Unique alphanumeric promo codes trick the brain into feeling like it already owns a product before the purchase even happens.
Promotional codes create a sense of psychological ownership that transfers from the discount to the item itself. Marketing experts used to think coupons worked simply by making things cheaper. This study shows that the random string of letters and numbers makes the discount feel like a personal possession. People value items more when they feel they have earned the right to a special price. This sense of ownership makes it much harder for a customer to walk away from a digital shopping cart.
IT FEELS LIKE MINE: HOW PROMO CODES FOSTER PSYCHOLOGICAL OWNERSHIP AND TRANSFER IT TO ADVERTISED PRODUCTS
SSRN · 6707158
Promo codes are ubiquitous in digital marketing, yet their psychological effects extend far beyond price reduction. Across four experimental studies (N = 631), this research demonstrates that promo codes function as psychological ownership vehicles-unique alphanumeric codes foster feelings that the discount is "mine," and these ownership feelings transfer from the discount to the advertised product itself. Study 1 (N = 99) establishes that advertisements containing promo codes with uniqueness cu