If you’re wrangling B2B promos and want to let customers use multiple coupons together—without creating a mess—this guide is for you. I’ll walk through how to set up stackable coupons in Talon.One, explain what actually works in the real world, and call out pitfalls that’ll trip you up if you’re not careful. Skip the fluff; let’s get straight to the good stuff.
Why Stackable Coupons Matter (and When They Don’t)
Stackable coupons sound great in theory—give B2B customers more flexibility, let sales reps combine offers, and maybe close that big deal. But if you’re not careful, you’ll end up with discounts that eat your margins or logic that’s impossible to maintain.
When stackable coupons make sense: - You have customers with negotiated contracts needing multiple discounts. - Sales or support teams need flexibility to apply several incentives. - You want to run layered promos (e.g., a volume discount plus a time-limited extra perk).
When they don’t: - You’re selling low-margin products. - Your team can’t easily explain or support complicated rules. - You want to limit “gaming the system.”
The rest of this guide assumes you know stackables are worth it for your use case. If not, keep it simple and avoid the headache.
Step 1: Get Your Basics Right—How Talon.One Handles Coupons
Before you dive in, make sure you get how Talon.One actually works. It’s not just a “promo code” tool—think of it more like a rule engine for incentives. In Talon.One, everything starts with:
- Campaigns: Where you define your logic.
- Rules: If-this-then-that conditions (e.g., “If coupon X is present and order > $500, give 10% off”).
- Coupons: Codes you distribute, which trigger rewards when used.
Stacking means letting more than one coupon apply to the same order. The tricky part: Talon.One doesn’t have a “stackable” toggle. You have to design your rules so that multiple coupons can be used, and then decide how their effects interact.
Step 2: Define Your Stacking Logic Before You Build
Don’t rush into the UI. First, sketch out: - How many coupons can be stacked? Is it unlimited, or just two? - What types? Can a fixed discount and a percentage discount stack? Or only same-type? - Order of application: Does one always apply before the other? - Exclusions: Are some coupons specifically non-stackable?
Write this down somewhere. If your rules get messy, you’ll want this as a reference.
Pro tip: Don’t just ask marketing—check with finance and sales. Someone will always want an answer about “what happens if…” later.
Step 3: Set Up Your Campaigns and Rules for Stacking
Here’s how to actually do it in Talon.One:
- Create a campaign for your stackable coupons.
- Make sure it’s clear in the naming that these are stackable.
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Example: “B2B Q3 Volume Stackables”
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Define each rule to allow for multiple coupons.
- In each rule, use “Coupon is redeemed” as a condition.
- Avoid adding a “Coupon is not already used” or similar exclusivity conditions—unless you want to block stacking.
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For B2B, you’ll probably want to scope by customer (e.g., account ID) and maybe by product.
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Decide how rewards should combine.
- Additive stacking: Each coupon adds its discount to the total. (e.g., 10% + $50 off)
- Best of stacking: Only the highest-value coupon applies. (Not really stacking, but some teams want this.)
- Multiplicative stacking: Rare. Don’t do this unless you love angry finance emails.
You control this by how you write your rules: - If rules trigger on separate coupons, and both reward actions fire, they’ll stack. - If you add “Stop processing rules” at the end of a rule, nothing after it will apply—so don’t do this if you want stacking.
Example (Additive):
- Rule 1: If coupon A is present, give 10% off order.
- Rule 2: If coupon B is present, give free shipping.
- Result: Both apply if both coupons are used.
Example (Best Of):
- Rule 1: If coupon A is present, give $100 off.
- Rule 2: If coupon B is present, give $200 off, and stop processing rules.
- Result: Only the highest-value coupon applies.
Step 4: Set Up Coupon Pools and Distribute Codes
This is mostly admin work, but easy to mess up.
- Create pools for each coupon type. For B2B, you might want pools tied to contract types, regions, or sales reps.
- Set clear expiration and usage limits. Trust me, rogue coupons floating around for years will bite you.
- Distribute codes carefully. For B2B, don’t blast codes in newsletters. Assign them via CRM, sales portal, or even manually.
Watch out: If you use “universal” coupons (like ‘Q3STACKABLE’), track usage carefully. B2B buyers love sharing codes with subsidiaries or partners if they can get away with it.
Step 5: Test Like a Skeptic (Don’t Skip This)
This is where most teams drop the ball. Test every combination you can think of:
- Two coupons of different types
- Coupons with conflicting rewards (e.g., both try to give free shipping)
- Exceeding stack limits (if you have any)
- Using a stackable with a non-stackable
How to test in Talon.One: - Use the “Simulate” feature in the admin UI. - Try edge cases—orders at minimum value, max value, etc. - Check what’s shown in the API response or in the UI—make sure it’s clear to the user what happened.
Pro tip: Don’t trust “it should work.” Run through real scenarios with sales and support. They’ll find things you didn’t.
Step 6: Communicate the Rules—Internally and Externally
This is boring but critical. If sales or support don’t know how stacking works, you’ll get angry emails and lost deals.
- Write a one-pager for internal teams: “Here’s how stackable coupons work, with examples.”
- Make it clear to customers: On order forms or invoices, show which discounts applied and how.
- Document edge cases: What happens if someone tries to stack more than allowed? Can a stackable and a non-stackable be combined?
If you don’t document this, expect confusion—and probably lost revenue.
What’s Worth Ignoring (and What’s Not)
Ignore: - Over-engineering every possible stacking scenario. 99% of use cases fall into “additive” or “best of.” - Trying to replicate every B2C coupon trick. B2B buyers care about clarity and predictability, not “mystery discounts.”
Don’t ignore: - Abuse prevention. If a code leaks, it’s a lot harder to clean up in B2B. - Testing with real data. The difference between “works in the UI” and “works with our ERP” is massive.
Troubleshooting: Common Stacking Problems
- Coupons not stacking? Check for “Stop processing rules” actions, or exclusivity conditions in your rules.
- Wrong rewards applied? Double-check rule priorities. Talon.One processes rules in order, so move yours up or down as needed.
- Usage limits not enforced? Make sure your coupon pool settings match your campaign logic.
If you’re stuck, export your campaign config and walk through it step-by-step. Nine times out of ten, it’s a logic order or a missing condition.
Wrapping Up: Keep It Simple, Iterate, and Don’t Overthink
Stackable coupons in Talon.One are powerful, but complexity is the enemy. Start small: a couple of stackable offers for a pilot group. Test, adjust, and document what you learn. As soon as you need a flowchart to explain your promo logic, it’s time to dial it back.
And remember, in B2B, clarity and trust matter far more than clever discount gymnastics. Set it up right and you’ll save yourself—and your team—a ton of headaches down the road.