Understand discounts when collecting payments

When creating invoices, payment links, quotes, legacy quotes, and subscriptions, you can include discounts. The discounts that can be applied depend on what you're creating. 

Discount types

Learn how each discount type is applied below.

Unit discount

Available for invoices, payment links, quotes, legacy quotes, and subscriptions.

Learn how to add unit discounts to line items of invoices, payment links, quotes, or legacy quotes.

Please note: up to six decimal places are supported when setting a line item's unit price in any currency and discounts are rounded based on the currency's precision at checkout. For example, if a line item has a price of $11.90 USD, and a 15% discount is applied, the discounted amount of $1.785 will be rounded to $1.79, and the total that the buyer pays will be $10.11.

One-time discount

Available for one-time invoices, payment links, and legacy quotes.

A discount that applies to the order total. The following applies when using one-time discounts:

• If the payment link or legacy quote includes recurring payments, the discount will first be applied to the one-time line item total, then to the recurring line item total. See an example.
• Discount information will update payment properties (e.g., Total discounts amount). To view these properties, add them as columns to the payment index page or to the payment object.
• When a one-time order discount is applied to recurring line items on payment links and legacy quotes:
  • The subscription record will show the discount in the Last payment amount and Total amount collected properties. View an example.
    
    
  • The subscription record will show the discounted first payment, and the non-discounted next payment.
    
    
• Discounts don't affect subscription monthly recurring revenue (MRR) and annual recurring revenue (ARR). But, discounts applied to subscriptions will affect the Last payment amount and Total amount collected subscription properties. Learn more about discount properties, and view examples of how discounts can affect them.

Learn how to add one-time discounts to invoices, payment links, or legacy quotes.

Discount codes

A discount that can be applied payment links that are set up to accept discount codes. You can turn on discount codes for payment links that include unit discounts, but not for payment links that include a one-time discount.

Discounts appear throughout the checkout process as well as on the buyer's receipt.

Checkout	Buyer receipt

The email notification you receive after payment will also contain discount information.

Discount information in HubSpot

In HubSpot, you can view discount properties on the payment index page, the invoices index page, and on the payment object. You can also use discount properties in other HubSpot tools, such as reports, segments, and workflows.

View discount properties on payments

You can add the following discount properties to the payments index page table, or to the payment object:

• Line item discount amount.
• Line item discount amount in company currency.
• Order discount amount.
• Order discount amount in company currency.
• Order discount code.
• Order discount percentage.
• Total discount amount.
• Total discount amount in company currency.

To add properties to the index page or payment object:

1. In your HubSpot account, navigate to Commerce > Payments.
2. To view discount properties in the payment table, in the upper right of the table, click Edit columns.
   • Select the checkboxes next to the discount properties you'd like to add. 
   • Click Apply.
3. To view discount properties on the payment record, click the payment amount.
   
   • In the right panel, in the upper right of the About this payment card, click Actions, then select Customize properties.
     
     
   • Click the Add properties dropdown menu and select the checkboxes next to the discount properties you'd like to add. 
   • Click Save.

View discount properties on the invoices index page

You can view the Invoice dataSyncRight Discounts and Discounts Total properties on the invoices index page. To add the properties to the invoices table:

1. In your HubSpot account, navigate to Commerce > Invoices.
2. To view discount properties in the invoices table, in the upper right of the table, click Edit columns.
   • Select the checkbox next to the discount properties you'd like to add.
   • Click Apply.

Use discounts in other HubSpot tools

HubSpot offers a set of payment properties that populate based on the one-time discounts you include in your one-time invoices, payment links, and legacy quotes. Use the examples below to learn how you can use these properties in other HubSpot tools such as reports, segments, and workflows.

1. In a segment, use the Order discount code property on the Payment object as a filter to keep a running list of contacts who have applied a specific discount code to their order. This type of segment can be useful when planning outreach for future sales events.
   
   
2. If you have a Professional or Enterprise account, you can create a workflow that enrolls contacts using the Order discount percentage property as an enrollment trigger. This type of workflow can be useful for automating email sending to buyers who have received a specific discount amount, to encourage further sales .
   
   
3. If you have a Professional or Enterprise account, you can create a report using the custom report builder to report on monthly Gross amount of payments broken down by Total discounts amount. This type of report can be useful for tracking sales during promotions.
   
   

Discount examples

View the below examples to better understand how discounts can affect recurring payments.

Mixed one-time and recurring line items

A payment link or legacy quote has two line items:

• One-time line item: $150

• Recurring line item: $100 per month

• Total first payment: $250

With a one-time discount of $200, the buyer's first payment amount is $50. After the first payment, the following properties on the subscription record will be updated:

• Last payment amount: $50
• Total amount collected: $50

Because the order has both a one-time and a recurring line item, the discount is first applied to the one-time line item total, then to the recurring line item total:

• Total discount: $200
• One-time line item total: $150
  
  • Discount applied: $150
  • Discount remaining: $50
  • Total due for one-time line item: $0
• Recurring line item total: $100
  
  • Discount applied: $50
  • Discount remaining: $0
  • Total due for recurring line item total: $50
• Total due now: $50

During the next billing cycle, the recurring line item subscription will return to its original price of $100 and the Last payment amount property will update to $100.

One recurring line item

A payment link or legacy quote has a recurring line item costing $100 per month. With a one-time discount of $20, the buyer's first payment amount is $80. After the first payment, the following properties on the subscription record will be updated:

• Last payment amount: $80
• Total amount collected: $80

Because there are no one-time line items on this order, the discount is applied in full to the recurring line item total ($20 off $100). During the next billing cycle, the subscription will return to its original price of $100 and the Last payment amount property will update to $100.

Multiple recurring line items

A payment link or legacy quote has three line items:

• One-time line item: $50
• Recurring line item: $50 per month
• Recurring line item: $100 per month
• Total first payment: $200

With a one-time discount of $100, the buyer's first payment amount is $100. After the first payment, the following properties on the subscription record will be updated as follows:

• Last payment amount: $100
• Total amount collected: $100

Because the order has both one-time and recurring line items, the discount is first applied to the one-time line item total, then to the recurring line item total:

• Total discount: $100

• One-time line item total: $50

  • Discount applied: $50
  • Discount remaining: $50
  • Total due for one-time line item: $0

• Recurring line item total: $150

  • Discount applied: $50
  • Discount remaining: $0
  • Total due for recurring line item total: $100
• Total due now: $100

 During the next billing cycle, the recurring line items return to their original price, $50 per month and $100 per month, and the Last payment amount property will update to $150

Next steps

• Add unit discounts to line items.
• Add one-time order discounts to an invoice, payment link, or legacy quote.
• Create a discount code.