I need to add a discount code option to a PayPal checkout, but have discovered this isn't an option in PP. Incredible!
I found a way to add an enter coupon discount on the webpage before the buy button, but it requires PHP (the site is on SDrive, so no-go on the PHP), also, the client doesn't want any discount stuff on the products page to frustrate people who don't have the coupon.

I was wondering if a CC form on a MailChimp email might be reasonable?
If someone finds the special promotion on FB, Twitter, etc., and clicks a link, they get the offer with the discounted prices sent to them in a MC email, so they would buy directtly from there.
OR
I could set up a duplicate product page with the buy buttons set to the discounted prices. Shoppers who found the discount offer on an off-site promotion would be sent to "my-shop.com/discount-code-here.html".

Has anyone else dealt with this? Any other suggestions?

Hey PB,

Found this really cool tutorial on how to do it. It's not to bad but it does involve a little bit of php coding.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Y6EcOM_F10

What you said with the 'duplicate' page is what I've heard cc users doing.

Steve, I found that already. We don't want the discount option to show on the products, only at check-out.
Also, I can't tell from there if the page needs to be .php or if .html is OK. Since the site is on SDrive, which doesn't allow non-CC php.
Gunsmoke, good to know. I want to make sure I haven't missed anything better.
I'm just amazed that this isn't an option within PP. Either for the buy buttons or the check-out. How many years have people been shopping online now?

Guess I better get going on a special offer page.

Oh sorry about that. My misunderstanding. Yea its a shame that they don't have that feature already.

The duplicate product page is what people usually do for special customers (such as wholesale or discounts), but be aware that the address won't be protected unless you password protect it, and they can always bookmark the link so they can keep returning to get the special prices until you close that shop or change it's address etc. Also they can just share that link virally with email and facebook etc. and if you don't want those types of shares to generate other customers, then that might not be a good idea.

If you do decide to do this, what you can do is upload the shop for a temporary amount of time like a week or something, or a day or whatever your sale is running for the coupon, then take it down. Next coupon upload it to a different location. A good way to know which location is which is to name the directory with the name of the coupon code in it so you will always know which coupon is active. Takes some work on your part, which of course would cost the customer if you're charging them for maintenance fees, but it's doable.

Other than that, you might tell your clients it would be easier to just set a sale within the program instead of with a coupon. Much much easier in fact

I would password protect the discount shop, using the coupon code as the password. Every so often, just change the password. Of course, um, there are other shops, um, with coupon options, um, that you can use till cc updates SCCP, um, that are really easy to set up, um . . .

I have CC Website Access Mgr, but that can't be used with SDrive.
I had planned on just replacing the offer on the page with a "Sorry, Expired" message and then replacing it with a new version under a different name when another offer comes out.

This client participates in these special offer deals to get her products mentioned on other sites and blogs, so this will be an ongoing thing. It usually requires a special price for just their readers or members – something not offered to the general public.

Gunsmoke... I'm tempted to offer her a sub-domain on my hosting (for a good price ) to run these things on, because I wanted to use the coupon code as a password to get to the deal. Then I could also set up a 404 page to say 'sorry you missed it' when it's over.

That sounds like a good plan to me! If you still need to password protect the page, without using WAM, take a look at this ... http://www.poppydog.com/prod/pwdProtect.jsp

I use it a lot. I pay the $5/month for full service but you could get by with the FREE unless they have to much traffic, then it would be 24.95/year.

If you want a shop that uses coupons take a look at one I'm setting up ( not done yet ) http://gunsmoke.me/gunxoo/
Email me if you want more info . . .

Gunsmoke, can you use that password thing on an SDrive site?