AIWorkDex
Ecommerce Practice

Build and run a discount test matrix

Translate the offer into expected basket totals, test the actual store, and release terms that match checkout.

Preparation
One offer review and checkout test session before promotion.
Difficulty
Moderate
Task
Verify discount combinations
Back to the Task: Verify discount combinations

Before you start

Get what you need before you start

  • Write the intended customer outcome without relying on internal discount names.
  • Gather sale prices, compare-at prices, automatic discounts, codes, combination settings, exclusions, dates, and customer eligibility.
  • Use an organisation-approved ChatGPT workspace. Upload only synthetic customer states and reviewed offer rules; exclude names, contact details, addresses, payment data, credentials, and external customer or order references.
  • Choose an approver who owns the offer and customer wording.

Steps

Work through the method

Use the listed inputs and tools. Check the evidence when you need to verify a step.

  1. Write the offer rule table

    For every price and discount, record eligible products, customers, markets, dates, minimums, exclusions, combination settings, priority, and the intended final basket result.

    Why it matters: The rule table turns an ambiguous promise such as stackable into values the store can test.

    Input
    The offer brief, product prices, discount configuration, customer segments, and promotion wording.
    Output
    A signed rule table with expected basket maths and explicit exclusions.
    Tools in this stepShopify

    Evidence for this step

  2. Generate representative test carts

    Create cases for each eligible offer, excluded product, excluded customer, threshold boundary, mixed cart, market, expired date, invalid code, and intended combination. Review the expected total manually.

    Why it matters: A varied matrix tests where eligibility and combination rules change the customer result.

    Input
    The rule table, representative products, customer states, and expected basket calculations.
    Output
    A reviewed test matrix with inputs, expected discounts, total, and customer message.
    Tools in this stepShopifyChatGPT data analysis

    Evidence for this step

  3. Run checkout tests

    Run each case in the current store. Capture applied discounts, rejected codes, line prices, shipping effects, final total, and displayed explanation. Compare observed and expected results.

    Why it matters: Only the current checkout reveals how this store resolves its configured prices and discounts.

    Input
    The approved matrix, test accounts, current store configuration, and checkout.
    Output
    A pass-or-fail record for every cart with evidence captures and discrepancy owners.
    Tools in this stepShopify

    Evidence for this step

  4. Align the offer and checkout

    Correct the configuration or promotion wording for every discrepancy. Repeat affected cases, then publish the approved terms, support answer, monitoring owner, and rollback plan.

    Why it matters: Promotion copy must describe the price a buyer can actually receive.

    Input
    The failed cases, configuration options, legal review if required, and customer wording.
    Output
    A passed matrix and final draft offer terms ready for operator copy approval.
    Tools in this stepShopify

    Evidence for this step

Success checks

Check the result before you finish

  • The rule table states the expected basket result and every material eligibility condition.
  • The matrix includes eligible, excluded, boundary, mixed-cart, market, and invalid-code cases.
  • Every observed total and message matches the approved expectation.
  • The final offer terms, support answer, monitoring owner, and rollback plan are ready for copy approval.

Failure modes

Watch for these problems

  • The brief says discounts stack without defining the result. Return to exact basket maths.
  • The matrix omits exclusions or mixed carts. Add them before approval.
  • An app changes discount behaviour. Record the app and test its supported path separately.
  • Promotion starts before failed carts pass. Pause the message and correct checkout or terms.

Tools

Choose the tools you need

Sources

Read the sources behind this practice

Check what each source supports and where the advice has limits.