Returning Customer Discount Order Rate: Retention Discount Dependency

The share of returning customer orders that used a discount code or promotion.

Formula

Returning Customer Discount Order Rate = ( Returning Customer Discounted Orders ÷ Returning Customers ) × 100

Formula Components

Metric	Definition
Returning Customer Discounted Orders	Count of returning customer orders with a discount applied
Returning Customers	Total number of returning customer orders
customer_type = returning_customer	Filters to orders from customers who have purchased before

Metadata
Type	Percentage
Data Source	Shopify
Aggregation	Ratio

Example

Your store had 1,156 returning customer orders in January, with 462 using discount codes:

Period	RC Discounted Orders	RC Orders	Rate
January	462	1,156	40.0%
February	387	1,034	37.4%

How It Works

Counts repeat buyer orders with discounts and divides by total returning customer orders. Elevated values may signal discount dependency in retention; declining rates show loyal customers converting without incentives.

When to Use

Scenario	Action
Evaluating loyalty program ROI	High rates mean discounts drive most repeat purchases
Testing discount reduction	Monitor if rate drops without hurting retention
Comparing to new customers	Identify if new vs repeat buyers need different incentives
Optimizing retention margins	Lower rates improve profitability on repeat orders

Metric	Relationship
NC Discount Order Rate	Same metric for first-time customers
RC Discounts	Total discount dollars for returning customers
Discount Count	Total orders with discounts (all customers)

See all Adjustments metrics →

NC Discount Order Rate Refund + Discount

⌘I

​Formula

​Formula Components

​Example

​How It Works

​When to Use

​Related Metrics

Formula

Formula Components

Example

How It Works

When to Use

Related Metrics