Vouchers and promo codes: collecting them and why they fail

A voucher is an offer that gives a discount or free delivery. On Dona you get one in two ways: collect it inside the app with a single tap, or type a code by hand. Here is where to find them, how they apply, and why they sometimes fail.

Where vouchers come from#

The home screen has a “Vouchers for you” section holding whatever is available right now, each with a “Collect” button. A shop page shows its “Shop vouchers”: you take one with the “Use” button, and the app confirms with “Collected”.

A voucher can also pop up on screen during a live stream. You take it with “Collect” or “Claim”, and the label then changes to “Claimed”. Such a voucher shows when it ends, and some carry a “Live only” mark — those work only for purchases made in the live stream.

If you have a code, open the “My vouchers” screen through the “Vouchers” button on the home screen and type it into the “Have a code?” field. The vouchers you have collected sit on the same screen, under “In your wallet”.

Every voucher states its terms: the size of the discount, the minimum amount and the expiry date. Some vouchers give free delivery rather than money off. Note that a “Dona voucher” only lasts a short time after you collect it — about an hour — so collect it when you are ready to buy.

How it applies at checkout#

A “Vouchers & promo codes” row appears when you place the order. From there you open the “Select a voucher” screen and pick one of the vouchers you collected, or type a code by hand and tap “Apply”.

One rule matters: a shop voucher only reduces its own shop’s part. If your basket holds items from two different shops, one shop’s voucher only lowers that shop’s items. A voucher marked “Dona voucher”, on the other hand, works across all shops. On the “Select a voucher” screen you pick one voucher per shop, while codes you type by hand add up in a list. If a free-delivery voucher is available, the app usually applies the best one itself — you can pick another, or decline it, in the “Delivery” section of the “Select a voucher” screen. The final sum appears on the checkout screen, so you see the discount before you pay.

Why a voucher fails#

When a code you typed does not apply, the app writes a message under the code field:

• Basket total is below this voucher’s minimum — the voucher has a minimum amount and your basket is under it. This message can also appear when the voucher fails for another reason as well, so check its terms first. For a shop voucher only that shop’s items count, so adding something from another shop will not help. If the voucher covers only certain products, only those products count — adding other items will not help; you need an item the voucher is for.
• No such code — the code is mistyped or does not exist. Check the letters and digits again.
• Code could not be applied — the general message for everything else: for example the voucher has expired, has run out, has already been used, or is not meant for you. You can check its terms on the “My vouchers” screen.

There is one more case: the code is real, but your basket has nothing from that shop. Then no error may appear, but no discount lands either. So look at the final sum before you pay.

The “Select a voucher” screen also writes the reason next to a voucher that does not fit: for example “Expired”, “This shop is not in your cart” or “Minimum amount not met”.

When a code comes back with such a message, the app asks as you place the order: “The voucher was not applied — continue anyway?” Only for “No such code” is that code simply ignored, while your other valid codes keep working. In every other case the order will not be accepted with that code — remove it and place the order again. “Code could not be applied” can also appear when a free-delivery voucher you picked in “Select a voucher” is no longer available — then change the choice in that screen’s “Delivery” section.

A voucher is not the same as a discount#

When a shop lowers a price itself, that is a discount: everyone sees it and there is nothing to collect. A voucher is conditional — you collect it, and it only works when its terms are met.

Whether a voucher stacks on an already reduced price is not something you need to guess. The final sum on the checkout screen shows how the two combine, and a voucher that does not fit is marked with one of the reasons above.