Can I run a discount code on my website for a festival sale without changing the prices I have already set?
Yes, you can run a discount code on your website for a festival sale without changing the prices you have already set. A coupon sits on top of your normal pricing as a separate rule, so your markups and your supplier rates stay as they are. When the customer enters the code, the reduction is applied to the total, and the booking is saved with both the original amount and the discount, so your reports still show what the sale cost you.
Most portals let you decide how the code behaves. You can set a flat amount or a percentage off, a start and end date so the offer closes by itself, a minimum booking value, and a limit on how many times it can be used in total or by one customer. You can usually also tie it to one product, so a code meant for hotels is not used on flights.
There are limits worth knowing. A discount code reduces what the customer pays you, not what the supplier charges you, so it comes out of your own margin and you should check that the margin is there first. Some suppliers do not allow their fares to be shown below the rate they filed, so a public code on those products can go against your contract. Whether a refund returns the discounted amount or the full amount depends on how your portal and your payment gateway are set up.
Before you launch the sale, make one test booking with the code, check that the invoice and the sales report both show the reduced figure, and confirm with your supplier that discounting their product is allowed.
