A coupon that shoppers must activate by ticking a box produced a smaller increase in brand choice than a conventional temporary price reduction in a simulated online store, researchers found.
The comparison comes from a 2026 European Marketing Academy conference abstract by University of Hamburg researchers Jan Heinemann and Karen Gedenk. They link the weaker result to greater price confusion and lower perceived savings.
The finding concerns an experiment using a fictional shop. It is preliminary research, not proof that checkbox coupons reduce sales for every retailer.
Two ways to offer a discount
A temporary price reduction displays a lower price for a limited period. A checkbox coupon typically appears on the product page but requires a shopper to activate it before the reduction is applied.
For example, a product might be listed at $20 with a $2 coupon, or shown at a reduced price of $18. The eventual product price can be the same, but the actions and information a customer sees differ. Taxes and shipping may change the amount paid.
The distinction matters to both sides. A coupon can be easy to miss or forget. For a retailer, that can affect the number of shoppers who receive a discount and the appeal of the offer.
Most buyers activated the coupon
The researchers used an incentive-compatible experiment, meaning participants’ choices had consequences within the experimental design. They report that checkbox coupons increased the probability of choosing the promoted brand less than typical temporary price reductions.
Among participants who bought the promoted product in the coupon condition, 93% also redeemed the coupon. That figure does not mean 93% of everyone in the experiment bought the product or used a coupon.
The authors suggest that the high redemption rate limits how much the coupon can distinguish between buyers willing to take the extra step and those who are not. The public conference abstract does not provide enough detail to establish the result for other audiences or stores.
Compare completed orders, not clicks alone
A retailer evaluating a promotion can track how many people view the offer, activate a coupon, add the item to a cart and complete a purchase. Those steps answer different questions.
For instance, a coupon may receive many activations but lead to few additional orders if most customers would have bought the item anyway. A direct price cut may attract more buyers but also reduce the amount collected from existing customers. Product margins and promotion costs matter in both cases.
A useful test can compare offers with the same discount and similar customers, while checking whether visitors understand the final price. The MBN report on grocery price displays examined a different way that presentation can affect shoppers without changing the underlying price.
Clear terms still matter
Businesses should explain eligibility, expiry and any purchase requirements before checkout. Shoppers should check whether a coupon is activated and whether it applies to the item in their basket.
The experiment identifies a reason to test the design of an offer, not a universal rule against coupons. The better choice depends on whether customers understand the promotion and whether the extra sales justify the cost.
