New Customer Discounts: How They Work and How to Use Them

A new customer discount is a one-off saving a retailer gives you on your first purchase, usually as a percentage off or a fixed amount, claimed with a code at checkout or applied automatically after you sign up. It is the same offer whether it is called a first order discount, a sign-up discount or a newsletter code. The saving is real, but it comes with conditions: minimum spends, excluded products and one-use limits decide how much you actually keep.

This guide explains how these offers work, what the terms of UK retailers typically say, how to tell a genuine saving from a misleading one, and what to do when a code refuses to work.

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TL;DR

• New customer, first order, sign-up and newsletter offers are all the same idea: one discount for a first purchase, often in exchange for an email address or an account.
• Read the terms before you fill the basket. Minimum spends, maximum discounts, excluded brands, sale items and delivery charges are where most disappointment starts.
• Most welcome codes are single-use, cannot be combined with other offers and cannot be applied after the order is placed.
• UK advertising rules say a promotion must not imply it covers everything if it does not, and urgency claims must be genuine.
• If a code fails, check the eligibility wording, the basket contents and the expiry before contacting the retailer.

What counts as a new customer discount

Retailers use several labels for what is essentially one mechanism. The label tells you how the offer is delivered, not how it differs in value.

• New customer offer: available to anyone who has not bought from the retailer before. Some retailers go further and define ‘new’ precisely. Medik8’s terms, for example, say new customer codes are for people who have not previously shopped on its site.
• First order discount: applied to the first basket. Sephora UK’s discount codes page, for instance, lists 15% off a first order with a code.
• Sign-up discount: triggered by creating an account or joining a loyalty scheme.
• Newsletter discount code: sent by email after you subscribe, usually through a pop-up on the site.

The definition of ‘new’ varies. Liberty London’s terms, for example, open its 15% newsletter offer to people who have not made an online purchase in the two years before signing up. So a lapsed customer may qualify at one shop and not at another. Canterbury’s terms add that its 20% newsletter offer is not available to customers using guest checkout, which means you need an account for the code to work.

Why do retailers do this? A first order discount lowers the barrier to trying a shop, and a newsletter sign-up gives the retailer a way to contact you again. Knowing that helps you decide whether the trade is worth it: you give an email address, you receive a saving.

How to claim a sign-up or newsletter discount

The process is similar almost everywhere. Following the same order each time avoids most problems.

1. Find the offer. Look for a pop-up, a banner in the header or footer, or a welcome offer in the account creation page. Retailers’ own promotion or terms pages usually list the current welcome offer.
2. Read the terms first. Look for the minimum spend, the maximum discount, the expiry and the exclusions. A link such as ‘terms apply’ normally leads to them.
3. Sign up with the email you will use to order. Eligibility is often checked against your email address, delivery address or both.
4. Wait for the code. Some arrive instantly, others by email. ZWILLING’s UK terms say its 10% newsletter code is valid for two weeks from receiving the email, so do not sign up days before you intend to buy.
5. Build the basket with the exclusions in mind. Add eligible items only if you want the full discount.
6. Apply the code before paying. Most terms state that codes cannot be applied retrospectively to an order already placed, so enter it at the checkout step, not afterwards.
7. Check the total. Confirm the discount line appears and the sum matches what you expected before you pay.

Our five-step voucher code checklist walks through the same routine with CMA guidance, and our guide to first order discounts covers how to separate vetted offers from misleading ones.

What the small print says: examples from UK retailers

The table below shows how conditions differ even among similar-looking welcome offers. Each row comes from the retailer’s own published terms, which can change, so treat it as a guide to the type of condition rather than a current offer list.

