Coupon Codes

Coupon codes let you award a fixed number of points to any user who enters a valid code. They are useful for promotions, welcome offers, offline events, or rewarding specific users without manually editing their balance.

Managing Coupon Codes

Go to Components → UserPoints → Coupon Codes. The list shows all codes with their point value, expiry date, and publication state.

Creating a Coupon Code

Click New and fill in the fields:

Field Description
Code The string users must enter (e.g. WELCOME2025). An auto-generate button next to the field produces a random 8-character alphanumeric code.
Description An internal note describing the purpose of the code. Not shown to users.
Category An optional Joomla content category for grouping codes.
Points The number of points awarded when the code is successfully redeemed.
Expiry Date An optional date after which the code can no longer be redeemed. Leave blank for a code that never expires.
Public Whether the code is currently active. Non-public codes are rejected when entered.
Printable When enabled, a QR code is generated for the coupon and displayed on the edit page. This QR code can be printed and distributed; scanning it takes the user to the redemption page.

Save the record. The code is now active if Public is set to Yes.

How Users Redeem Codes

Users enter coupon codes on the frontend using the Coupon Code module (mod_userpoints_couponcode). Place this module on any page — typically the account or dashboard page.

When a user submits a valid, unexpired, public code:

  1. The points are added to their balance immediately.
  2. An activity record is created using the sysplgup_coupon rule.
  3. A success message is shown.

If the code is invalid, expired, or unpublished, an error message is displayed and no points are awarded.

Generating Multiple Codes

Each code must be created individually in the administrator. The auto-generate button speeds this up for single codes. For large promotions requiring many unique codes, consider generating them externally and importing via the Joomla database.

Tracking Usage

To see which users have redeemed a code, filter the Activities list by the sysplgup_coupon rule and search by the code value in the Data Reference column.

QR Codes

If a coupon has Printable set to Yes and a code has been entered, a QR code image is shown at the bottom of the edit form. The QR code encodes the redemption URL for that specific coupon. You can screenshot or print this for use at events, on flyers, or in physical mailouts.