Offer structure
An offer is made up of a condition, a reward, and a redemption method. You can also set limitations on offers, such as the number of times an offer can be redeemed. In some cases, you can target offers to a customer segment.
This section describes the components that go into an offer. While it may appear that you can mix and match conditions, rewards, and redemptions methods, Instacart supports specific combinations. For more information, see the Instacart Offers: Condition by Reward Matrix and the examples in this section.
Condition and reward
A condition is the criteria that must be satisfied before a customer qualifies for the offer reward. The condition can apply to items, collections, or basket total. For example, an item condition might require that the customer buys 2 products from a collection. A basket condition might require that a customer's basket total meets or exceeds a minimum total.
A reward is the discount or other type of benefit that customers receive when they satisfy the offer conditions. For example, a reward can be things like discount on an item, percentage off a basket total, or free delivery.
For more information about conditions and rewards, see the following resources:
- To view examples of supported offers in Storefront, see Storefront offer types.
- To view examples of supported offers in Marketplace, see Marketplace offer types.
- To check if Instacart supports the combinations of condition and reward you need, see the Instacart Offers: Condition by Reward Matrix.
Redemption methods
A redemption method is the way the offer is redeemed and applied by the customer. Offer conditions must be satisfied before a reward can be applied.
Instacart supports the following redemption methods:
- Auto-apply. No action is required by the customer. The reward is applied automatically.
- Promo code. Customers must enter a code.
- Click-to-redeem. Customers must click a promotion in a banner or email.
- Clip. Customers must click the offer. Used with third-party coupons only.
The following table summarizes how offers are redeemed and applied:
| Redemption method | Reward type | Redemption | Application |
|---|---|---|---|
| Auto-apply | Item | None. | Reward is applied to the item in the basket. |
| Clip | Item | Clip a third-party coupon. | Reward is applied to the item in the basket. |
| Click-to-redeem | Basket or fee | Click a promotion from a banner or email. | Reward is applied at checkout. |
| Promo code | Basket or fee | Enter a promo code at checkout. | Reward is applied at checkout. |
Limits
To control how offers are used, you can set additional limits. The limits available depend on whether you create the offer in Instacart Platform Portal or in the catalog inventory file. For more information, see How to create offers.
The following table lists the limits, where you can set them, and which redemption methods they can be used with:
| Limitation | Description | Portal | Catalog |
|---|---|---|---|
| Start date and end date of the offer | The offer is valid only during the specified time period. | Promo code | Auto-apply |
| Number of times a customer can redeem an offer per order | The maximum number of times a customer can redeem the offer per order. | Promo code | Auto-apply |
| Promo code end date after being clipped | The offer is valid for a certain number of days after the promo code is clipped. | Promo code | - |
| Number of times a customer can redeem an offer per account | The maximum number of times a customer can redeem the offer from a single account. | Promo code | - |
| Maximum number of total redemptions across all customers | The maximum number of times the offer can be redeemed across all customers. | Promo code | - |
| Maximum reward amount per basket (for percentage off rewards) | The maximum reward amount that can be applied to a basket. | Promo code | - |
| Whether alcohol can contribute to the minimum spend | Whether alcohol can be included in the basket total for a minimum spend offer. | Promo code | - |
Targeting
You can target offers to custom segments, lifecycle segments, regions, or loyalty members. The targeting methods available depend on whether you create the offer in Instacart Platform Portal or in the catalog inventory file. For more information, see How to create offers.
The following table lists the available targeting options, where you can use them, and which redemption methods they can be used with:
| Target option | Description | Portal | Catalog |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lifecycle segment | Includes customers based on a selected criteria, such as being a new, active, or lapsed customer. | Promo code | - |
| User-defined segment | Includes customers in a user-defined list of customers. | Promo code | - |
| Regions | Includes customers who's local online store is in one of the selected regions. | Promo code | - |
| Loyalty members | Includes customers with loyalty memberships. | - | Auto-apply |