When you set up birthday marketing on Shopify, one of the first decisions is how to handle discount codes. Do you use one fixed code like BIRTHDAY20 that every customer receives, or do you generate a unique code for each individual? Both approaches work. The right choice depends on your priority. Fixed codes are simpler to set up. Unique codes prevent sharing and give you better tracking data. This post compares both strategies so you can decide which makes sense for your store.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
TL;DR: For Shopify birthday emails, use a fixed code if you’re just starting out. Switch to unique codes when you want to prevent code sharing and track exactly which emails drive sales.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n The Happy Birthday App<\/a> gives you both options. Here’s how to decide which one fits your store. (New to birthday marketing? Start with our Happy Birthday App for Shopify<\/a>.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n With a fixed code, you create a discount in Shopify (like “HAPPYBDAY15”) and use that same code in every birthday email. Simple and straightforward.<\/p>\n\n\n\n How it works:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n With unique codes, the app automatically creates a fresh discount code for each customer when their birthday email goes out. Something like “BDAY-SARAH-X7K2” instead of a generic code.<\/p>\n\n\n\n How it works:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n A fixed code makes sense when:<\/p>\n\n\n\n For tips on what discount percentage or amount works best, check out Birthday Discounts That Convert<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Unique codes work better when:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Here’s something that happens more often than you’d think: a customer receives their birthday code, posts it on social media or a coupon site, and suddenly dozens of people are using “your” birthday discount.<\/p>\n\n\n\n With a fixed code like “BIRTHDAY20”, there’s no way to stop this. Anyone who finds the code can use it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n With unique codes, each code is tied to one customer. If someone tries to share “BDAY-SARAH-X7K2”, it won’t work for anyone else. Problem solved.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When you choose unique codes in the app, you can set:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Honestly? Both can work well. The discount itself matters more than whether the code is unique or fixed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n That said, unique codes have one clear advantage: you can see exactly how much revenue each birthday email generates. When Sarah uses her unique code, you know that purchase came from her birthday email. With a fixed code, you’re guessing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you’re new to birthday marketing, start with a fixed code. It’s simpler to set up and you can always switch later.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you’re serious about birthday marketing as a revenue channel \u2013 or if you’ve noticed your codes showing up on coupon sites \u2013 switch to unique codes. The extra tracking and fraud prevention are worth it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Not sure how to collect birthdays in the first place? The thank you page widget<\/a> is the easiest way to start \u2013 it asks customers right after they purchase, when they’re most likely to share.<\/p>\n\n\n\n And if you’re selling internationally, you’ll want to send those birthday emails in your customers’ language<\/a> for better results.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Ready to try it? The Happy Birthday App<\/a> includes both discount options, and you can start free with up to 50 subscribers<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Should you use one discount code for all birthday emails or generate unique codes per customer? Here’s how to decide.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":0,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_breakdance_hide_in_design_set":false,"_breakdance_tags":""},"class_list":["post-1366","marketing-post","type-marketing-post","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":{"related_apps":[185]},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/newcraft.dev\/nl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/marketing-post\/1366","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/newcraft.dev\/nl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/marketing-post"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/newcraft.dev\/nl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/marketing-post"}],"acf:post":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newcraft.dev\/nl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/shopify-app\/185"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/newcraft.dev\/nl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1366"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}The Two Approaches<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Fixed Code: One Code for Everyone<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Unique Codes: A Personal Code for Each Customer<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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When to Use a Fixed Code<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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When to Use Unique Codes<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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The Code Sharing Problem<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
What You Can Customize with Unique Codes<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Which One Converts Better?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Our Recommendation<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Frequently Asked Questions: Birthday Discount Code Strategies<\/h2>\n\n\n