Build Your Own Discount
The rule editor lets you build any kind of discount from scratch — automatic discounts that apply to qualifying carts, or coupon-activated discounts that require a customer to enter a code. Every recipe template is built on the same editor, so every discount you create follows the same structure.
Starting from the recipe gallery
Section titled “Starting from the recipe gallery”When you click + Create Discount, the recipe gallery opens first. Pick a recipe (Spend & Save, Free Gift, Buy X Get Y, and so on) and Dino opens the editor pre-filled with sensible defaults for that pattern. The recipe name appears as a coloured type pill at the top of the editor so you always know what shape you’re working in — switch recipes at any time and the pill updates with it.
If none of the recipes fit, pick “Start from scratch” and you’ll land in the same editor with everything set to its empty defaults.
The six-section spine
Section titled “The six-section spine”Every discount has the same six sections, presented as a single scrollable page with a sticky mini-nav that tracks your position. The first four sections — Who, When, Where, What triggers it — are the targeting axes; Rewards is the reward itself; Messaging controls shopper-facing copy. Only Rewards is required; the rest have sensible defaults and can be left as-is.
| Section | What it controls | Required? |
|---|---|---|
| Who is this for? | Customer attributes — first-time vs returning, role, login state, past orders, total spent, currency | No — defaults to Anyone |
| When does it apply? | Date window, day of week, time of day | No — defaults to Always |
| Where does it apply? | Geographic zones | No — defaults to Anywhere |
| What triggers it? | Auto-apply, coupon code, or spend threshold — plus an Eligible Items sub-block that scopes which products / categories / tags / SKUs / attributes count toward the trigger (default: every cart item) | No — defaults to Auto-applied, all items eligible |
| Rewards | Reward type, amounts, and tier configuration | Yes — required |
| Messaging | Cart label, product-page display, spend-more nudge copy | No — recipe defaults |
The mini-nav doubles as a status indicator — sections you’ve customised pick up a ✓ tick and a warm-wash highlight, so it’s obvious at a glance which defaults you’ve moved away from.
The Plain English summary
Section titled “The Plain English summary”Just above the Rewards section sits the Plain English summary — a green box that translates every setting in the editor into a single sentence you can read out loud. As you tick conditions, change zones, or adjust tiers, the sentence updates in real time so you always know exactly what the discount will do.
It’s the fastest sanity-check in the editor: if the sentence reads wrong, the configuration is wrong.
The Cart Preview right rail
Section titled “The Cart Preview right rail”The Cart Preview lives in the right rail of the editor. It runs the real discount engine against a simulated cart, so you can see exactly how your discount applies as you build it — no save-and-reload, and the simulated cart stays in view as you scroll through the section spine.
See Testing with Cart Preview for how to drive it.
The four reward types
Section titled “The four reward types”Every discount delivers one of four types of reward. You choose the reward type in the Rewards section.
Apply a percentage discount to the cart total or to specific items. The amount scales with the order value, making it ideal for promotions where you want to reward proportionally.
- % Off Order — percentage off the entire cart (e.g. “10% off everything”)
- Product % Off — percentage off a specific product or category
- Tiered % — different percentages at different spend thresholds (e.g. Spend & Save)
Fixed $ Off
Section titled “Fixed $ Off”Deduct a fixed amount from the cart total or from specific items. Predictable for the customer — they know exactly what they’ll save.
- Fixed $ Off Order — flat amount off the cart (e.g. “£10 off your order”)
- Min Spend Fixed $ — flat amount unlocked by hitting a spend threshold
Free Item
Section titled “Free Item”Add one or more free products to the cart when conditions are met. The customer doesn’t pay for the free item(s) — Dino applies the discount as a line-item reduction.
- Free Gift — add a specific product to the cart at no charge
- Buy X Get Y — buy a set quantity and receive items free (classic BOGOF)
Free Shipping
Section titled “Free Shipping”Waive the shipping cost when conditions are met. Works alongside WooCommerce’s shipping methods — Dino sets the shipping line to zero rather than modifying shipping methods directly.
Coupon-activated discounts
Section titled “Coupon-activated discounts”Any discount can be made coupon-activated by adding a Coupon Code condition in the What triggers it? section. When you do this, the discount only applies when the customer enters the code at checkout.
This is how the Coupon recipes (Coupon: % Off, Coupon: Fixed $ Off, Coupon: Free Shipping) work — they use the same reward types above, but with a coupon code as the activation condition.
You can also combine coupon activation with other conditions — for example, a discount that requires both a coupon code and a minimum spend.
See Targeting for how to configure coupon activation alongside other conditions.
What’s next
Section titled “What’s next”- Targeting — the four targeting sections in detail
- Cart Label — customise what the customer sees in their cart
- Upsell Messages — nudge customers toward the deal
- Scheduling — set start and end dates
- Testing with Cart Preview — verify your discount before publishing