The Rules Make a BOGO Work
Buy one, get one free is easy to understand and easy to get wrong. If the terms are vague, customers assume they can take the most expensive item free, or two of the same, or use it on anything. This coupon gives you a full list of terms printed on the card, which is the right instinct. Your job is to check that each term says what you really mean.
Charcoal and Amber With a Snake of Rounded Steps
The coupon is 6 x 3 inches in landscape. The left half is charcoal with soft grey circles. The headline BUY ONE, GET ONE FREE! is set in large white capitals, with Black Friday Coupon in an amber script beneath it. An amber pill shows COUPON CODE: BOGO2024, and a smaller paragraph reads Deal: Buy any item and get a second one of equal or lesser value for free!, with the dates in amber beneath.
The right half is a wavy amber shape that curls into the left like a snake of rounded steps, with a white outline. On it, TERMS & CONDITIONS is followed by a bulleted list, and a barcode picture sits at the bottom right. The fonts are Barlow and Alex Brush.
The Six Printed Terms, Line by Line
| Printed term | What to check |
|---|---|
| Offer valid on selected items only | List which items, or put “see in store” and display a sign |
| Cannot be combined with other offers | Make sure your till blocks stacking |
| Free item must be of equal or lesser value | Tell staff how to treat mixed price pairs |
| Coupon valid online and in-store | Confirm your website supports the code |
| One use per customer | Decide how you will enforce it |
| Expires 11:59 PM on November 29th | Replace 20XX with the real year |
Dates and the Code Year
The coupon shows November 25th to November 29th, 20XX, and the code BOGO2024. Update both. A code with an old year will confuse staff, and a placeholder year looks careless. For 2026, Black Friday falls on 27 November, so a sale from 25 to 29 November covers the long weekend including Cyber Monday’s lead up.
Cost Planning for BOGO
A BOGO offer effectively gives 50 percent off the pair, so calculate your margin on the cheaper item. Many shops restrict it to products with strong margins, or to bundles of the same brand. If you run out of stock, a rain check is a kindness, so decide your policy and add a line if needed.
Printing the BOGO Coupon
Print on 200 to 250 gsm card stock. Stack them in one column to fit three per letter sheet. The barcode is a picture, so replace it with a real code if your till scans, or delete it. For online use, post the coupon as an image with the code in the caption.
Showing the Pair Clearly
BOGO offers confuse people when the shelf does not show them. Put a small sign next to each eligible item that says Buy One, Get One Free, and keep the coupon code the same as the sign. If your till applies the free item automatically, tell staff which item is treated as free. For online shops, test a basket with two items of different prices to see which one the system discounts.
For other Black Friday deals, see the free shipping coupon and the percentage off coupon. More are in coupons and discount vouchers.
