# Are your discounts training customers to wait for a sale?

> Discounts bring sales today and can cost you full-price orders later. Four checks show whether your customers have learned to wait for a code.

By The Wizel Team · Published 2026-10-01

Discounts work. A code in the subject line usually lifts revenue on the day, which is why it becomes the easy answer to every slow week. Over time some customers learn the pattern and stop buying at full price, because they know another code is coming.

## Four checks

**4 checks** orders with a code, average discount, repeat rate by first order and full-price buyers

1. Share of orders with a discount. Track it monthly. A steady rise means discounting is turning from a tactic into a habit.
2. Average discount. How much margin you give away per discounted order. Small codes add up when most orders use one.
3. Repeat rate by first order. Compare customers whose first order used a code with those who paid full price. If the code group comes back less often, or only for the next sale, the discount bought a one-time customer.
4. Full-price buyers. How many customers have never used a code. They're some of your most valuable people, and they don't need a discount in every email.

> If most of your orders use a code, the code has become your price.

## What to do if customers are waiting

- Stop discounting by default. Keep sales to a calendar of real events, so a sale still means something.
- Give people full-price reasons to buy: new products, restocks, limited runs, early access and useful content.
- Reward loyalty without a code: first access to launches, a gift with larger orders or free shipping above a threshold.
- Send codes to the right people. A win-back offer to lapsed customers makes sense. The same code to your best customers gives away margin they would have paid anyway.

## Ask your own numbers in Wizel

With Klaviyo connected, ask the Wizel chat:

- “What percentage of orders use discounts?”
- “Do customers acquired with discounts have lower lifetime value?”
- “How much are we giving away in discounts?”

## FAQ

### How do I know if my customers depend on discounts?

Check whether the share of orders using a code keeps rising, and whether customers who started with a code come back less often at full price. If both are true, your discounts are doing more harm than good.

### Should I stop offering a welcome discount?

Not necessarily. Compare the repeat rate of customers who used it with those who didn't. If the discount group comes back at full price, it's earning its keep. If they only return for the next sale, try a different welcome offer.

### What can I offer instead of a discount?

Early access, limited editions, a gift with larger orders, free shipping above a threshold, or simply a better reason to buy now, like a restock or a seasonal edit.

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Source: Wizel (https://www.wizel.ai/blog/discounts-training-customers-to-wait)
Last updated: 2026-10-01