Scratch card popup for Shopify

Why scratch and win feels different

Most discount popups do the reveal for the shopper. A scratch card hands the reveal over. The prize shows up bit by bit under their own finger, so the shopper is doing something rather than reading something, and the few seconds it takes are spent paying attention to your offer.

It is also one of the most familiar games there is. Nobody needs instructions for a scratch card, which makes it a calm, low-key choice for stores whose shoppers might find a spinning wheel a little loud. The card is compact, so it sits comfortably in a smaller popup without feeling cramped.

What the shopper experiences

1. The card appears. At the moment you chose, a popup opens with your headline, a short line of text and a silver card that says "Scratch here".
2. They scratch. Dragging a finger on a phone, or the mouse on a computer, wipes the foil away and the prize starts to show through.
3. The prize is revealed. Under the foil is what they won: a percentage off, an amount off, your own code, or a friendly "try again".
4. They get a real code. Winners see their single-use code with a countdown, and can copy it with a click.
5. One click to shop. "Shop with my prize" applies the code to their cart. If they wander off, a small reminder bubble brings them back before the code runs out.

Prize setups that suit a scratch card

A scratch card shows one prize at a time, so shoppers never see the full list of what they could have won. That gives you room to keep the list short and sensible.

• A steady everyday card. Mostly 10% off, some 15% off, an occasional 20% off and a small chance of "try again". You set how likely each prize is, and the chances always add up to 100%.
• A free shipping card. Make a free shipping code in Shopify, add it as "My own discount code", and give it a good share of the chances next to a couple of percentage prizes.
• A basket builder. Use an amount off, such as $10 off, with a minimum order a little above what most shoppers spend, so the prize nudges them to add one more thing.

For more ideas that keep your margins safe, read prize ideas that protect margins. It is written around the wheel, but every idea works under the foil too.

When to use a scratch card

Scratch cards shine on phones, where scratching with a thumb feels natural. They make a good welcome offer that appears after a few seconds on the home page, and a good exit intent popup on product pages, where a quick, quiet game can win back a shopper who was about to leave.

If you want something showier for a big sale, the spin to win wheel and the slot machine bring more drama. If you like the idea of a reveal but want the shopper to choose, look at the mystery gift box.

Set up a scratch card popup

1. Install Winky and switch it on. Winky shows you the one switch to turn on in your theme editor. Your theme's code stays as it is.
2. Create a campaign from the "Scratch & win card" template. Write the headline and the short line of text above the card.
3. Fill the card. In the Game tab, list your prizes, what each one gives and how likely it is, then set a minimum order and how long codes last.
4. Choose when it shows. In Show it, pick the timing, pages, devices, who sees it and how often.
5. Publish. The card goes live on your store, and Analytics shows the views, plays, clicks, orders and sales it brings in.