What is a discount popup? 7 examples that work

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Have you ever been browsing an online store only for a discount popup to appear that encourages you to purchase and interact with that brand? You can add that same action-driving experience to your store to achieve your marketing goals.

A discount popup incentivizes your shoppers to take action, such as subscribing to your email list, making their first purchase, or referring a friend.

For your popups to be effective, they must feel natural and part of your customer experience, with consistent branding and messaging. They should also trigger at optimal moments, such as on exit intent, page scroll depth, button clicks, or via timing rules.

Join us below to discover seven discount popup examples that have all the qualities to engage visitors, boost signups, and increase sales.

What is a discount popup?

A discount popup is a floating message on an ecommerce website that appears at key moments to promote savings and drive engagement.

Some discount popups incentivize customers to take action in return for savings, such as signing up for a mailing list. Others reveal discount codes to encourage immediate sales. 

Discount popups can trigger without the visitor’s input, such as after 10 seconds of browsing or exit intent, or with the visitor’s action, such as after clicking a discount button or adding items to their cart.

The objective is to increase sales with well-timed discount popups that create the perception of value and savings. Your popup could offer something as simple as free premium delivery on the customer’s first order or a flat 10% off.

Popups have an engagement advantage over static sitewide banners and on-page offers. They temporarily take over a visitor’s session and require interaction.

A compelling, well-timed offer in your discount popup can significantly increase sales and help you grow your email list with eager subscribers.

Why discount popups work

A well-designed discount popup offers more than just savings — it creates a moment of decision that can transform casual browsers into buyers. These powerful conversion tools work by tapping into core shopping psychology.

When shoppers see a limited-time offer or exclusive discount, it triggers their natural desire to avoid missing out.

That sense of urgency often provides the gentle push needed to complete a purchase they were already considering. The perceived value of getting a deal makes customers feel satisfied with their purchase decisions.

Timing and targeting multiply this psychological impact. A popup that appears when someone’s about to leave your site can recapture attention at a crucial moment.

Similarly, waiting until a visitor has shown genuine interest in your products — through actions like viewing multiple items or reaching a certain scroll depth — means your offer arrives when they’re most receptive.

Research has found that popups have a 3% conversion rate on average. However, if you tailor these popups to your goals and audience, this rate can exceed 9%.

The key is making these offers feel natural and valuable rather than intrusive. When your popup matches your brand voice and appears at the right moment, it creates a seamless part of the shopping experience that benefits you and your customers.

7 discount popup examples you can use

Check out these discount popup examples to inspire your own:

1. First purchase discount popup

Women’s tennis wear brand Bobbe Active uses its discount popup to incentivize first-time purchases and build its subscriber list. It triggers as you scroll the website and offers “15% off your first purchase” in return for an email address.

Entering your email address subscribes you to Bobbe Active. The form then loads another optional step to submit your phone number for texts:

Capturing an email and phone number in two steps uses the principle of progressive disclosure — asking for less sensitive information (email) before more sensitive information (phone number), making users more comfortable sharing their data.

Both forms match the site’s branding with a lifestyle image, beige body background, legible text, and prominent CTA buttons.

2. Free shipping popup

Women’s shoe retailer Cape Robbin loads its discount and free shipping popup instantly without any user interaction to encourage shopping sessions. In return for an email address, it offers “10% off sitewide + free shipping on us.”

Filling in your email address replaces the form with a thank you confirmation message:

This discount popup works because it’s a cohesive part of the site’s design and reduces friction with only one submission box and a continue button.

Cape Robbins’ welcome series message is also very nice, providing the discount code in a box with a “redeem discount” CTA button:

You can build similar welcome series emails using Omnisend’s template library and link them to your forms when creating automated sequences.

3. Gamified discount popup

Health food retailer Rosebud’s Real Food uses a gamified Wheel of Fortune to grow its subscriber list. It offers discounts as high as 25% off and encourages interaction with a 50/50 chance of landing a discount.

Entering your email address unlocks the game, letting you click “SPIN IT.” Doing so initiatives the wheel, and if you’re lucky, you’ll land on a discount like this one:

Gamified coupon popups use the psychology of play and reward to increase conversion rates. Even if users don’t win the maximum discount, participating feels rewarding and makes them more likely to purchase.

4. Special discount + giveaway combo

Photography backdrop brand Kate Backdrop loads its discount popup on the initial page load, incentivizing new subscribers with the chance to win a $100 gift card and get 15% off their first order. It also outlines free shipping thresholds and returns. 

This popup matches the homepage’s top background image — it looks and feels like a part of the site’s design rather than an afterthought to capture emails. 

Completing the form loads a discount code, information about joining as a member to unlock free backdrops, a CTA button to create an account, and instructions:

5. Limited-time discount popup

Luxury skincare and fragrance retailer DANG! Lifestyle greets new visitors with a limited-time discount popup. It makes its offer feel exclusive with the wording “Special Discount” and challenges the visitor with “Ready To Claim It?”

The popup uses a countdown timer to create FOMO, and the CTA buttons “Claim My Discount” and “No, I’ll pay in full” indicate the next steps. 

You can use similar urgency tactics to turn visitors into subscribers. Even if they don’t buy that day, you have their email address for targeted promotions.

6. Product category discount popup

Nutrition supplements brand Body Ecology uses its coupon popup to collect information about what customers are searching for and their email addresses.

Collecting customer preference data and email addresses, alongside segmentation, helps Body Ecology target its emails more effectively to increase ROI.

Filling in the form reveals a code for 15% off your first order:

That generous discount makes handing over an email address worthwhile. To encourage more signups, consider making your offers above 10%.

Notice also how Body Ecology’s discount uses a photo of product packaging and a person using the product to build trust. You can do the same to make your popups more engaging.

7. Special offer discount popup

Commemorative badges and military rings retailer Mainny uses a special offer discount popup to engage first-time visitors and encourage sales. In return for an email address, visitors can select a special offer, such as “20% OFF 3 ITEMS,” or select “COLLECT ALL.”

Offering multiple special offers appeals to a broad range of shoppers, with Mainny’s discounts increasing the savings the more items the customer purchases. 

Tiering your discounts can help you shift more stock, increase average order value, and create a more satisfying customer experience.

How Omnisend helps create high-performing discount popups

Omnisend is an omnichannel marketing platform that helps you build, display, and optimize discount popups on your store. It provides a drag-and-drop popup builder, templates, and automations to make popups part of your email and SMS marketing strategy.

Here are some highlights:

Build your perfect popup

Create eye-catching popups in minutes with your custom design and branding. The drag-and-drop popup and form builder has all the tools you need, plus mobile-optimized templates to help you get started quickly.

Optimize for every device

See how your popup template changes look with a live preview. You can customize elements, such as text sizes and colors, for display on mobile and desktop to ensure your forms provide the best user experience on all devices. You can also A/B test your designs to ensure you get the most out of your efforts.

Automation triggers

Display your discount popups exactly when you want them to appear. You can trigger them based on scroll depth, time on page, cart activity, button clicks, or custom events, giving you complete control over timing and delivery.

Grow your SMS list 

Expand beyond email collection with popups that capture phone numbers. Create SMS-only signup forms or collect both email and phone — it’s your choice. Unlike other platforms, you don’t need email addresses to start sending SMS campaigns.

Easy ecommerce integration 

Connect your popups directly to Shopify, WooCommerce, BigCommerce, or any custom platform using native apps or our API. Add a single code snippet to your store, and you’re ready to capture and sync subscribers automatically.

Watch this video to learn how to build popups and forms with Omnisend:

Discount popups: FAQ