Troubleshoot Discount Availability

Find out why your discount isn't showing up on the POS or online ordering and how to fix it — covers Active status, dates, days, times, and BOGO rules.

In this Article:

• Before You Begin
• Quick Fix
• Check the Active Toggle
• Check the Date Range
• Check the Days of the Week
• Check the Time of Day
• Check the Discount Permission Level
• Troubleshoot a BOGO or Combo Discount That Won't Apply
• Troubleshoot a Promo Code That Won't Apply
• What to Try If the Discount Still Won't Show Up
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Related Articles

Before You Begin

Applies to: Toast Web, Toast POS, Toast Online Ordering

Permissions needed:

• 6.1 Discounts Setup (to view and edit discount configuration in Toast Web)
• 3.1 Discounts if the discount requires manager approval to apply

What you'll accomplish: Identify why a configured discount is not showing up on the POS or online ordering, and resolve it without contacting Customer Care.

Note: A discount that exists in Toast Web but won't appear on the POS may be a configuration issue (covered here) or a device-side issue. If the discount is correctly configured but still won't appear after publishing, see Get Help With Discounts Not Appearing on POS for item configuration, default dining option, and publish-and-sync causes.

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Quick Fix

Use this table to match the symptom you are seeing to the most common cause, then jump to the matching section for steps.

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Check the Active Toggle

A discount that is not active will not appear on the POS or online ordering, regardless of any other setting. Verify the Active status first.

1. In Toast Web, navigate to Payments > Comps and promos > Discounts and promo codes.
2. Find the discount in the list.
3. Confirm the Active toggle is in the on position (blue). 
4. If you changed the toggle, select Save and then Publish Now.

Expected outcome: The discount appears on the POS after the publish completes. If the discount still does not appear after a successful publish, continue to the next checks below.

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Check the Date Range

A discount only appears when the current date is within its configured availability date range. If the discount is set to be available only on certain dates, and today's date is outside that range, the discount will not show up.

1. In Toast Web, navigate to Payments > Comps and promos > Discounts and promo codes.
2. Select the pencil icon next to the missing discount to open its detail page.
3. Scroll down to the Availability section.
4. Under Dates Available, confirm today's date falls within the Start and End dates that you set.
5. If the date range is wrong, update it. If the dates are blank, try adding a currently active start and end date.
6. Select Save and then Publish Now.

Expected outcome: The discount becomes available on the POS for any date in the configured range.

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Check the Days of the Week

A discount can be restricted to specific days of the week. If today is not one of the selected days, the discount will not appear.

1. In Toast Web, navigate to Payments > Comps and promos > Discounts and promo codes.
2. Select the pencil icon next to the missing discount.
3. Scroll down to the Availability section.
4. Confirm that today's day of the week is selected. If All days is selected, the discount is available every day.
5. If the day setting is wrong, update it, then select Save and Publish Now.

Expected outcome: The discount appears on the POS on every day you selected.

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Check the Time of Day

A discount can be restricted to specific time ranges within a day. If the current time on the POS is outside the Hours Available that you set, the discount button will not be available.

1. In Toast Web, navigate to Payments > Comps and promos > Discounts and promo codes.
2. Select the pencil icon next to the missing discount.
3. Scroll down to the Availability section.
4. Under Hours Available, confirm the current time on your POS falls within at least one configured time range.
5. If you need the discount to be available across multiple time windows in a day, select + Add Hours to add additional ranges.
6. Select Save and then Publish Now.

Expected outcome: The discount appears on the POS during every configured time window.

Note: If the time is outside a discount's availability, the button will not be available on the POS.

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Check the Discount Permission Level

If a discount appears for some users on the POS but not others (for example, servers see it but bartenders do not), the issue is usually the discount's Permission Level or the user's job permission.

1. In Toast Web, navigate to Payments > Comps and promos > Discounts and promo codes.
2. Select the pencil icon next to the discount.
3. Expand the Advanced Settings section.
4. Review the Permission Level:
   • Any User — any employee with POS access can apply this discount.
   • Manager — only users with manager-level permissions can apply this discount.
5. If you want the discount to appear for all roles, set Permission Level to Any User, then Save and Publish Now.
6. If you keep Manager as the permission level, confirm that the role in question has the 3.1 Discounts permission assigned in Employees > Jobs > [Job name].

Expected outcome: Users with the appropriate permission see the discount on the POS.

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Troubleshoot a BOGO or Combo Discount That Won't Apply

BOGO (buy-one-get-one) and combo discounts have additional rules beyond standard availability. If the BOGO or combo discount won't apply on the POS, check the following.

• Confirm every Buy Item the BOGO requires is on the check. The BOGO will not trigger until every required item is present.
• Confirm each item involved in the BOGO is at full price. An item cannot prompt a BOGO unless it is full price, and an item cannot be discounted by a BOGO if it is not full price.
• Confirm each item is set to Yes – Can be discounted under Menus > Bulk management > Advanced properties.
• If the BOGO should apply automatically, open the discount in Toast Web and confirm Auto apply discount is selected. Auto-apply is only available for item-level BOGO discounts that do not require manager approval and do not use a promo code.
• If items are merged onto one line, multiple quantities may be treated as one item. Disable Consolidate Menu Items in UI Options if this affects your BOGO.
• Confirm the BOGO's date range, days of the week, and time range — see Check the Date Range, Check the Days of the Week, and Check the Time of Day.
• Confirm the Required # of Buy Items and Eligible # of Get Items values match the BOGO rule you intended.

