Deals vs. campaigns — what's the difference?
A deal is a persistent offer that lives on your ordering platform — think of it as an always-available (or scheduled) promotion that customers can see and redeem when they order. Examples: 10% off orders over $20, free drink with any entree, BOGO burritos.
A campaign is a targeted push — an email, SMS, or push notification sent to a specific group of customers to drive a specific action. Campaigns can include deals, but they're about reaching people proactively.
Use a deal when you want an ongoing or scheduled offer visible to anyone who orders. Use a campaign when you want to target specific customers with a message.
Creating a deal in the portal
The Deals section is now available directly in the new Appfront portal. Here's how to set one up:
Navigate to Campaigns in the portal sidebar
Click on Deals & Upsells from the top of the page
Choose your discount type:
Percentage off (e.g., 10% off)
Dollar amount off (e.g., $5 off)
Free item (e.g., free side with entree)
BOGO (buy one, get one)
Set conditions:
Minimum order total — e.g., only apply the deal on carts $20 and above
Member-only vs. guest access — require login to redeem, which is great for acquisition
Specific items or categories the deal applies to
Availability settings
You have granular control over where and when a deal is active:
Locations — choose specific locations (e.g., only your downtown store)
Serving options — limit to pickup only, delivery only, or both
Platforms — make deals app-only to drive mobile downloads, or available across web and app
Scheduling — set start/end dates, or make deals available only during specific hours (e.g., Taco Tuesday 11am–3pm)
Stacking rules
You can control whether deals stack with other offers. By default, customers can only use one deal per order, but you can configure stacking if you want to allow multiple deals to apply.
Member-only deals for acquisition
One of the most effective strategies discussed: set a deal to "members only" so customers must create an account to redeem it. This converts guest orderers into loyalty members you can market to later.
Tips from the webinar
Use app-only deals to incentivize mobile app downloads
BOGO deals automatically discount the lower-priced item
Coupon code deals are great for tracking specific marketing channels
Don't forget the "suggestions" feature — you can upsell add-ons without any discount at all