Managing Special Offers in SimpleTix
Learn how to create and manage special offers that automatically add or offer additional tickets when specific tickets are added to a buyer’s cart.
Special Offers is a powerful feature that allows organizers to automatically add or offer additional tickets when a specific ticket is added to a buyer’s cart. Whether you’re bundling free experiences, upselling extras, or creating cross-event promotions, Special Offers helps you do it seamlessly within the purchase flow.
A Special Offer is triggered by a specific ticket, known as the Trigger Ticket. When that ticket is added to a cart, the buyer will be presented with your configured offer, which may include free or discounted tickets to another event.
You can only configure one special offer per trigger ticket, but each offer can include multiple additional tickets.
Key Concepts
Trigger Ticket
The ticket that, when added to a cart, activates the special offer. Only one special offer can be linked to each trigger ticket.
Offer Tickets
The tickets that are presented as part of the special offer. These tickets must belong to a different SimpleTix event than the trigger ticket.
Quantity Logic
You control how many of each offer ticket the buyer can or must get through minimum and maximum quantity settings.
Setting Up Special Offers
Step 1: Navigate to Special Offers
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Access Your Event:
- Log in to the Manager Portal.
- Navigate to Events and select your event.
- Click Special Offers from the left-hand menu.
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Create New Special Offer:
- Click Create Special Offer in the top-right corner.
Step 2: Configure Basic Settings
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Internal Name:
- Provide a descriptive name for admin reference (e.g., “50% off VIP for GA buyers”).
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Buyer-Facing Subtitle:
- Enter the message customers will see (e.g., “Special Offer!”).
Step 3: Select Trigger Ticket
- Choose Trigger Ticket:
- Select the ticket that will activate the offer from your current event.
Tickets already associated with other offers cannot be used as triggers.
Step 4: Configure Offer Details
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Select Offer Event:
- Choose the event that contains the special offer tickets.
- This must be a different event than your trigger ticket event.
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Select Event Time:
- Choose the specific event time for the offer tickets.
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Select Offer Tickets:
- Check the boxes for the tickets you want to include in the offer.
- You can select multiple ticket types.
Step 5: Set Discounts
Configure discounts for each offer ticket:
- Flat Rate Discount: e.g., $5 off per ticket
- Percentage Discount: e.g., 50% off
- Free Tickets: Use 100% discount
- No Discount: Use $0 or 0%
You can apply the same discount to all selected tickets by checking “Do you want to keep the same discounts for all the sections”
Step 6: Configure Quantities
Set minimum and maximum quantities for offer tickets:
Quantity Options:
- Min = Max = N: Force a fixed number of offer tickets (e.g., always add 3)
- Min = 0: Buyer can skip the offer entirely
- Relative to Trigger Quantity:
- Min = Trigger Quantity, Max = Trigger Quantity → Match 1:1 with trigger tickets
- Min = 0, Max = Trigger Quantity → Optional, up to same number of trigger tickets
- Min = Trigger Quantity, Max = 4 → Always at least same number of trigger tickets, capped at 4
Box Office Settings
- Show in Box Office: Choose whether this offer appears when selling tickets through box office
Step 7: Save and Test
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Create the Offer:
- Click Create to save your special offer.
- You’ll see a success message confirming creation.
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Test the Offer:
- Navigate to your event’s public page.
- Add the trigger ticket to your cart.
- Verify the special offer appears as expected.
Example Setup: SimpleTix Fair
Let’s say you’re hosting the SimpleTix Fair and want to create the following special offer:
- Every GA ticket purchase automatically includes a free Ferris Wheel ride
- Buyers can add 50% off Circus tickets, up to the number of GA tickets purchased
- Buyers can also purchase as many full-price Funhouse tickets as they like
Setup Steps:
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Create Events:
- Create the “SimpleTix Fair” event with a GA ticket.
- Create a separate “Ticketed Activity” event with:
- Ferris Wheel (free ticket)
- Circus (paid ticket)
- Funhouse (paid ticket)
- Mark the “Ticketed Activity” event as private.
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Configure Special Offer:
- Go to SimpleTix Fair → Special Offers → Create Special Offer.
- Internal name: “Fair Activity Bundle”.
- Buyer-facing message: “Add Fun Activities!”.
- Choose GA ticket as trigger.
- Select all three activity tickets as offer tickets.
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Set Individual Ticket Configuration:
- Ferris Wheel:
- Discount: $0 flat (free ticket, amount doesn’t matter)
- Quantity: Min = Trigger Quantity, Max = Trigger Quantity (auto-add 1:1)
- Circus:
- Discount: 50% percent
- Quantity: Min = 0, Max = Trigger Quantity (optional, up to 1:1)
- Funhouse:
- Discount: $0 flat (no discount)
- Quantity: Min = 0, Max = 10 (buyer can choose up to 10 full-price)
- Ferris Wheel:
Managing Special Offers
Viewing Special Offers
- Special Offers List:
- Navigate to your event’s Special Offers page.
- View all created offers with their internal names.
- See which trigger tickets are associated with each offer.
Editing Special Offers
- Edit Existing Offer:
- Click the pencil (edit) icon next to the offer.
- Modify any settings including quantities, discounts, or tickets.
- Click Update to save changes.
Deleting Special Offers
- Remove Offer:
- Click the trash can (delete) icon next to the offer.
- Confirm deletion when prompted.
- The offer will be removed immediately.
How Special Offers Work for Customers
Customer Experience
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Trigger Activation:
- Customer adds a trigger ticket to their cart.
- Clicks “Checkout” to proceed.
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Special Offer Presentation:
- If trigger conditions are met, customer sees Special Offer page.
- Offer tickets are displayed with discounted prices.
- Original prices are struck through, showing savings.
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Quantity Selection:
- Customer can adjust quantities within your configured limits.
- Pre-filled quantities based on your minimum settings.
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Adding to Cart:
- Customer clicks “Add To Cart” to include offer tickets.
- Proceeds to standard checkout flow.
Important Notes
- Non-triggering purchases: If customer buys tickets that aren’t trigger tickets, no special offer appears
- Attendee questions: Any attendee questions configured on offer tickets will appear during checkout
- Pricing display: Discounted prices clearly show original price crossed out with new price highlighted
Best Practices
Offer Design
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Clear Value Proposition:
- Make the benefit obvious to customers.
- Use compelling buyer-facing messages.
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Strategic Bundling:
- Bundle complementary experiences.
- Use free items to increase perceived value.
- Create upsell opportunities with partial discounts.
Event Management
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Private Offer Events:
- Mark offer-only events as private so they don’t appear in public listings.
- This keeps your main event clean while allowing special offers.
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Quantity Logic:
- Use 1:1 quantity matching for included items.
- Allow flexible quantities for upsells.
- Set reasonable maximums to prevent abuse.
Testing
- Always Test:
- Test the complete purchase flow before going live.
- Verify offers appear only for correct trigger tickets.
- Check that quantities and discounts work as expected.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
See Also
Learn about creating and managing promo codes for more targeted promotions.