Tech Corner: Deal Types

Written by Josh Hutter

---

Welcome to the latest edition of FMTC’s Tech Corner. We are excited to announce a major upgrade to our API with the release of Version 4.0.0 of the Deal Types endpoint, featuring an expanded set of deal types that offers greater flexibility and precision for managing promotions. This update is designed to give our subscribers more granular control over deals, enabling you to target better and engage your audience.

Enhanced Deal Types for Improved Targeting

In the previous version (3.0.0), our API supported 33 deal types, covering a range of promotional scenarios from coupons to product sales. With Version 4.0.0, we have significantly expanded this offering with a total of 114 deal types. This expansion enables you to fine-tune your promotional strategies, offering more targeted deals that resonate with your audience. 

Highlights of the New Deal Types

To make managing promotions easier, we’ve organized all deal types into 13 primary fields. The flexibility of these categories allows subscribers to craft promotions that align with their business goals. Here’s a breakdown of some of the key fields.

• ContentType: Defines the nature of the promotion, such as a discount, incentive, or regular pricing 
• PageType: Specifies where the deal appears on the site, like a product page, brand page, or sign-up page
• UseType: Describes how you can access the deal, whether through an app, in store, or online
• AffiliateAccess: Indicates whether the deal is available to all or restricted to a select group, such as premium or limited-edition deals
• CustomerDistribution: Describes how a deal is shared, such as through an email newsletter, a special portal, or a browser extension
• Mechanism: Explains how the promotion is applied (automatically, with a coupon code, or on a specific landing page)
• DiscountType: Defines the type of discount being offered (e.g., percentage off, price difference, buy-one-get-one, or free shipping)
• Non-DiscountType: Covers promotions that aren’t tied to a discount, like product launches or exclusive items
• Holiday: Deals tied to special occasions, like Black Friday, Valentine’s Day, or Cyber Monday
• Affinity/Contingency: Specific groups, such as students, teachers, or members of particular organizations (e.g., military)
• ShippingType: Describes shipping terms (e.g., free shipping, local)
• PaymentOfferType: Deals related to payment options like buy now, pay later
• Warranty/Guarantee: Highlights promises that come with a purchase, like a money-back guarantee or a price-match promise

For more information on every deal type, see more detailed documentation here. 

API Response

In version 4.0.0, the API response has been refined to improve usability. Each deal type is present with the following fields: 

• type (string)
  • Human-readable string of one of the above deal types separated by a hyphen, such as Content Type or Affiliate Access
• slug (string)
  • The key value of the array, such as discount-incentive or non-discount
• type_id (integer)
  • Unique identifier for the deal type
• name (string)
  • The human-readable value of the slug, such as Discount/Incentive or Exclusive
• full_slug (string)
  • The entire slug name, such as content-type-discount-incentive or page-type-homepage

You can use the type_id identifier to match the types that exist within the Deals 3.1.0 API endpoint. 

Upgrade From the Previous Deal Types

With the new Deal Types version 4.0.0, there is not a direct one-to-one mapping from the old types to the new types. Certain types like sale and offer require manual updates as they now encompass a broader range of types from the previous version. For more information on the mapping, and what deal types line up, take a look at the mapping documentation. 

As always, a dedicated team is here to assist you! If you have any questions or concerns, feel free to contact your account manager or email us at [email protected]. 

Curious about other FMTC technologies? Find more information on FMTC’s tools in Tech Corner:

• FMTC Tech Corner: New Incremental
• FMTC Tech Corner: API v3
• FMTC Tech Corner: Metadata