Overview

TeamSideline offers several tools for reducing what a customer pays at registration. Choosing the right one depends on what you want to discount — the enrollment (registration) fee, a mandatory or optional add-on fee, or a multi-child (sibling) situation. This article explains the difference between Coupon Codes and Misc. Credits, when to use each, and how sibling discount scope works.

Key rule: Coupons only apply to enrollment fees, not add-ons

This is the single most common point of confusion. Coupon codes only reduce the cost of enrollment (the registration fee). They do NOT apply to add-on fees — such as a mandatory volunteer fee, uniform fee, or other Buy Item / add-on.

If you create a coupon in the amount of an add-on fee and apply it to an order, it will discount the registration fee instead of the add-on, which is not the intended result. This is expected behavior, not a bug.

How to waive a mandatory add-on fee (e.g., board members / coaches)

A frequent scenario: an organization makes a volunteer fee a mandatory add-on, but wants certain people (board members, coaches) to skip paying it. Because a coupon will not touch the add-on, use a Misc. Credit instead:

1. From the Admin Site Map, go to Account Management > Search.
2. Search for the customer. If they do not yet have an account, click Add Account to create one.
3. Click the customer's name to open the Account Overview page.
4. Click Add Transaction.
5. For Transaction Type, select Misc-Credit.
6. Enter the Amount (equal to the add-on fee you want to waive).
7. Add any Comments for reference (note: the customer can see this field).
8. Click Add / Save.

The customer then selects Apply Credit at checkout to use the credit against their add-on fee.

Important: The Apply Credit option only appears on the customer side at checkout. When an admin places an order on a customer's behalf, there is no option to apply the credit during the order. In that case, place the order (without payment) and add a Misc. Credit to bring the account balance to $0.

Coupon Codes: when and how to use them

Use a coupon code when you want to discount the enrollment/registration fee (a percentage or fixed amount). Coupons can be scoped to a single program or across multiple programs. See the related articles below for step-by-step setup:

• Program-specific coupon: discounts registration for one program.
• Multi-program coupon: valid across more than one program.
• Assigning a coupon to a customer: ties a coupon to a specific account.

Misc. Credit vs. Coupon: quick comparison

• Coupon Code — reduces enrollment/registration fees only; entered by the customer (or assigned to their account); does not apply to add-ons or Buy Items.
• Misc. Credit — an account credit added by an admin; can offset add-on fees, balances, or full orders; the customer selects Apply Credit at checkout to use it.

For full-registration scholarships (waiving both enrollment and fees), review the scholarship workflow in the related articles.

Sibling (Multi-Child) Discount Scope

Sibling discounts are configured on the program's 1 SetUp page. A common reason a sibling discount "does not show up during registration" is an incorrect scope setting:

• Within Offering — the discount only applies when multiple children are enrolled in the same offering.
• Across Programs — the discount applies when children are enrolled across different offerings/programs.

If your siblings are registering into different offerings or programs but the discount is set to Within Offering, it will not appear. Change the scope to Across Programs so the discount applies to enrollments spanning multiple offerings. You can edit sibling discounts on the SetUp page for orders moving forward.

Possibly related existing articles:

How to add a Misc-Credit to a customer's account — https://support.teamsideline.com/hc/en-us/articles/115003836166-How-to-add-a-Misc-Credit-to-a-customer-s-account — covers the credit mechanics only, not the coupon-vs-credit decision.

How To Create Sibling Discounts — https://support.teamsideline.com/hc/en-us/articles/4831215703451-How-To-Create-Sibling-Discounts — covers setup but reviewers should confirm it clearly explains the Within Offering vs. Across Programs scope.

How to Create a Program Specific Coupon — https://support.teamsideline.com/hc/en-us/articles/203142069-How-to-Create-a-Program-Specific-Coupon

How To Create a Multi-Program Coupon — https://support.teamsideline.com/hc/en-us/articles/19127198225691-How-To-Create-a-Multi-Program-Coupon

How To Provide Scholarships to Certain Players — https://support.teamsideline.com/hc/en-us/articles/360025118131-How-To-Provide-Scholarships-to-Certain-Players