Retailer type	Offer	Conditions worth noting
Online supermarket	25% off first shop	£60 minimum spend, £20 maximum discount, certain categories only, delivery and alcohol excluded, one voucher per customer and address
Skincare brand	New customer code	First-time customers only, one use, not on travel sizes, sets, kits or gift cards, cannot be combined with other offers
Heritage department store	15% newsletter offer	Pop-up sign-up, no online purchase in the previous two years, single use, no sale items
Kitchenware brand	10% newsletter code	Valid two weeks from the email, online only, not on bundles, web exclusive sets or special offers
Outdoor retailer	Voucher codes	Eligible items only, one code per order, single use per customer, excludes sale items, shipping, membership and a list of named brands
Beauty brand	15% welcome code	One code per order, excludes gift cards, advent calendars and timed offers
Clothing and sportswear brand	20% newsletter offer	Own site only, no cash alternative, intended recipient only, no guest checkout, cannot be combined

Three patterns appear again and again.

Minimum spend and a cap. A headline percentage can mislead if you do not do the sum. A 25% offer with a £60 minimum and a £20 maximum discount reaches its cap once the eligible basket hits £80. Spend more and the percentage you actually save falls.

Exclusions. Sale items, gift cards, delivery charges, bundles and named brands are commonly excluded. If most of what you want sits in those groups, the code may save you little.

No stacking. Many terms say a welcome code cannot be used alongside another code, a mark-down or a gift-with-purchase. If a retailer already has a sale on, the welcome code may simply not apply to the reduced items. Our guide to stacking discounts explains when a bundle beats a code.

Checks to run before you rely on a code

These are the questions that decide whether a welcome offer works for your basket.

• Does it cover what I want to buy? Look for category lists and named exclusions.
• What is the minimum spend, and is it before or after the discount? Terms are usually explicit; if not, assume the basket total before discount.
• Is there a maximum discount? Work out the basket size at which the cap kicks in.
• When does it expire, and from when? Some run from sign-up, others from the date of the email.
• Is it single use, per person or per address? Ocado’s terms, for example, limit the voucher to one per customer and per registered address.
• Is delivery included? Free delivery thresholds and delivery charges are often outside the discount.
• Does it apply online only? Some codes are not valid in store.

The advertising rules back you up here. The ASA ruled against a retailer whose ads said ‘20% Off Sitewide’ and ‘20% Off Everything’ when the code did not apply to sale items, and told it not to state or imply a promotion covers all products if it does not. In another ruling, the ASA found that a promotion that left out its date restrictions and promotional period had omitted significant conditions. The principle is that the headline and the conditions must tell a consistent story. If they do not, you have grounds to query it with the retailer.

Is the saving genuine?

A welcome code is only worth something if the price underneath is fair. Two things are worth checking.

The ‘was’ price. A big percentage off an inflated reference price is not a saving. In August 2026 the government announced plans to ban misleading discount claims, including artificially inflated prices, and said new subscription rules, including a 14-day cooling-off period after a trial or long-term contract renews, come into force in January 2027. Until rules change, compare the post-discount price with what other retailers charge for the same item. Our guide on how to spot fake deals shows how.

Urgency messages. ‘Offer expires soon, hurry up’ should be true. The ASA upheld a complaint against a promotion that used that wording when the same offer was still available five months later. If a timer resets when you reload the page, or the same offer keeps returning, take your time. Guides on countdown clocks on promo codes show how common limited-time messaging is in retail promotions generally.

It also helps to know how a retailer’s offer reaches shoppers. Google says first-order promotions can be shown to everyone on Shopping ads in the UK, and that supported types are a percentage or £ discount. So a first-order saving may be advertised before you even visit the shop, but the terms on the retailer’s page remain the ones that count.

For wider protection when paying online, see our guide to online shopping safety and Section 75.

When a new customer code does not work

A failed code is usually down to a small, fixable cause. Work through these in order.

