How to Distribute Different Prizes Based on the Code Entered by Participants

1. Introduction.

2. Ideas and examples.

3. Step by step.

4. Other specifications.

5. Related content.

1. Introduction.

With Cool Tabs, you can create campaigns where you give out prizes linked to unique codes you have previously distributed, whether on product labels, purchase receipts, physical promotions, or through digital channels.

Here’s how it works: the user visits the campaign landing page, enters their details and the code they received. The platform validates the code and, if applicable, automatically assigns a prize.

You can also set which prize or final screen is shown based on the code entered. This allows you to segment the experience and differentiate between participation types (e.g., standard codes vs. premium codes, or by distribution channel).

Prizes and specific screens can be assigned using a list of codes or patterns, making it easy to manage complex campaigns with thousands of codes and different reward levels.

2. Ideas and examples.

Here are some common scenarios where code validation can be combined with prize or final-screen segmentation:

1. Standard prizes vs. Exclusive prizes

Goal: Offer more attractive prizes only to users with special codes.

Example: You distribute two types of coupon codes:

• Common codes (CODE0001, CODE0002, etc.) give access to standard prizes.

• Premium codes (CODE9991 to CODE9999) allow participants to win higher-value prizes. These are set up so they can only be assigned if the participant entered a premium code, using patterns like CODE999%.

2. Rewards based on purchase amount or channel

Goal: Assign prizes based on purchase value or where the code originated.

Examples:

• A customer who spends more than €100 receives a premium code that allows them to win higher-value prizes.

• Each store or channel (physical, online, social media) distributes unique codes with their own prizes or personalized instructions.

3. Prizes by location

Goal: Give out prizes related to the participant’s location.

Example: You want to raffle movie tickets for Madrid, Barcelona, and Valencia.

• You distribute different codes based on province.

• You set up specific prizes or thank-you pages for each city.

4. VIP customer loyalty

Goal: Reward your most valuable or frequent customers.

Example: Your CRM tags certain users as VIPs, and you send them special codes.

• Only they can win high-end prizes.

• Other users participate with regular codes that give access to standard prizes.

3. Step by Step

3.1. Prepare and assign the codes to be distributed

First, decide which prizes will be given out and which codes they will be linked to. Have the complete list of codes ready to give to your users or customers. These can be generated manually, with a specific pattern (such as VIP001, A001, etc.), or randomly.

If you need help generating them, email us at help@cool-tabs.com.

You can use code lists separated by commas or patterns with the % symbol.
Example: 1234, 5678, 12%, 123%, 567%

Code Patterns

When setting up prizes, you can use patterns with the % symbol instead of writing every code one by one. The % symbol acts as a wildcard, replacing any number or letter (one or more characters).

Useful examples:

• VIP% → includes any code starting with “VIP”, like VIP001, VIPX99, VIPCLIENTE1
• 123% → includes codes like 123A, 12345, 123XYZ
• %PRIZE → includes any code ending with “PRIZE”, like XPRIZE, 01PRIZE, WINNERPRIZE
• %ABC% → includes any code containing “ABC”, like PREABC123, ABC000, XYZABCXYZ

This is very useful when you have hundreds or thousands of codes with a common format. You can also combine several patterns or codes separated by commas: VIP%, 123%, 456789, ABC%

Example 1: Movie Ticket Raffle by City

• 3 tickets for Madrid → codes MAD001, MAD002, MAD003

• 3 tickets for Barcelona → codes BCN001, BCN002, BCN003

• 1,000 codes with no prize → all others (CINE001 to CINE1000) have no prize assigned

Example 2: Amazon Gift Cards Based on Purchase Value

• One €100 gift card → unique code X123

• Three €10 gift cards → codes XZ123, XZ234, XZ345

• €5 gift cards → codes starting with Y% (like Y123, Y234, etc.)

• All other codes → no prize

3.3. Create the Campaign

Next, create your campaign and set up the basic elements.
First time creating a Cool Tabs campaign? Check out our tutorial and other recommended settings to ensure it runs smoothly and gets the best results.

How to get started on creating a campaign: basic settings.

If you have any questions during the process, contact us at help@cool-tabs.com.

3.4. Set Up Code Validation

The next step is to enable coupon validation and upload the file with the winning codes to the platform.

For detailed instructions, follow our tutorial: How to create a campaign to validate promotional codes.

3.5. Set Up the Final Screens

Once the codes are uploaded, customize the final user experience based on the code entered.

3.5.1. Final Screen for Non-Winners

Set up a generic message for participants entering codes that are not linked to prizes. You can include text, images, or HTML.

3.5.2. Final Screen for Winners

Set up a personalized message based on the code entered:

1. Enable the checkbox "Show personalized content based on score (quiz/gamification), category (personality test), and/or code entered by participant."

2. Check "Assign/restrict final pages acording to participant's validation code's".

3. Click on "Manage individual final screens."

4. Create as many screens as needed, one for each group of codes. In the "Restrict by validation code entered by participant" section, enter the codes or patterns that will give access to that screen (separated by commas, spaces, or line breaks).

5. Customize the content (text, images, instructions, etc.) displayed on the screen.

3.5.3. Instant Win Campaigns

In Instant Win campaigns (automatic prize allocation upon participation), you can also make prize allocation conditional on the codes entered.

How to set it up:

1. Enable automatic winner selection via Instant Win.

2. In the "Advanced" tab, check "Assign/restrict Instant Win according to participant's validation code." This way, Instant Win allocation will depend on the participant’s validation code.

3. Finish setting up the Instant Win section, editing each prize to set: the number of available units, availability period, and the list or pattern of codes eligible for the prize. For details, see our tutorial: How to Create an Instant Win Campaign to Give Out Instant Prizes.

Recommendations:

• When setting up Instant Win prizes restricted to certain codes, make sure the prize’s start date matches the campaign start date. Otherwise, if a participant enters before the award is active, they won’t receive it. They might instead get an unrestricted prize (if available) or no prize at all.

• If the campaign is ending and some prizes haven’t been awarded, you can edit the settings to remove the code restriction and make them available to all participants.

4. Other specifications.

This type of campaign is available in the Cool Promo and Cool Promo White Label apps from Cool Tabs, included in the Gold and Diamond plans, respectively.

For any questions, contact us at help@cool-tabs.com.

5. Related content.

How to create a campaign to give out discount vouchers.

How to create an Instant Win campaign to give out instant prizes.