Category and Item Discounts

Category and item discounts let you apply promotions to broad groups of products or to specific individual items. This promotion type is one of the most versatile in AccuArk because it covers two common scenarios: discounting everything in a category (e.g., "15% Off All Apparel") and discounting a specific product (e.g., "$5 Off Widget X"). Both approaches are configured through the same promotion type in the Promotion Editor.

Two Targeting Approaches

When you create a Category/Item Discount promotion, you choose one of two targeting methods:

Category-Based Targeting

With category-based targeting, the discount applies to every item that belongs to the selected categories. This is ideal for broad sales like seasonal clearances or department-wide promotions. When new items are added to the category, they automatically receive the discount without any promotion changes.

For example, if you create a 15% discount on the "Apparel" category, every shirt, pair of pants, jacket, and accessory in that category is automatically discounted when sold during the promotion period.

Item-Based Targeting

With item-based targeting, the discount applies only to the specific items you select. This gives you precise control when you want to promote particular products without affecting the rest of the category. This is useful for clearing out specific overstock items or promoting newly launched products.

For example, you might create a $5 discount specifically on "Widget X" without affecting any other widgets in the same category.

Setting Up a Category/Item Discount

Category and item discount promotions are created in the Promotion Editor under Marketing > Promotions. Click New Promotion to begin.

Step 1: Basic Information

Fill in the standard promotion fields:

• Promotion Name — A descriptive name such as "15% Off All Apparel" or "$5 Off Widget X"
• Start Date / End Date — The active date range
• Start Time / End Time — Optional intra-day time restrictions
• Location — Apply to specific locations or All Locations
• Customer Type — Restrict to a customer type or set to All

Step 2: Select the Promotion Type

From the Type dropdown, select Category/Item Discount. The editor will display the targeting options.

Step 3: Choose Your Targeting Method

Select either Category or Item as the targeting method. This determines whether you will add categories or individual items to the promotion.

Step 4: Add Categories or Items

Depending on your targeting method:

• For category targeting — Click Add Category and select one or more categories from the list. All items belonging to those categories will be eligible for the discount.
• For item targeting — Click Add Item and search for specific items in your inventory. Only the selected items will be eligible.

You can add multiple categories or multiple items to a single promotion. For category targeting, items that belong to any of the selected categories will receive the discount.

Step 5: Set the Discount

Configure the discount details:

• Discount Method — Choose between Percentage or Fixed Amount
• Discount Value — The percentage or dollar amount to discount

For percentage discounts, the value is applied to each qualifying item's price individually. For fixed amount discounts, the dollar value is subtracted from each qualifying item's price.

Step 6: Save

Click Save to store the promotion. It will activate automatically during the configured date range.

Per-Item Discount Application

Category and item discounts are applied on a per-item basis. This means each qualifying item on the invoice receives its own discount individually. The discount is not calculated on the combined total of all qualifying items; rather, each item is discounted independently.

For example, if the promotion is "15% Off All Apparel" and a customer buys a $40 shirt and a $60 jacket:

Each item shows its own discount on the receipt, making the savings transparent to the customer.

The AllowItemAndGlobalStack Setting

Category and item discounts operate at the item level. The AllowItemAndGlobalStack setting under Marketing > Promotion Settings controls whether these item-level discounts can combine with invoice-level promotions.

When AllowItemAndGlobalStack Is ON

Item-level discounts from category/item promotions can stack with invoice-level promotions. For example, a customer could receive 15% off their Apparel items (item-level) and also benefit from a "$10 Off Orders Over $50" invoice-level promotion. Both discounts apply.

This setting is useful when you want to run overlapping promotions without them conflicting. However, be cautious about the total discount amount. Multiple stacking promotions can significantly reduce margins.

When AllowItemAndGlobalStack Is OFF

Only one type of discount applies per invoice. If item-level discounts are active, invoice-level promotions will not apply, and vice versa. AccuArk uses the discount that provides the greater benefit to the customer.

This setting prevents unintentional double-discounting and is the safer option for businesses that run multiple promotions simultaneously.

Example: 15% Off All Apparel (Category-Based)

Every item in the Apparel category receives a 15% discount at the POS during March 2026.

Example: $5 Off Widget X (Item-Based)

Only Widget X receives the $5 discount. No other items in Widget X's category are affected.

Category vs. Item: Choosing the Right Approach

Tips

• Use category targeting for broad promotions — It saves time and automatically includes new items added to the category during the promotion period.
• Use item targeting for precision — When you only want to discount specific products, item targeting prevents accidental discounts on other items in the same category.
• Check the AllowItemAndGlobalStack setting before launching — Understand whether your item-level discount will combine with any active invoice-level promotions. Unintended stacking can erode margins.
• Test with the Promotion Sandbox — Simulate invoices with qualifying items and verify the per-item discount application. Test with items that are both inside and outside the targeted category to confirm only the correct items are discounted.
• Combine with time restrictions for flash category sales — Set a Start Time and End Time to run a category discount only during specific hours, creating urgency without a separate flash sale promotion.
• Review the Promotion Performance Report — Monitor which categories and items are generating the most discount volume and whether the promotion is driving the intended sales lift.