Testing Promotional Pricing
The Pricing tab on the Inventory Item form includes a Test Promotional Pricing button that lets you simulate how promotional pricing rules will be applied during a sale. This is an essential tool for verifying your pricing configuration before cashiers start selling.
Why Test Promotional Pricing?
Promotional pricing rules can be complex — they involve discount types, quantity thresholds, date ranges, customer types, and bundle logic. Testing before going live prevents:
- Customers being charged the wrong price
- Promotions not triggering when they should
- Bundle discounts applying incorrectly
- Date-range promotions firing outside their valid period
How to Access the Test Tool
- Open the item in the Inventory Item form
- Click the Pricing tab
- Click the Test Promotional Pricing button in the toolbar area
The Test Promotional Pricing dialog opens.
Using the Test Tool
The test dialog lets you enter scenario parameters and see the resulting price:
| Parameter | Description |
|---|---|
| Quantity | Enter the number of units the customer would buy. This tests quantity-based tiers and bundle triggers. |
| Customer Type | Select the customer account type (or "All" for a walk-in customer). This tests customer-type-specific promotions. |
| Date | Set the date to test. This verifies date-range promotions. Defaults to today. |
After entering parameters, the tool shows:
| Result | Description |
|---|---|
| Base Price | The item's standard selling price |
| Promotion Applied | The name of the promotional pricing rule that matched |
| Discount Type | Whether the discount is a Special Price, Dollar Off, or Percentage Off |
| Discount Amount | The discount value applied |
| Final Price | The price the customer would actually pay per unit |
| Total | The total for the entered quantity at the final price |
Test Scenarios
Here are common scenarios you should test when setting up promotions:
Scenario 1: Basic Discount
- Enter Quantity = 1, Customer Type = All
- Verify the correct promotion is applied and the final price matches your expectation
Scenario 2: Quantity Threshold
- If you have a "Buy 5 get 10% off" rule, test with Quantity = 4 (should NOT trigger) and Quantity = 5 (should trigger)
- Verify the threshold boundary is correct
Scenario 3: Customer Type Pricing
- Test with Customer Type = "Wholesale" to verify wholesale pricing applies
- Test with Customer Type = "All" to verify regular pricing applies
- Make sure the right promotion activates for each customer type
Scenario 4: Date Range
- Set the date to before the promotion start date — the promotion should NOT apply
- Set the date to within the promotion period — the promotion should apply
- Set the date to after the promotion end date — the promotion should NOT apply
Scenario 5: Multiple Promotions
If an item has multiple pricing rules:
- The tool shows which rule takes priority
- Generally, the most specific rule wins (customer-type-specific overrides general, quantity-tier overrides base)
- Test each scenario to confirm the correct rule is selected
Understanding Bundle Pricing
When a promotion is configured as a bundle:
| Mode | How It Works | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Per-unit (Bundle = No) | The discount applies to each individual unit | 10% off each — buy 3 at $10, each is $9.00, total = $27.00 |
| Bundle (Bundle = Yes) | The discount applies to the total group | $5.00 off the bundle — buy 3 at $10, total = $30.00 - $5.00 = $25.00 |
The test tool shows whether the promotion is in bundle mode and how the math works out.
Promotional Pricing Help
The Pricing tab also includes a Promotional Pricing Help button that opens a reference guide explaining all promotion fields:
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Pricing Name | A descriptive name for the promotion (e.g., "Summer Sale 20% Off") |
| Discount Type | Special Price (fixed price), Amount Off ($), or Percent Off (%) |
| Discount Amount | The discount value — depends on the type selected |
| Quantity From / To | The quantity range that triggers this promotion |
| Allow Multiple Times | Whether the discount can stack (e.g., buy 6 gets the discount twice if threshold is 3) |
| Is Bundle | Whether the discount applies per unit or to the group total |
| Customer Type | Which customer account type this promotion targets (0 = all customers) |
| Start / End Date | The valid date range for the promotion |
| Enabled | Whether the promotion is currently active |
Tips
- Always test after creating or modifying a promotion — a small configuration error can result in significant pricing mistakes
- Test edge cases: exact threshold quantities, the first and last day of date ranges, and different customer types
- If a promotion is not applying as expected, check that it is enabled, the date range includes today, and the customer type matches
- The test tool uses the same pricing engine as the POS and invoicing — if it works in the test tool, it will work in a live sale
- You can also test promotions from the Pricing grid context menu by right-clicking a rule and selecting Test