Whether it’s a loyal customer getting 10% off, a birthday coupon from your SMS campaign, or a comp for an employee, TORO handles all of it from the same transaction screen. Here’s how each one works — and the guardrails the system puts in place so nothing slips through the cracks.
Manual Discounts #
Sometimes you just need to knock a few bucks off. Maybe the wrapper’s damaged, maybe you’re making a deal on a box purchase, maybe the customer’s been coming in every week for three years and you want to say thanks.
- During a transaction, tap the item (or items) you want to discount
- Tap the Discount button
- A discount type selector pops up — for most situations, choose Flat Discount
- Toggle between Dollars or Percentage depending on what makes sense
- Enter the amount in the large input field
- Type a reason — this is required, and your store may enforce a minimum character count so you can’t just type “x” and move on
- Tap OK
The discount shows up as a line item in the transaction. The customer sees exactly what they saved, and it’s all documented for your reports.
Beyond flat discounts, TORO has a few specialty types built in: Brand Buy X Get X (buy three of a brand, get one free), Buy Specific Get Specific (buy this item, get that item discounted), and Buy Specific Get Same (buy two of something, get the third at a reduced price). These are handy for structured promotions.
Coupons #
Coupons are pre-built discounts with rules baked in. They’re great for marketing campaigns because you set the terms once and TORO enforces them automatically.
- During a transaction, tap Apply Coupon
- Scan the coupon barcode or type the code manually
- If the coupon requires a customer to be attached, tap Attach Phone Number and look them up
- Tap Apply
TORO runs through a checklist before it’ll honor the coupon: Is it active? Has it expired? Is today the right day of the week? Is it the right time of day? Does the transaction meet the minimum purchase amount? Has this customer already used it the maximum number of times? Do the items in the cart match what the coupon covers?
If everything checks out, the discount is applied. If something doesn’t pass, TORO tells you exactly which rule failed — no guessing.
Coupon types you’ll see:
- Percent Off — a percentage discount, sometimes with a maximum dollar cap so 20% off doesn’t get out of hand on a $500 box
- Amount Off — a flat dollar amount off the transaction or qualifying items
- Percent Off Item — a percentage off a specific item (set it to 100% and the item is free)
Employee Comp #
This one’s for when your staff gets their shift smoke or whatever your employee benefit looks like.
Tap Employee Comp during the transaction. You’ll need to enter a reason. Each employee has a daily comp allowance, and TORO tracks usage against that limit. Sales tax is removed automatically on comped items — you’re not paying tax on product you’re giving away.
Store Comp #
Store Comp works like Employee Comp but without a dollar limit. It’s for situations where you’re comping something at the store’s expense — a customer had a bad experience, you’re donating to an event, whatever the reason. A reason is still required, and tax is still removed.
The Guardrails #
TORO doesn’t just let anyone discount anything by any amount. Here’s how it stays controlled:
- Discount limits are tied to access levels. If an employee tries to give a bigger discount than their role allows, TORO blocks it and asks for a manager override. The manager enters their PIN to authorize it.
- Reasons are always required. Every discount, every comp, every coupon — there’s a paper trail. This shows up in your Discount Report so you can see who’s discounting, how much, and why.
- Coupon codes are case-sensitive. SUMMER20 and summer20 are two different coupons.
- Stacking rules are configurable per coupon. You can allow or prevent coupons from being combined with other discounts.
- Everything is tracked. The Discount Report and Discount Impact Report in the Advanced Reporting Module show you the full picture — total discounts given, impact on margins, which employees are discounting the most, and whether your coupons are actually driving sales or just giving away margin.
