First-Time Customer Discounts
First-Time Customer is an invoice-level promotion type that offers a one-time discount to customers making their first purchase. AccuArk automatically identifies first-time customers by checking their purchase history, so no manual intervention is needed at the Point of Sale. This article explains how first-time detection works, walks through configuration, covers the customer record requirement, and discusses limitations, stacking behavior, and use cases.
How AccuArk Identifies First-Time Customers
When the promotion engine evaluates a First-Time Customer promotion, it checks the customer record attached to the current invoice and looks for prior completed invoices in the database. The logic is straightforward:
- If the customer has zero prior completed invoices, they are considered a first-time customer and the promotion qualifies
- If the customer has one or more prior completed invoices, they are not a first-time customer and the promotion does not apply
The check counts only invoices with a completed (finalized) status. Draft invoices, voided invoices, and invoices in progress are not counted. This means the customer is a first-time customer until their very first invoice is completed and saved.
Customer Record Requirement
A First-Time Customer promotion requires a customer record to be attached to the invoice. This is the most important limitation to understand. The promotion engine cannot determine whether someone is a first-time customer unless it knows who the customer is.
If no customer record is attached to the invoice (i.e., it is an anonymous walk-in transaction), the First-Time Customer promotion is skipped entirely. It will not apply and will not appear as a discount on the invoice.
To attach a customer record at the POS:
- Before or during the transaction, click the Customer button on the POS toolbar
- Search for the customer by name, phone number, or email
- If the customer does not exist yet, create a new customer record
- Select the customer to attach them to the current invoice
Once a customer is attached, the promotion engine re-evaluates all active promotions (including First-Time Customer) against the updated invoice. If the customer qualifies, the discount appears immediately.
Configuration in the Promotion Editor
To create a first-time customer discount, navigate to Marketing > Promotions and click New. Select First-Time Customer from the Promotion Type dropdown.
Fields Specific to First-Time Customer
The First-Time Customer type uses the same standard fields as other invoice-level promotions:
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Name | A descriptive name (e.g., "Welcome! 15% Off Your First Purchase") |
| Priority | Evaluation order relative to other promotions (lower = first) |
| Discount Method | Percent or Amount |
| Discount Value | The percentage or dollar amount of the discount |
| Minimum Purchase | Optional minimum subtotal required to qualify (set to 0.00 for no minimum) |
| Start Date / End Date | Active date range for the promotion |
| Location Scope | All Locations or Specific Locations |
| Max Total Uses | Maximum total redemptions across all customers (0 = unlimited) |
| Max Uses Per Customer | Maximum times a single customer can use this (effectively always 1 for first-time, but the field is still available) |
| Status | Draft, Active, or Paused |
There are no additional fields unique to the First-Time Customer type beyond these standard fields. The "first-time" qualification logic is built into the promotion type itself.
Example Configuration
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Name | Welcome! 15% Off Your First Purchase |
| Priority | 1 |
| Promotion Type | First-Time Customer |
| Discount Method | Percent |
| Discount Value | 15 |
| Minimum Purchase | 0.00 |
| Start Date | 2026-01-01 00:00:00 |
| End Date | (empty — runs indefinitely) |
| Location Scope | All Locations |
| Max Total Uses | 0 (unlimited) |
| Max Uses Per Customer | 1 |
| Status | Active |
With this configuration, every new customer who creates an account and makes their first purchase receives 15% off their entire invoice, at any location, with no minimum purchase requirement.
Limitations
Understanding the limitations of First-Time Customer promotions helps you avoid surprises:
Only Works with Identified Customers
As discussed above, the promotion requires a customer record on the invoice. Anonymous walk-in sales (where no customer is attached) will never trigger this promotion. If your business handles a high volume of walk-in sales without customer identification, this promotion type will only benefit customers who choose to create an account or provide their information.
Does Not Apply to Guest or Walk-In Sales
Guest sales and walk-in transactions are treated the same as anonymous sales for the purpose of this promotion. Even if the cashier verbally confirms the customer is new, the system requires a customer record to verify first-time status through the database.
One-Time by Definition
Once a customer has one completed invoice, they no longer qualify as first-time. The promotion will not apply to their second purchase even if the Max Uses Per Customer is set higher than 1. The first-time check in the engine overrides the usage limit — the customer must have zero completed invoices to qualify.
Timing of Evaluation
The first-time check happens at the time the promotion engine evaluates the invoice, which is during the transaction (not at completion). If two cashiers are simultaneously processing invoices for the same new customer, both could potentially qualify because neither invoice has been completed yet at the time of evaluation. This is an edge case but worth noting for high-volume environments.
Combining with Other Promotions
First-Time Customer promotions are subject to the same stacking rules as all other promotions. Whether a first-time discount can combine with other active promotions depends on your stacking rule configuration:
- If stacking rules allow invoice-level promotions to combine, the first-time discount can stack with an invoice discount or tiered spend promotion
- If stacking rules cap the total discount percentage, the combined discount from all promotions will not exceed the cap
- Priority determines which promotion is evaluated first — if the first-time discount has a lower priority number (evaluated first) and the cap is reached, later promotions may be blocked
Review your stacking rules before activating a first-time customer promotion alongside other active promotions to ensure the combined behavior matches your intent.
Use Case: Welcome Offer for New Accounts
The most common use case for First-Time Customer promotions is a welcome offer that encourages new customers to create an account and make their first purchase. Here is how a typical implementation works:
- Advertise the offer — Display signage at your store or on your website saying "Create an account and get 15% off your first purchase"
- Create the promotion — Set up a First-Time Customer promotion with the advertised discount
- Train your staff — Teach cashiers to offer account creation to walk-in customers by explaining the first-purchase discount
- Customer creates an account — The cashier creates a new customer record at the POS (or the customer registers online if you have a web portal)
- Discount applies automatically — When the customer's first invoice is processed with their account attached, the discount appears on the invoice without any manual action
- Customer retention — Now that the customer has an account, you can use loyalty points, segments, and targeted coupons for future marketing
This approach turns a one-time discount into the beginning of a long-term customer relationship by getting the customer into your database.
Related Articles
- Invoice Discount Promotions (Article 99) — The standard flat or percentage invoice discount
- Tiered Spend Discounts (Article 100) — Graduated discounts based on spend thresholds
- Understanding Promotion Types (Article 97) — Overview of all eight promotion types
- Recommended Setup Order for Marketing (Article 98) — The correct order to configure the marketing module