotional campaigns, deferred benefits, gift certificates, and other reward scenarios where immediate pricing isn’t appropriate.

Understanding Voucher Rewards

A voucher is a digital or physical certificate that represents a specific value or benefit that can be redeemed during transactions. Unlike pricing schemes that apply discounts automatically, vouchers are issued to members and then explicitly presented during checkout to receive the benefit.

How Vouchers Differ from Pricing Schemes:

Pricing Schemes: Apply automatically based on member eligibility
Vouchers: Require explicit presentation and redemption action
Pricing Schemes: Continuous benefits as long as member qualifies
Vouchers: One-time use that expires after redemption

How Vouchers Differ from Point Redemption:

Point Redemption: Reduces accumulated point balance
Vouchers: Separate instrument that doesn’t affect point balance
Point Redemption: Flexible value application
Vouchers: Fixed value or benefit specified by voucher

When to Use Vouchers:

Birthday or anniversary benefits
Referral rewards
Campaign incentives and bonuses
Gift certificates
Service recovery compensation
Welcome bonuses for new members
Tier upgrade rewards
Surprise and delight moments

Types of Voucher Rewards

Different voucher types serve different purposes:

Cash Value Vouchers represent specific monetary amounts:

“$10 Off Your Next Purchase” voucher
“$25 Gift Certificate” voucher
Redeemable toward any transaction up to voucher value
Most flexible voucher type

Percentage Discount Vouchers provide percentage-based discounts:

“20% Off Your Next Purchase” voucher
“Save 15% This Month” voucher
Applied to transaction total or specific categories
Useful for variable-value rewards

Free Item Vouchers entitle bearer to specific products:

“Free Coffee” voucher
“Free Product of Your Choice” voucher
Redeemable for designated items only
Promotes trial of specific products

Category-Specific Vouchers limit redemption to categories:

“$15 Off Electronics” voucher
“25% Off Apparel” voucher
Drives behavior toward strategic categories
Combines value with category targeting

Minimum Purchase Vouchers require threshold spending:

“$5 Off Orders Over $50” voucher
“Free Shipping on $100+ Orders” voucher
Encourages larger basket sizes
Protects margins on small transactions

Experiential Vouchers provide service benefits:

“Free Gift Wrapping” voucher
“Express Checkout Access” voucher
“Personal Shopping Session” voucher
Creates memorable experiences beyond discounts

Creating Vouchers in BigLedger

The specific process for creating vouchers varies by BigLedger implementation:

Access Voucher Configuration. Navigate to the voucher management function within BigLedger. This might be:

In the Membership Module under Rewards > Vouchers
In a Promotions module if separate from Membership
Within Sales & CRM if vouchers are treated as promotional instruments
Consult your implementation documentation for the exact location

Initiate New Voucher. Click “New Voucher” or “Create Voucher” to open the voucher definition form.

Define Voucher Type. Select the voucher category:

Cash value voucher
Percentage discount voucher
Free item voucher
Custom benefit voucher

Enter Voucher Details:

Voucher Code. Assign a unique identifier:

Auto-generated code for system-issued vouchers
Custom code for specific campaigns (e.g., “WELCOME10”)
Codes used for redemption and tracking

Voucher Name and Description. Provide clear details:

Name: “Welcome Bonus - $10 Off”
Description: “$10 discount on any purchase over $50”
Description appears in member communications

Set Voucher Value. Define the benefit:

Fixed amount: $10, $25, $50
Percentage: 10%, 15%, 20%
Free item: Specify item code
Service benefit: Describe clearly

Configure Redemption Rules:

Minimum Purchase Requirement. Set thresholds if applicable:

Minimum transaction amount for redemption
Prevents redeeming large vouchers on small purchases

Maximum Discount Cap. Limit the benefit:

Percentage vouchers might cap at maximum dollar amount
“Save 20% up to $50 maximum” prevents excessive discounts on high-value purchases

Category Restrictions. Limit where voucher applies:

Specific product categories only
Exclude certain items (clearance, gift cards)
Restrict to online or in-store only

Quantity Limits. Control redemption scope:

Single-use (one voucher per transaction)
Multi-use (voucher can be applied to multiple items)
Combination rules (can/cannot combine with other promotions)

Set Effective Dates:

Issue Date. When voucher becomes available to member

Expiration Date. When voucher becomes invalid:

Fixed date: “Expires December 31, 2024”
Relative date: “Valid for 30 days from issue”
Choose based on campaign objectives

Redemption Period. Optional additional windows:

Blackout dates when voucher can’t be used
Specific days/times when voucher is valid

Configure Issuance Parameters:

Issuance Method. How vouchers are distributed:

Manual issuance by staff
Automatic issuance based on triggers
Bulk issuance to member segments
Member self-service generation

Target Audience. Who can receive vouchers:

Specific member classes
Members with particular labels
All active members
Individual members by selection

Save Voucher Configuration. Click “Save” to create the voucher template. It’s now ready for issuance to members.

