# Giving a discount at checkout > Take money off one item or the whole sale as an amount or a percentage, with a reason, and how promo codes and discount permissions work at checkout. Source: https://docs.fullcolumn.com/checkout/discounts Discounts take money off a sale at checkout: off one item, or off the whole sale. Each can have a reason, like Birthday or Staff, which is saved with the sale, printed on the receipt and counted in reports. ## Discounting one item 1. On the item, press **Item options** (the ⋯ button), then **Discount**. 2. Under **Amount off, or a percentage like 10%**, type an amount (`15`) or a percentage (`10%`). The hint shows what comes off and what's left to pay. 3. Choose a **Reason** if you have discount reasons. 4. Press **Apply**. The discount shows under the item in green. Tap it to take it off. An item can't be discounted below zero. ## Discounting the whole sale 1. Press **+ Add discount** under the subtotal. 2. Choose **Percent** or **Amount**. - **Percent**: tap 10%, 15%, 20%, 25% or 50%, or type another under **Other %** (up to 100%). - **Amount**: type the dollars off. 3. Choose a **Reason** if you have discount reasons. 4. Press **Apply**. When your salon has no discount reasons, tapping a percentage applies it straight away. A whole-sale discount comes off after any item discounts, and never more than the subtotal. Tax is worked out on what's left, and a tip is added after it, so the tip isn't discounted. Tap the green **Discount** line to take it off. When one sale pays for [several people's appointments](https://docs.fullcolumn.com/checkout/checking-out#paying-for-several-clients-on-one-sale), the whole-sale discount is shared between them in proportion to what each had. ## Discount reasons at checkout Discount reasons are your own list, like Birthday, Staff, Complaint or Model, set up in [checkout settings](https://docs.fullcolumn.com/checkout/checkout-settings). At checkout they show as buttons under **Reason**: tap one to choose it, and tap it again to clear it (unless every discount needs a reason). If your salon has turned on **Every discount needs a reason**, the sale can't be completed until each discount has one. A discount still waiting shows **Choose a reason** in red, and the payment panel says "Choose a reason for each discount before finishing the sale." The reason is printed beside the discount on the receipt, and Reports break discounts down by reason. ## Using a promo code at checkout [Promo codes](https://docs.fullcolumn.com/messages/promo-codes) are discounts your clients can use. At checkout: - **Booked online with a code**: the sale shows **Promo code SPRING20 (booked online)** and each service keeps the discount it was booked with. Anything you add at checkout that the code covers gets it too. - **Entering a code at the desk**: press **+ Promo code**, type it and press **Apply**. FullColumn checks it's on, not used up and that this client may use it, then shows what it takes off. A few rules: - One code a sale. If you add someone else's appointment that was booked with a different code, it can't come along: check them out on their own to keep it. - A code for new clients, or once per client, is checked again if you change who's paying, and comes off if it no longer applies. - If a code doesn't cover anything on the sale, or the sale is under its minimum spend, checkout says why. Take it off, or add what it's for. - Giving an item a discount of your own replaces the code's discount on that item. - Tap the code to take it off the sale. A promo code's discount doesn't need the **Give discounts** permission: the code itself is the permission. ## Who can give discounts Discounting needs the **Give discounts** permission. Staff have it by default, and so do managers and owners. It also works on a Front desk device. - Without it, completing a discounted sale is refused with "You don't have permission to do that (give discounts)." - Discounting a sale that includes a gift voucher also needs **Issue, edit and void gift vouchers**, since a discounted voucher is worth more than was paid for it. Owners can change who has which permission: see [roles and permissions](https://docs.fullcolumn.com/team/roles-and-permissions). ## How discounts show on receipts and reports - On the receipt, a discounted item shows what came off and why, like "$15.00 off · Birthday", and a whole-sale discount shows as its own line with its reason. - A promo code's discount has the code as its reason, like "Promo code SPRING20". - Reports count discounts by reason: see [reports](https://docs.fullcolumn.com/reports/overview). ## Common questions ### Can I take a discount off after applying it? Yes. Tap the green discount line, on the item or under the subtotal, to remove it. ### Why can't I finish the sale after adding a discount? Your salon asks for a reason on every discount. Choose one under **Reason**, or tap **Choose a reason** on the item. ### Can I discount a gift voucher? Only if you have both **Give discounts** and **Issue, edit and void gift vouchers**. ### What's the difference between a discount and changing the price? A discount is recorded as money off, with a reason, and shows on the receipt and in reports. Changing an item's price just changes what it costs on this sale.