Access Codes FAQ
Access Codes allow you to restrict the purchase of specific products to people who have a valid code.
When a product is protected by an access code, customers must enter a valid code before they can add that product to their cart.
Common examples:
- School dances limited to eligible students
- Team-specific merchandise
- Staff-only or faculty-only items
- Early access or VIP products
- One-per-student purchases using student ID numbers
How do Access Codes work?
- You create an access code group inside your campaign.
- You select which products require a code.
- You paste in one or more codes.
- You set a usage limit per code.
- Customers must enter a valid code to purchase those products.
If the code is invalid or has reached its usage limit, the purchase will be blocked.
When should I use Access Codes?
Use Access Codes anytime you need control over:
- Who can purchase a product
- How many items each person can buy
- Whether a product is publicly available or restricted
They are especially helpful for school dances where you want to:
- Limit tickets to eligible students only
- Allow one ticket per student
- Use student ID numbers as single-use codes
Setup & Configuration
How do I create an Access Code?
- Open your campaign.
- Go to Products.
- Click Store Options.
- Select Access Codes.
- Click New Access Code.
- Fill out:
- Name (internal only)
- Products (which items require the code)
- Usage Limit
- Codes (one per line or comma separated)
- Click Create Access Code.
What is the Name field for?
The Name is for internal reference only. Customers do not see it.
Use something descriptive like:
- 2026 Student IDs
- Faculty Only
- VIP Early Access
What does Usage Limit mean?
The Usage Limit controls how many total items each individual code can purchase.
Examples:
- Usage Limit = 1 → Each code can buy 1 item total.
- Usage Limit = 2 → Each code can buy up to 2 items.
- Usage Limit = 5 → Each code can be used for up to 5 items.
Once the limit is reached, that code cannot be used again.
Can one Access Code apply to multiple products?
Yes. When creating the access code, simply select multiple products. A valid code will unlock all selected products.
Can I add more codes later?
Yes. You can edit an existing access code and:
- Add new codes
- Remove specific codes
- Remove all codes
- Increase the usage limit
Changes only take effect after saving.
Can the same code exist in multiple access code groups?
No. Codes must be unique within a campaign. If you try to add a duplicate code, you will receive an error.
Customer Experience
What does the customer see?
When a product requires an access code:
- An Access Code field appears on the product page.
- The customer must enter a valid code.
- The Add to Cart button activates only after a valid code is entered.
If the code is invalid or expired, they will see an error message.
Are Access Codes case sensitive?
No. Codes are automatically treated as uppercase.
“vip2026” and “VIP2026” are considered the same.
What happens if a code reaches its usage limit?
The code will stop working. Customers will receive an error message indicating the code can no longer be used.
You can increase the usage limit or issue new codes.
Can customers share codes?
Yes. If multiple people share a code, they can use it until the usage limit is reached.
If you need strict one-person-only control, use:
- Unique codes such as student ID numbers
- Usage Limit set to 1
Reporting & Management
Where can I see which code was used?
In Results, you will see:
- An Access Code column in the All Results table
- The code listed on individual line items in sale details
This makes it easy to audit usage or verify eligibility.
What happens if I delete an Access Code?
Deleting an access code removes the requirement going forward.
The product becomes publicly purchasable unless another access code covers it.
Past purchases are not affected.
Common Use Cases
School Dance
Goal: Only eligible students can purchase one ticket.
How to set it up:
- Create an access code.
- Select your dance ticket product.
- Set Usage Limit to 1.
- Paste in eligible student ID numbers, one per line.
Each student can use their ID number as their code and purchase one ticket only.
Faculty or Staff Only Purchases
- Create an access code.
- Paste in staff ID numbers or distribute a shared staff code.
- Select the restricted product.
Team-Specific Merchandise
- Create separate access codes for each team.
- Assign codes only to members of that team.
- Gate only that team’s products.
Early Access or VIP Sales
- Create a small set of codes.
- Share them with VIP supporters.
- Remove the access code requirement when ready for public sales.
Limit Per Household
If you want to allow up to 2 per family:
- Create one code per household.
- Set Usage Limit to 2.
Troubleshooting
A customer says their code is invalid.
Check that:
- The code exists.
- The product is selected under that access code.
- The code has not reached its usage limit.
The access code field is not showing on the product.
Verify that:
- The product is attached to at least one active access code.
- The access code has not been deleted.
The field only appears when a product is gated.
A customer cannot increase quantity in their cart.
This usually means:
- Their code does not have enough remaining usage.
- They have hit the usage limit.