Discount Settings control the actual discount that customers receive when they click your ambassador's affiliate link. This guide explains every field in the Discount Settings section so you can configure them confidently.
[SCREENSHOT 1: Full Discount Settings section showing Discount Type, Discount Value, Referral Rule Title, and Product Eligibility fields filled in]
What are Discount Settings?
When you turn on Affiliate Links for your program, you choose one of three modes: BuzzLinks, UTM Affiliate Links, or Referral Code Links. The Discount Settings section configures the discount that gets applied to orders coming through those links.
Here is how Discount Settings apply to each mode:
BuzzLinks: These settings define the unique one-time use codes that get generated each time a customer clicks an ambassador's link.
UTM Affiliate Links: These settings are not applied since UTM links do not include a discount. The fields may be hidden or grayed out.
Referral Code Links: These settings define the discount that gets applied when the ambassador's permanent referral code is used at checkout.
Discount Type
You have three options for how the discount works:
Type | What it does | Example |
Percentage (%) | Takes a percentage off the order subtotal | 20% off a $100 order = $20 off |
Fixed Amount ($) | Takes a flat dollar amount off the order | $15 off any order |
Free Shipping | Removes shipping costs at checkout | Standard shipping waived |
Which should you pick? Percentage discounts are the most common because they scale with order size and feel more meaningful on larger purchases. Fixed amounts work well for low-margin products where you need to cap your discount exposure. Free shipping is a strong choice if your shipping costs are a friction point at checkout.
[SCREENSHOT 2: Discount Type dropdown expanded showing Percentage, Fixed Amount, and Free Shipping options]
Discount Value
This is the actual amount of the discount.
For Percentage, enter a number between 1 and 100. Example:
20for 20% off.For Fixed Amount, enter a dollar value. Example:
15for $15 off.For Free Shipping, no value is needed.
If you click "What should I offer?" next to the Discount Value field, you will see suggestions for typical industry rates. As a general rule, most programs offer between 10% and 25% off.
Tip: Make sure your discount value still leaves enough room for your ambassador commission. If you offer 25% off and pay 15% commission, you need to be sure your margins can cover both.
Referral Rule Title
This is an internal label that gets used in two places:
In your Shopify admin: When Buzzbassador creates the price rule that powers your affiliate link discounts, this title is what you will see in the Discounts section of Shopify.
In your Buzzbassador reporting: This title helps you identify which program a discount belongs to.
Customers never see this title. Pick something descriptive that you will recognize later, like "BuzzLinks Codes" or "VIP Program Affiliate Discount."
[SCREENSHOT 3: Shopify Admin Discounts page showing the price rule that was created from Buzzbassador, with the Referral Rule Title visible]
Product Eligibility
This setting controls which products the discount can be applied to. You have two options:
All Products
The discount applies to every product in your store. This is the default and works well for most programs.
Certain Products
The discount only applies to specific products or collections you choose. When you select this option, two search fields appear:
Select Eligible Products: Search for individual products by name. Selected products appear as removable tags.
Select Eligible Collections: Search for collections (groups of products) by name. The discount will apply to every product inside the selected collections.
You can use either field on its own or combine them.
[SCREENSHOT 4: Product Eligibility set to "Certain Products" with the product and collection search fields expanded, showing a few selected items as tags]
Heads up: If a customer's cart contains a mix of eligible and non-eligible products, the discount will only apply to the eligible items, not the full order total.
How BuzzLinks handles usage limits automatically
If you are using BuzzLinks mode, you do not need to manually set usage limits on your discount codes. Buzzbassador automatically enforces:
One use per code. Each generated code expires after a single redemption.
One code per customer session. A new code is minted for each customer who clicks the link.
This is what makes BuzzLinks leak-proof. There is no permanent code for coupon sites to scrape because every code is unique and disposable.
If you are using Referral Code Links mode, you can manage usage limits separately on the ambassador's permanent referral code through the Referral Codes section of your program.
Cookie Settings (the section below)
The Cookie Settings section directly below Discount Settings controls how long a customer's click stays attributed to the ambassador. We cover that in detail in a separate guide. The short version: most brands use a 30-day cookie window, which means a customer who clicks today will still be attributed to the ambassador if they purchase any time in the next 30 days.
Saving your changes
After you configure your Discount Settings, scroll to the bottom of the program edit page and click Save Program. Buzzbassador will:
Create or update the price rule in your Shopify admin with the settings you chose
Update your ambassadors' affiliate links to use the new discount
Apply the new settings to all future affiliate link clicks
Existing orders that have already been placed are not affected by changes to your Discount Settings.
Frequently asked questions
Can I change the discount value later?
Yes. You can edit the Discount Settings at any time. Changes take effect for new clicks and orders going forward.
Will my ambassadors be notified when I change the discount?
Buzzbassador does not send an automatic notification when discount settings change. If the change affects what your ambassadors are promoting, send them a heads up directly.
What happens if I switch from Percentage to Fixed Amount?
The price rule in Shopify will be updated to reflect the new discount type. Any codes that were previously generated will continue to work with their original settings, but new codes will follow the new rule.
Can I exclude sale items from the discount?
Shopify discounts apply on top of sale prices by default. If you need to exclude sale items, use the "Certain Products" eligibility option and exclude those collections.
Why is my Discount Value field grayed out?
This usually means you have selected "Free Shipping" as the Discount Type, which does not require a value. If you want to enter a value, switch back to Percentage or Fixed Amount.
Need help?
If you have questions about which Discount Settings are right for your program, reach out to [email protected] or message us through the chat in your dashboard.