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How Promo Codes Work for Your Film
Promo codes let you offer discounts on your Film screenings and Film Video on Demand rentals. Whether you're running a limited-time promotion, rewarding loyal audiences, or distributing codes through a marketing partner, promo codes give you full control over how and when discounts are applied.
Getting Started
You'll find the Promo Codes tab on both your Film Management and Film Video on Demand Management dashboards.
To access Promo Codes:
1. Navigate to your Film Management or Film Video on Demand Management dashboard.
2. Select the Film or Video on Demand listing for which you'd like to enable Promo Codes.
3. Open the Promo Codes tab.
4. Choose Add Promo Code to get started.
Film Promo Codes
Film promo codes can apply discounts across multiple screening formats and VOD rentals tied to your Film.
When creating a Film promo code, you'll configure the following:
- Code: The text your audience will enter at checkout (e.g., FILM25). Use uppercase letters and numbers for clarity.
- Discount Type: Choose a percentage (e.g., 20% off) or a flat dollar amount (e.g., $5.00 off).
- Applies To: Select which formats the code covers — Theatrical on Demand® Screenings, Non-Theatrical Screenings, Virtual Screenings, and/or TVOD (Online Rentals).
- Validity Period: Set a start date and an optional end date. Leave the end date blank if you'd like the code to remain active indefinitely.
- Budget: A required minimum of $1.00. This is the maximum total discount the code can give out across all uses. A payment method is required, and a hold will be placed to back the budget.
- Usage Limits (optional): Set a maximum number of total redemptions and/or a per-email limit.
"Why am I required to enter a payment method to create a Film promo code?"
When you create a Film promo code, you'll be asked to enter a maximum total budget. This represents the maximum amount that could be discounted if all available promo codes are redeemed.
To ensure those discounts can be honored, Gathr places an authorization hold on your payment method for the maximum budget you specify. This is not an immediate charge.
You will only be charged for promo codes that are actually redeemed.
Example:
If you set a maximum promo code budget of $500, but users only redeem $100 worth of discounts, you'll only be charged $100. The remaining $400 authorization is released from your card.
Film Video on Demand Promo Codes
Film Videos on Demand also support promo codes. The setup is similar to Film promo codes, with a few key differences that make it simpler to get started:
- No payment method is required.
- Budget is optional. Leave it blank and the code will remain active until you turn it off or it reaches its usage limit.
- No format selection — the code automatically applies to the rental it was created for.
Film Video on Demand Promo Codes do not require a payment method.
You will never be charged when Film Video on Demand promo codes are redeemed.
To create a Film Video on Demand promo code:
1. Go to your Video on Demand management page.
2. Open the Promo Codes tab.
3. Choose Add Promo Code and select Single Code.
4. Walk through the steps: set your code, choose a discount type and amount, configure your validity period, and optionally set a budget and usage limits.
5. Review your settings and submit.
Batch/Single-Use Promo Codes
Need to distribute a large number of unique, single-use codes? Batch codes are available for both Films and Film Videos on Demand listings and let you generate up to 500 unique codes at once.
Each code in a batch is limited to one use and one use per email, making them ideal for email campaigns, printed inserts, partner giveaways, or any scenario where you want each recipient to have their own code.
To create a batch of single-use codes:
1. Choose Add Promo Code from the Promo Codes tab.
2. Select Batch as the code type.
3. Enter a label — this is for your own reference and won't be shared with your audience. The individual codes are auto-generated.
4. Set the quantity (up to 500 codes per batch).
5. Configure your discount, validity period, and optional budget as usual.
6. Review and submit.
After the batch is created, select Download CSV from the Promo Codes table to export all generated codes. The CSV includes each code along with its status, so you can distribute and track them however you like.
Managing Your Promo Codes
All of your promo codes — single and batch — appear in the Promo Codes table on the relevant Film or Film Video on Demand management page.
From the table, you can:
- View performance at a glance: status, total uses, and gross discount given.
- Edit a code's settings — update the discount, validity period, budget, or usage limits.
- Toggle Active/Inactive — quickly enable or disable a code without deleting it.
Important: A code's core attributes, like its name, cannot be changed once it has been redeemed.
Tips for Getting the Most Out of Promo Codes
- Start with a small budget to test performance before scaling up.
- Use batch codes for one-to-one distribution — distribute a unique code to each recipient from your downloadable .csv file, so you can track exactly how your promotion is performing.
- Set an end date for time-sensitive campaigns to ensure codes expire automatically.
- Combine with your marketing tools — download your batch CSV and import the codes into your email platform or print workflow.
Why It Matters
Promo codes put promotional power directly in your hands.
Run targeted campaigns, reward your community, and drive ticket sales and rentals — all without leaving your Gathr dashboard.