Ask the customer which message they saw. Atlas returns a specific message for each cause, so the wording tells you exactly what to check in Shopify. "It did not work" could be any of six things; This discount code has expired is one.
In this article:
The messages and what each means
Message | Cause | Where to fix it |
| Success | Nothing to fix |
| The field was empty | Nothing to fix |
| The code does not exist, or was mistyped | Check spelling, then check the code exists in Shopify |
| The code exists but is disabled | Enable it in Shopify |
| Its start date is in the future | Change the start date |
| Its end date has passed | Change or remove the end date |
| The total usage cap is spent | Raise the limit or create a new code |
| The check itself failed | Usually temporary. Ask them to retry. |
💡 This discount code is not valid is the one to look at hardest. It covers both a typo and a code that does not exist, so check the exact string the customer typed before assuming your code is broken. Codes are usually case-insensitive, but trailing spaces from a copy and paste are a real and common cause.
Codes are created in Shopify, not Atlas
Atlas provides the field and validates what customers type. The codes themselves live in your Shopify admin under Discounts, with the discount method set to Discount code.
If you have not created a code in Shopify, no code will work in the cart. There is no separate list of Atlas codes.
Checking a specific code
In your Shopify admin, go to Discounts.
Find the code and open it.
Check each of these:
Check | What to look for |
Status | Active, not draft or expired |
Active dates | Start date not in the future, end date not passed |
Usage limits | Total limit not reached, and per-customer limit not already used by this customer |
Minimum requirements | The customer's cart meets any minimum amount or quantity |
Customer eligibility | The code is not restricted to a segment the customer is not in |
Products or collections | The code applies to something in their cart |
ℹ️ A per-customer usage limit produces a confusing pattern: the code works for you when testing and fails for a returning customer who already used it. Check this before concluding the code is broken.
Codes that work at checkout but not in the cart
If a code applies fine when entered at Shopify's checkout but is rejected in the cart drawer, the cause is usually a condition that cannot be evaluated yet.
Shipping-related conditions are the clearest case: a code requiring a specific shipping country cannot be validated in the cart, because the customer has not entered an address.
For codes like these, remove the field from the cart or tell customers to enter the code at checkout instead.
Whether to offer the field at all
⚠️ A discount code field on a store that rarely issues codes increases cart abandonment. Customers see the box, leave to search for a code, and some do not come back. If your promotions are automatic discounts rather than codes, turn this module off.
Keep it enabled when you actively issue codes through email, partnerships, or customer service. Turn it off when you do not.
Still failing
Start a chat from the bubble in the bottom right of Atlas, or email support@helloatlas.io. Either way, include:
your store URL
the exact code
the exact message the customer saw
a screenshot of the discount's settings in Shopify
roughly what was in the cart at the time
The exact message is the single most useful item, because it narrows the cause to one specific check.