Issuing Vouchers to Members

Once vouchers are configured, they need to be issued:

Manual Issuance to Individual Member:

Access the member’s record
Navigate to vouchers section
Select voucher to issue
Specify quantity (usually 1)
Save to issue voucher to member
Member receives notification with voucher code

Bulk Issuance to Member Segment:

Define target segment (e.g., all Gold members)
Select voucher to issue
Specify issuance criteria
Execute bulk issuance process
System issues voucher to all qualifying members
Batch notification sent to recipients

Automated Trigger-Based Issuance:

Birthday: Automatically issue birthday voucher on member’s birthday
Anniversary: Issue voucher on membership anniversary date
Milestone: Issue voucher when member reaches spending threshold
Referral: Issue voucher when referred member makes first purchase

Member Self-Service Issuance:

Member earns voucher through achievement
Voucher appears in member’s account
Member activates voucher for use
Provides sense of control and discovery

Campaign-Driven Issuance:

Promotional campaign distributes vouchers to participants
Email campaign includes unique voucher codes
In-app notification delivers voucher to member’s wallet
POS staff distribute printed vouchers

Voucher Redemption Process

How members use vouchers during transactions:

Member Presents Voucher. During checkout:

Member mentions they have a voucher
Staff asks for voucher code
Member provides code verbally, shows digital voucher, or presents physical voucher

System Validates Voucher. POS or e-commerce system checks:

Is voucher code valid?
Has it already been redeemed?
Is it within valid date range?
Does member qualify to use it?
Does transaction meet voucher requirements (minimum purchase, category, etc.)?

Validation Passes. If voucher is valid:

System applies voucher benefit to transaction
Discount or free item is added
Transaction total is reduced
Voucher is marked as redeemed

Transaction Completes. Final processing:

Member pays adjusted total
Receipt shows voucher benefit applied
Voucher status updated to “Redeemed”
Redemption recorded in member and transaction history

Validation Fails. If voucher is invalid:

System displays error message explaining why
Staff communicates issue to member
Options: Correct the error if possible, or proceed without voucher
Member may contact customer service if dispute arises

Voucher Campaign Design

Using vouchers effectively in campaigns:

Welcome Campaign Vouchers. New member incentives:

Issue “$10 off your first purchase” welcome voucher at enrollment
Short expiry (30-60 days) drives early engagement
Minimum purchase requirement protects margins
Tracks new member activation rate

Birthday/Anniversary Vouchers. Celebratory rewards:

Automatically issue on member’s birthday
“Happy Birthday! Enjoy $15 off this month”
Creates positive emotional connection
Valid for birth month only

Referral Vouchers. Incentivize member referrals:

Referring member receives “$20 Off” voucher when referral makes first purchase
Referred member receives “Welcome: $10 Off” voucher at signup
Both parties benefit, driving viral growth
Track referral attribution through voucher usage

Reactivation Vouchers. Win back lapsed members:

Issue “We miss you! $25 off your next visit” to inactive members
Generous value acknowledges absence
Limited-time expiry creates urgency
Monitor reactivation conversion rates

Tier Upgrade Vouchers. Reward tier progression:

“Congratulations on reaching Gold! Here’s $50 to celebrate”
Reinforces value of tier achievement
Encourages spending in new tier
Builds loyalty through recognition

Apology/Service Recovery Vouchers. Compensate for issues:

Issue vouchers to resolve complaints
Value commensurate with problem severity
Demonstrates commitment to making things right
Tracks service recovery costs

Managing Voucher Inventory

For physical or limited-quantity vouchers:

Voucher Inventory Tracking. Monitor available vouchers:

Total quantity issued
Quantity redeemed
Quantity expired
Quantity still outstanding

Budget Management. Control voucher liability:

Set maximum quantity for campaign
Track cumulative value issued
Monitor redemption rates
Forecast financial impact

Expiration Management. Handle expired vouchers:

Automatically mark vouchers as expired on expiry date
Relief of liability for expired unredeemed vouchers
Report on expiry rates and patterns
Adjust expiry periods based on redemption behavior

Extension Requests. Handle member requests to extend vouchers:

Customer service can extend expiry dates
Document extension policy and authorization levels
Track extension volume for policy review
Balance member satisfaction with liability management

Voucher Reporting and Analytics

Monitor voucher program performance:

Issuance Reports. Track voucher distribution:

