Deemphasize Your Coupon Field

Customers want a fair price.

They usually consider prices that other customers have paid:

...perceptions of fairness are induced when a person compares an outcome (e.g., input and output ratio) with a comparative other’s outcome (Xia, Monroe, & Cox, 2004, p. 1)

Suppose that a customer reaches an online checkout.

If they see a coupon field — and if they don't possess one — they infer that other customers have paid a lower price. It feels painful, and they're more likely to leave without buying (Oliver & Shor, 2003).

Takeaways:

• Reduce the Saliency of This Field. Decrease the font size, and remove the spacing around this field. It should be noticeable to customers who need it, yet hidden from customers who aren't looking for it.
• Insert a Code for a Small Discount. Consider leaving a small discount to prevent customers from exiting in protest.

• Oliver, R. L., & Shor, M. (2003). Digital redemption of coupons: Satisfying and dissatisfying effects of promotion codes. Journal of Product & Brand Management, 12(2), 121-134.
• Xia, L., Monroe, K. B., & Cox, J. L. (2004). The price is unfair! A conceptual framework of price fairness perceptions. Journal of Marketing, 68(4), 1-15.