Purchases events

In purchases events, members buy one or more items from the brand’s catalog and earn the outcomes associated with the purchase rule. The intent of a purchases rule is to motivate members to buy items from the brand’s catalog. The primary focus is not on how much money the member spends, but what they spend it on. Variations of the rule can target specific items, the number of items and so on.

The focus on what is purchased distinguishes purchases rule from spends rules, which focus on the amount spent.

Supported purchases events

The SessionM platform supports the following purchase events:

Event Description
Purchases: Any Item Purchases any item in the brand’s catalog.

Purchases: Minimum Item Count

Purchases a defined minimum number of items.

Purchases: Minimum Item Value

Purchases an item meeting or exceeding the defined minimum item value.

Purchases: Product Pairing

Purchases a pair of defined items.

Purchases: Quantity

Purchases a defined quantity of items.

Purchases: Specific Items

Purchases designated items from the brand's catalog.

Purchases: Using Promo Code

Use the promo code specified by the purchase rule to buy one (or more items).

Supported outcomes

The SessionM platform supports the following outcomes for purchases events:

  • Fixed (static) points.
    In purchases events, point rewards are limited to a fixed number of points. The points award cannot be dynamic (for example, where the points award varies depending on the amount spent). Use a Points Per event to award a dynamic points award.

  • Offers

  • Promo codes

  • Tags

  • Triggered events

See Outcomes for more information on each type of outcome.

Considerations for purchases events

Take note of the following considerations when working with purchases events:

How amount spent is calculated

During system setup, the SessionM delivery team determines whether the cost of taxes is included in determining the amount spent. By default, the cost of taxes is not included.

For example, the following transaction includes a quantify of 3 items that cost $9 each with $1 in taxes. Taxes are not included in determining the amount spent.

{

"id": "automated_test_sku",

"transaction_id": "{{transaction_id}}",

"quantity": 3,

"unit_price": 9,

"subtotal": 0,

"tax_included": 3,

"retailer_id": "{{client_id}}",

"store_id": "{{store_id}}",

"line_id": "0"

}

The amount spent for this transaction is:

27 = (9 X 3)

$27 is the total amount in this purchase. The $3 for taxes is ignored. This value of 27 is used to determine outcomes earned by this purchase.

How discounts impact purchase rules

Factors that determine how the SessionM rules engine determines discounts in purchase rules include:

  • Discount Eligibility restriction

    Indicates whether fully discounted items (items that have a zero-dollar value) are included in determining the outcome earned by members. This restriction is disabled by default.

    See Discount Eligibility for more information.

  • discounted_line_ids and discounted_line_id_quantities attributes in the transaction payload:

    • If discount_line_ids is specified, the SessionM rules engine applies the discount to those items alone.

    • If discount_line_ids is not specified, the discount is calculated for each item in the transaction.

How campaigns evaluate time zones associated with transactions

During SessionM system implementation, you work with the delivery team to define the stores used in your loyalty program. Each store has a time zone associated with it. Make sure that the time zone that you provide for the store is the time zone you want the SessionM rules engine to use when evaluating transactions that originate from that store.

If you want the SessionM rules engine to use the local time zone for a store:

  • Ensure that the store has the local time zone set

  • Send the transaction in UTC (Universal Coordinated Time) format.

The rules engine converts the UTC time in the local time for the store.

How campaigns determine when purchases occur

Transactions in SessionM have an open time and a modified time. During SessionM system implementation, you work with the delivery team to define which time the SessionM rules engine uses to evaluate a purchase. By default, the rule engine uses modified time.

Related strategies

See the following strategies for examples of how purchases events are used in the SessionM platform: