---
schema_version: "1"
id: d55a8fdd0845badd56d5cb0ae3fc4bccd640dcc3d11667649228ff763502689b
title: Differences Between Promotions and Discounts
collection: admin
version: current
locale: en-us
portal_url: https://docs.salesforce.com/admin/current/en-us/ind/264-0-0/comms_differences_between_promotions_and_discounts.md
canonical_url: https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=ind.comms_differences_between_promotions_and_discounts.htm&release=264.0.0&type=5
source_site: help.salesforce.com
content_type: documentation
content_hash: 3a8a9cf861878e19e6dc79a9423bdae57a905983a203107eceb70c89b6c34bcb
description: In the shared product catalog, you can use, adjust, or override the base prices of products in product bundles.
products:
  - Communications
  - Media
  - Energy and Utilities
release: "264"
---
# Differences Between Promotions and Discounts

In the shared product catalog, you can use, adjust, or override the base prices of products in product bundles.

A product has these traits:

- Typically does not expire after a brief limited time, such as three months
- Contains products or quantities of each product that are not necessarily limited
- Is not for a limited group of customers

Promotions consist of individual products or product bundles you create for the following restrictions:

- Time
- Customer group
- Subset of products
- Combination of products

Both promotions and discounts allow applying time-based pricing adjustments in Opportunities, Quotes, or Orders.

The following table summarizes the differences between promotions and discounts.

<table class="slds-table slds-table_bordered slds-max-medium-table_stacked slds-m-bottom_small ">
      <colgroup>
        <col>
        <col>
      </colgroup>
      <thead class="slds-text-title_caps ">
        <tr class="">
          <th scope="col" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" id="d404671e93">
            <p style="margin-bottom:0;">Promotions</p>
          </th>
          <th scope="col" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" id="d404671e99">
            <p style="margin-bottom:0;">Discounts</p>
          </th>
        </tr>
      </thead>
      <tbody>
        <tr class="">
          <td data-label="Promotions" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d404671e93 ">
            <p style="margin-bottom:0;">Allow setting pricing adjustments at product level only.</p>
          </td>

          <td data-label="Discounts" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d404671e99 ">
            <p>Allow setting pricing adjustments at both the product and the
              catalog or category level.</p>
            <p style="margin-bottom:0;">Example: 20% off accessories,
              where accessories is a catalog record to which multiple products are
              assigned.</p>
          </td>

        </tr>
        <tr class="">
          <td data-label="Promotions" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d404671e93 ">
            <p style="margin-bottom:0;">Are returned, along with products, in a getOffersbyCatalog response
              of Digital Commerce APIs.</p>
          </td>

          <td data-label="Discounts" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d404671e99 ">
            <p style="margin-bottom:0;">Are not returned in a getOffersbyCatalog response.</p>
          </td>

        </tr>
        <tr class="">
          <td data-label="Promotions" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d404671e93 ">
            <p>Allow a mix-and-match of adjustments.</p>
            <p style="margin-bottom:0;">Example: A $100 one-time credit toward
              purchasing an energy efficient appliance, plus 5% off a monthly charge for
              reducing consumption during peak hours.</p>
          </td>

          <td data-label="Discounts" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d404671e99 ">
            <p>Allow adjustments that apply to all discounted items.&nbsp;</p>
            <p style="margin-bottom:0;">Example: 10% off the electricity bill for 1
              month.</p>
          </td>

        </tr>
        <tr class="">
          <td data-label="Promotions" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d404671e93 ">
            <p style="margin-bottom:0;">Cannot be applied to all items in the cart.</p>
          </td>

          <td data-label="Discounts" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d404671e99 ">
            <p>Can be applied to all items in the cart.</p>
            <p style="margin-bottom:0;">Example: 10%
              off one-time charge for the whole cart.</p>
          </td>

        </tr>
        <tr class="">
          <td data-label="Promotions" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d404671e93 ">
            <p style="margin-bottom:0;">Must be defined ahead of time through the Product Console before
              they can be applied to the cart.</p>
          </td>

          <td data-label="Discounts" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d404671e99 ">
            <p style="margin-bottom:0;">Can be created on the fly in the cart or defined ahead of time
              either through the Product Console or through a related list linked to an
              Account.</p>
          </td>

        </tr>
        <tr class="">
          <td data-label="Promotions" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d404671e93 ">
            <p style="margin-bottom:0;">Can't be automatically applied. Must always be added to the
              cart.</p>
          </td>

          <td data-label="Discounts" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d404671e99 ">
            <p style="margin-bottom:0;">Account-based discounts can be set up based on contractual
              negotiation with a customer. These discounts are automatically added to
              the cart.</p>
          </td>

        </tr>
        <tr class="">
          <td data-label="Promotions" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d404671e93 ">
            <p style="margin-bottom:0;">Can’t apply to children of a product hierarchy bundle. Can add
              multiple root items to the cart.</p>
          </td>

          <td data-label="Discounts" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d404671e99 ">
            <p style="margin-bottom:0;">Can be applied to root items and child items if
              predefined.</p>
          </td>

        </tr>
        <tr class="">
          <td data-label="Promotions" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d404671e93 ">
            <p style="margin-bottom:0;">Have no approval process.</p>
          </td>

          <td data-label="Discounts" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d404671e99 ">
            <p style="margin-bottom:0;">Have an approval process linked to discounts created outside of the
              cart.</p>
          </td>

        </tr>
        <tr class="">
          <td data-label="Promotions" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d404671e93 ">
            <p style="margin-bottom:0;">Support penalty rules for promotions canceled before the time plan
              commitment ends.</p>
          </td>

          <td data-label="Discounts" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d404671e99 ">
            <p style="margin-bottom:0;">Don't support penalty rules.</p>
          </td>

        </tr>
      </tbody>
    </table>