VALIDATIONS VS COUPONS

Flash provides discounted parking to PARCS and Valet parkers through validations and coupons. It's important to note that these discounts apply only to transient tickets and not to overnight or membership tickets. While coupons and validations serve the same purpose, they operate with slight differences. This article aims to clarify the distinctions and similarities between these two options.

Please refer to the chart below to identify the main characteristics of both Validations and Coupons.

*Coupons can be configured to an assigned price and this will change the default price of the ticket.

*The Non-burnable coupon option can be enabled per Logical Zone whereas printed coupon barcodes are applied to the entire location (all Logical Zones if utilizing Campus Mode).

Validations

Validation prices can be applied to tickets either electronically or by scanning a printed barcode during the payment process. The core design of a validation, once applied, consistently changes the original ticket price to the validation price, and the ticket's calculated rate will be based on the validation price rate logic. 

Validations have greater versatility compared to coupons as they can be applied across all available applications. Whereas coupons can not be used in conjunction with the * options below.

• Validation portal
• Flash Valet app 
• Flash PARCS kiosks
• Self-Validator kiosk or tablet*
• SMS Validations*
• Support portal*

Both validations and coupons can be applied either electronically or in printed barcode form, and these options are assignable per Validation Account with department options for reporting purposes. 

A distinctive feature of validations is that once a ticket has been validated, another validation price cannot be applied to change the price again. Coupons have a combinable option that bypasses this functionality. 

Validation barcodes are always single-use, once scanned it cannot be used again, but coupons have a non-burnable option.

Validation and Coupon barcodes both have a date expiration option that can be enabled per validator account. 

Validations can also be used in conjunction with Digital Ticket Checkout which allows parkers to pay through their mobile device. The payment interface allows parkers to scan a validation barcode to apply a discount to the amount owed. This functionality is currently not open to Coupon barcodes. 

Validation and Coupons are both compatible with Prepaid Validation accounts (as long as the validation or coupon discount is value-based)

Validation bill backs (amount discounted) are calculated based on the difference between the validation rate logic and the assigned Full Price rate logic, and the discount amounts are visible in the on-demand reports. 

Coupons

Coupons are also applied to tickets either electronically or by scanning a printed barcode during the payment process. Coupons can be applied via the following Flash platforms.

• Validation portal
• Flash Valet app 
• Flash PARCS kiosks
• Flash PARCS Access Code on entry kiosk

The price structure of coupons depends on how the coupon is configured in the Flash Admin portal. 

If a Coupon is configured with the Coupon Type setting (Dollars, Time, or Percentage), the specified discount amount will be deducted from the amount due. Importantly, the ticket retains the original price name assigned when initially entering the facility. The coupon affects the total payment without altering the assigned price structure of the ticket. The billback amount for this configuration will be calculated based on the coupon discount from the ticket rate calculation and discount amounts are visible in the on-demand reports. 

If a Coupon is configured using the Price field, the linked price will be applied to the ticket switching the ticket's rate to the assigned price (just like how validations operate). 

A major feature of Coupons is the combinable (or stacking) functionality of electronically or printed coupon barcodes. This option allows multiple coupon discounts to be applied to one ticket. Validations do not have this combinable feature.

Printed Coupon barcodes are also single-use, so once applied to a ticket the barcode is burned and can't be used again, just like validations Coupon barcodes have an expiration date option that is applied during the printing process. 

Non-burnable Coupons

Non-burnable coupons share the same attributes as regular coupons, with a crucial distinction, they are not single-use. Digital or printed non-burnable coupons do not "burn," meaning they can be used continuously until they reach their predetermined maximum usage (if enabled).

Usage Options

• Code entered at Entry kiosks (See Access Codes) 
• Digitally through a Validation portal or Flash Valet app
• Printed barcode using a third-party barcode generator

A distinctive feature of non-burnable coupons is that both electronic and printed coupons come with a Maximum Use setting. This feature enables an operator to set a capacity limit on how many times the coupon can be applied to a ticket. This setting is a beneficial feature when used in conjunction with non-burnable Coupons in Access Code or printed barcode form.

Reports

eValidation Detail by Date, Department and Validator 

Location Transaction and Coupon Detail

Printed Coupon and Validation Audit

eValidation and Coupon detail by date, dept and validator

eValidation and Coupon usage by date, dept and validator

This is how stackable coupons applied to a single ticket are shown in the report: 

Other relevant reports:

• E-Validation report
• Open gate Validations
• Prepaid Validation load details
• Validation detail
• Validation report