Expected outcome: The BOGO triggers on the POS when the configured Buy Items are added to the check at full price.

Note: For full BOGO configuration rules, including AND and OR item rules, see Create a BOGO (Buy One Get One) Discount.

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Troubleshoot a Promo Code That Won't Apply

If a promo code is rejected as invalid on the POS, online ordering, or in a guest checkout, the issue is usually one of three things: Promo Code Search is disabled, the promo code is outside its date range, or the promo code is not supported in the channel where the guest is trying to use it.

1. In Toast Web, navigate to Front of house > Order screen setup > UI options.
2. Scroll to Enable Promo Code Search and select Yes.
3. Select Save and then Publish Now.
4. If the promo code is still rejected, return to Payments > Comps and promos > Discounts and promo codes, select the discount, and scroll to the Promo Codes section.
5. Confirm that the promo code's Start Date and End Date include today. If the start and end dates are not both set, the eligibility period does not apply. To remove the date restriction entirely, select Clear Date.
6. Confirm the promo code's start and end dates do not conflict with the discount's overall Availability dates.
7. If the promo code is being used in online ordering, confirm the discount type is supported. Discounts that auto-apply, require manager approval, or use an open value cannot be applied by promo code online. See Set Up a Discount Code for Online Orders for the supported list. 

Expected outcome: The promo code applies its associated discount on the POS, online ordering, or in a guest checkout.

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What to Try If the Discount Still Won't Show Up

If you have verified Active status, dates, days, times, permissions, and BOGO or promo code rules, and the discount still won't show up on the POS:

• Confirm the latest changes have been published. In Toast Web, navigate to Toast account > Publishing > Publish Config to push all saved changes to your Toast devices.
• On the POS, run a log cycle: select the three dots in the top right corner, select Logout, and log back in. See Toast Web Updates Not Appearing on POS for details.
• If the discount still does not appear and the device is online, resync all data. Do not resync if the device is offline — contact Customer Care for further assistance instead.
• As a final troubleshooting step, delete the discount and recreate it.

Important: You cannot configure a discount to only be applied on a future order. The discount must be available — the Active toggle is in the on position, and the current date, day, and time fall within the availability settings — at the time the order is rung in on the POS.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Can I apply a discount to an order I'll send later?

You cannot configure a discount to only be applied on a future order. The discount must be available — meaning the Active toggle is on, and the current date, day of the week, and time are all within the configured availability — at the moment the order is rung in on the POS.

Also asked as:

• • "Can I schedule a discount for a future order?"
  • "Why can't I save a discount for later?"

Why doesn't a discount appear for bartenders but it shows for servers?

A discount can appear for some users but not others because the discount's Permission Level is set to Manager in Advanced Settings, or because the user's job is missing the 3.1 Discounts permission. To make a discount available to all roles, set its Permission Level to Any User, then save and publish. If you keep the discount as manager-approval-only, confirm the role in question has the 3.1 Discounts job permission.

Also asked as:

• • "Why doesn't a discount/promotion appear for bartenders but it shows for servers?"
  • "How do I make a discount appear for all employees?"

Why doesn't my discount work on third-party orders?

Discounts and promo codes cannot be applied to third-party partner orders received through an integration (for example, DoorDash or Uber Eats orders). The discount must be applied within Toast's order flow. 

Also asked as:

• • "Why won't my discount work on third-party takeout orders?"
  • "Can I add a Toast discount to a DoorDash order?"

Why isn't my BOGO discount triggering on the POS?

A BOGO discount will not trigger if every Bwuy Item the BOGO requires is not on the check at full price, if the eligible items are not marked Yes – Can be discounted in the menu's Advanced properties, or if Auto-apply is disabled. Auto-apply is only available for item-level BOGO discounts that do not require manager approval and do not use a promo code. See Troubleshoot a BOGO or Combo Discount That Won't Apply for the full checklist.

Also asked as:

• • "Bogo discount isn't showing up"
  • "I can't get my BOGO discount to apply"
  • "Why isn't my combo discount working?"

Why isn't my discount showing up on the handheld?

A discount that does not appear on a handheld follows the same configuration rules as one that does not appear on a stationary POS. Check the Active toggle, the Availability date and time range, the Permission Level, and any BOGO or promo code requirements. If the discount is configured correctly but still does not appear after publishing, run a log cycle on the handheld or resync the device. See Toast Web Updates Not Appearing on POS. 

Also asked as:

• • "Why won't my discount show up on the handheld?"
  • "My discount buttons aren't showing up on our handhelds — what am I doing wrong?"

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Related Articles

• Get Help With Discounts Not Appearing on POS 
• Get Started With Discounts 
• Apply Discounts for Certain Items at Certain Times 
• Create a BOGO (Buy One Get One) Discount 
• Toast Web Updates Not Appearing on POS 

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