1. Check the spelling and case. Copy and paste rather than retyping, and watch for a trailing space.
2. Check the basket. Remove sale items, gift cards, bundles or excluded brands and try again. This is the most common reason.
3. Check the minimum spend. If the basket falls short, the code will be rejected.
4. Check you are logged in, or not. Some codes need an account, and some do not work with guest checkout.
5. Check the expiry. Counted from the email date or from sign-up, depending on the terms.
6. Check whether you count as new. If you have ordered before with that email or address, the system may recognise you. Try only if the terms allow, and do not create duplicate accounts to get around conditions, as terms commonly make codes single use per customer.
7. Remove other codes. Many retailers allow only one code per order.
8. Contact customer service. Send the code, a screenshot of the offer and the basket. If the advertised offer and the terms contradict each other, say so politely and point to the wording.

Never pay first, planning to claim the discount afterwards. Terms typically exclude retrospective application, so a refund of the difference is at the retailer’s discretion.

Our perspective

We built ZoneOffer because the hardest part of saving money online is not finding a discount, it is working out which one is worth using. A welcome offer looks simple on the surface and hides a lot in the terms: a spend threshold, a cap, a list of excluded lines.

That is why we put filters, price checks and comparison tools at the centre of the platform. Our aim is to help you narrow offers across electronics, health and beauty, fashion, home, groceries and more to the ones that match what you actually want to buy, so you can judge a discount against the product and not just the percentage.

Our advice is simple: pick the product first, check the price second, then use a welcome code on top where the terms fit your basket. A first order discount is best treated as a bonus on a purchase you had already decided was good value.

ZoneOffer

Find offers that fit your basket

If you are comparing products before using a first order code, ZoneOffer gathers discounted offers from partner retailers in one place, with filters and price checks so you can see what is on offer before you click through to the retailer. You can browse the full list of UK discounts, or go straight to a category such as health and beauty deals, electronics or groceries.

For a quick start, our top UK discounts page picks out popular offers, and the ZoneOffer home page lets you search by category.

Getting more from welcome offers

A few habits make the difference between a small saving and a good one.

• Sign up with a purpose. Join a newsletter when you are about to buy, not weeks before, so the code does not expire unused.
• Use a separate inbox or filter. Welcome emails often lead to a stream of promotions. A dedicated folder keeps the code easy to find and the rest out of the way.
• Do the sum on the cap. If a discount is capped, a basket just over the cap’s threshold gives the best percentage return.
• Group purchases. If you need several eligible items, buy them in one order to use a single-use code fully.
• Compare the final price. A smaller discount on a lower starting price can beat a bigger one on an inflated price.
• Keep the terms. Take a screenshot of the offer and conditions at the time you claim it, in case the page changes.

FAQ

Can I use a new customer discount more than once?

Usually not. Terms commonly limit welcome codes to one use per customer, and some also limit them to one per delivery address. Creating further accounts to get around this normally breaches the terms, so the retailer may cancel the order or refuse the discount.

Can a newsletter code be combined with other offers?

Often not. Several UK retailers state that their newsletter or welcome codes cannot be used alongside other promotions, sale reductions or other codes. Check the terms page, and remove any other code from your basket if the new one is rejected.

Do first order discounts apply to sale items and delivery?

Frequently they do not. Terms of UK retailers commonly exclude sale items, gift cards and delivery charges, and some exclude named brands or whole categories. Read the exclusions before you build your basket.

What should I do if the advertised offer does not match the terms?

Keep a screenshot of the advert and the terms, then contact the retailer’s customer service with both. UK advertising rules say an ad must not state or imply a promotion covers everything if it does not. If you are unhappy with the response, you can report the advert to the ASA.

Sources

• Medik8 promotions terms
• Sephora UK discount codes
• Liberty London promotional terms
• Canterbury promotional terms
• ZWILLING UK promotions
• Liz Earle promotional terms
• Ocado 25% off first shop terms
• GO Outdoors promotion terms
• ASA ruling on ATR Brands Ltd
• ASA ruling on SP Graham Retail Ltd
• ASA ruling on Sophora Media Ltd
• GOV.UK: ending rip-off discounts and subscription traps
• Google Merchant Center Help: first-order promotion
• Ticket promo codes and countdown clocks