Types of Promotions in PrestaShop: Which Discount to Choose and How to Set It Up
Marketing wants a discount for the whole weekend, sales is asking for a special wholesale price, and newsletter subscribers are waiting for a code. In PrestaShop, each of these can be done in several ways, and the wrong tool can cut your margin by more than you planned.
In this guide, we walk through the basic promotion types available in PrestaShop one by one, explain when each one works best, and show how they interact. We base it on the official documentation, though field names may vary slightly depending on your store version.
In short: a specific price is for individual products, a catalog price rule is for larger groups, and a cart rule is for codes and conditions tied to the whole order. Discounts can stack, so always check the final price and margin before a campaign.
Three tools worth starting with
Most promotions rely on three features. The main difference is where they apply: in the catalog or only in the cart.
Specific price: a discount on a specific product
You set it on the product page, in the pricing section. It can apply to a specific country, currency, customer group, or even a single customer. You can set start and end dates, an amount or a percentage, and a minimum quantity. It also works for specific combinations, for example just one size.
The quantity condition gives you a so-called volume discount: 5% off from 10 units, 10% off from 50 units. It’s one of the most useful settings in wholesale, because the customer sees the benefit right on the product page.
Catalog price rule: a discount on a group of products
You’ll find catalog price rules in the discounts section. PrestaShop’s documentation describes them as discounts assigned by category, brand, supplier, attribute, or feature. They’re not meant for a single product. For that, choose a specific price.
Conditions are organized into groups. All conditions within a group must be met, while between groups it’s enough for one to be met. Watch out for one thing: a rule with no conditions applies to the entire catalog. That’s a mistake you want to catch before publishing.
Cart rule: codes, free shipping, and gifts
This is the most powerful tool. The form has three tabs.
The documentation also explains the difference between a discount and a credit slip: a credit slip issued after a return is primarily a document that can be used like a voucher, while a voucher doesn’t have to be tied to a return.
If you don’t want discounts to stack, turn on the rule option that excludes products that are already discounted.
Other ways to lower the price
How do you match the promotion type to your goal?
You’ll choose fastest if you start by asking what you want to achieve and who should see the discount.
Keep product ads in mind. A discount set only in the cart doesn’t change the catalog price, so product feeds will usually show the regular price. If the promotion needs to work in Google Shopping, choose a specific price or a catalog price rule.
What happens when discounts stack?
Cart discounts are calculated from the price already reduced in the catalog. Example: a PLN 100 product with a 30% discount costs PLN 70. A 20% code takes off another PLN 14. The customer pays PLN 56, so the total discount is 44%, not 50%. That’s still often more than the sales team had planned.
If several specific prices apply to a product, PrestaShop picks them according to the priorities you’ve set, for example shop, currency, country, group. So it’s worth checking the result as a customer from that group, not just in the admin panel. Cart rules have their own priorities and stacking settings.
The Omnibus Directive: what to keep in mind
In the EU, when you advertise a price reduction to consumers, you have to show the lowest price from the 30 days before the reduction. How it’s displayed depends on your store version and modules, and many stores need an additional extension. Check that it applies everywhere you show the promotion and that price history is recorded correctly. If in doubt, consult a lawyer about the details.
When isn’t it worth launching another promotion?
If customers only buy during sales, a constant calendar of discounts teaches them to wait. The same is true when staff don’t know which rules apply and several rules run in parallel. Better to have a few well-thought-out mechanisms than dozens of old rules nobody remembers. Once a quarter, it’s worth deleting or disabling everything that’s out of date.
Summary
PrestaShop gives you lots of discounting options, but each feature has its place. Use a specific price for individual products, a catalog price rule for groups, and a cart rule for codes and order conditions. Standing wholesale terms are best set up through customer groups.
If your promotions are hard to keep under control or you want to redesign them from scratch, get in touch. We’ll review your current rules and organize them so they don’t cut into your margin by accident.
FAQ
What’s the difference between a catalog price rule and a cart rule?
A catalog price rule lowers the price right in the catalog for a group of products. A cart rule works in the cart and can require a code or certain order conditions to be met.
How do I set a discount on a single product?
The simplest way is with a specific price on the product page. Catalog price rules are for groups of products.
Can I offer free shipping above a certain amount?
Yes. You can set it in a cart rule with a minimum amount. There are also free shipping settings in the shipping preferences.
Do discounts add up?
They can stack. The cart discount is calculated from the reduced price. If you exclude products that are already discounted, the code won’t reduce their price at all. Check it on a test cart before your campaign.