Number of vouchers issued by type
Member segments receiving vouchers
Issuance timing and volume
Cost of vouchers issued (potential liability)

Redemption Reports. Measure voucher usage:

Redemption rate (redeemed ÷ issued)
Average time from issuance to redemption
Transaction size with voucher vs. without
Member segments with highest redemption rates

Financial Impact Reports. Assess costs and benefits:

Total discount value provided through vouchers
Revenue generated from voucher-driven transactions
Incremental margin from larger basket sizes
ROI of voucher campaigns

Campaign Performance Reports. Evaluate specific campaigns:

Welcome voucher conversion rate
Birthday voucher redemption timing
Referral voucher impact on acquisition
Reactivation voucher success rate

Expiry Analysis. Understand unredeemed vouchers:

Percentage of vouchers expiring unredeemed
Time patterns in expiry (do vouchers expire before members can use them?)
Member segments with higher expiry rates
Adjustments needed to expiry periods

Accounting for Vouchers

Vouchers create financial obligations:

Liability Recognition. When vouchers are issued:

Debit: Voucher expense or marketing expense
Credit: Voucher liability
Amount: Face value of voucher or estimated redemption value

Liability Reduction. When vouchers are redeemed:

Debit: Voucher liability
Credit: Discount or promotion expense
Amount: Actual value redeemed

Breakage Recognition. When vouchers expire unredeemed:

Debit: Voucher liability
Credit: Other income or breakage income
Amount: Value of expired unredeemed vouchers

Transaction Accounting. Sales with voucher redemption:

Gross sale minus voucher discount
Net sales recorded
Voucher liability relieved

Audit Trail. Maintain records:

Voucher issuance details
Redemption transactions
Expiry processing
Member and transaction linkage

Integration with Other Reward Types

Vouchers complement other reward mechanisms:

Vouchers + Point Redemption. Combined approach:

Members earn points on purchases
Members also receive periodic vouchers
Vouchers encourage transactions where points are earned
Points provide flexible ongoing rewards

Vouchers + Member Pricing. Layered benefits:

Members receive automatic pricing discounts via pricebooks
Members also receive vouchers for special occasions
Vouchers apply on top of member pricing (or policy may restrict)
Creates comprehensive reward structure

Vouchers + Tier Benefits. Tier-specific vouchers:

Higher tiers receive more valuable or frequent vouchers
Vouchers demonstrate tangible tier benefit
Aspirational motivation to reach higher tiers

Combination Rules. Define how vouchers interact:

Can vouchers combine with member pricing? (Usually yes)
Can vouchers combine with other promotions? (Varies)
Can multiple vouchers be used in one transaction? (Usually no)
Clear rules prevent confusion and disputes

Best Practices for Voucher Rewards

Choose Appropriate Expiry Periods. Balance urgency with fairness:

Welcome vouchers: 30-60 days (drive early engagement)
Birthday vouchers: 30 days (create birthday month urgency)
General vouchers: 60-90 days (reasonable time to use)
Service recovery vouchers: Longer (1 year) to demonstrate goodwill

Set Reasonable Minimum Purchases. Protect margins while providing value:

For $5 voucher: $25 minimum purchase (20% discount)
For $10 voucher: $50 minimum purchase (20% discount)
For $25 voucher: $100 minimum purchase (25% discount)
Adjust based on your margins and strategy

Communicate Clearly. Voucher terms must be transparent:

“Valid until December 31, 2024”
“Minimum purchase $50 required”
“Cannot be combined with other offers”
“One voucher per transaction”
Include terms in voucher notification and physical voucher

Make Redemption Easy. Reduce friction in voucher use:

Simple redemption process at POS and online
Clear instructions for members
Staff training on voucher processing
Digital wallet integration when possible

Track and Analyze. Monitor voucher performance:

Are redemption rates meeting expectations?
Are expiry periods appropriate?
Are minimum purchases set correctly?
Which voucher types drive best results?
Adjust program based on data

Budget Appropriately. Manage voucher costs:

Estimate redemption rates conservatively
Set maximum issuance caps for campaigns
Monitor actual redemption vs. projections
Reserve budget for voucher liability

Personalize When Possible. Targeted vouchers perform better:

Birthday vouchers feel personal and valued
Category-specific vouchers match member interests
Value tiers based on member segment
Timing based on member behavior patterns

Test Campaigns. Before large-scale voucher campaigns:

Test with small member segment
Measure redemption rate and transaction impact
Refine value, expiry, and terms based on results
Scale successful campaigns to full member base

Voucher rewards add flexibility and promotional power to your membership program. Configure them strategically to drive desired behaviors, create memorable moments, and provide targeted benefits that complement your core pricing and point-based rewards.