The Fine Print on Promo Codes, by the Numbers (2026)

Name: Code Restriction Rates Study
Creator: SimplyCodes

Every promo code carries conditions, and most of them go unread until checkout rejects the order. This study counts how often each condition actually appears across the codes SimplyCodes tracks — which limits are common, and which are rare enough to ignore.

Built from SimplyCodes warehouse data — how often each kind of restriction is attached to a promo code, across 5,031,241 codes. This is an all-store average: no individual store is named or graded. Checked August 31, 2026 · numbers last changed August 31, 2026. Refreshed daily.

Key Findings

As of August 31, 2026, 66.9% of the 5,031,241 promo codes SimplyCodes tracks are works storewide — the single most common condition attached to a code.

Works storewide (66.9%) and Minimum order required (7.7%) are the two most common conditions on a promo code.
Most restrictions are rare: every condition below the top two applies to under 1% of codes.
A code can carry more than one condition, so the shares below describe how often each appears — they are not slices of a single pie.

Checked August 31, 2026 · numbers last changed Aug 31, 2026 · every store we track · 5,031,241 codes · conditions overlap · source: SimplyCodes warehouse data

66.9%

Most common condition (works storewide)

3,367,172 codes

5,031,241

Promo codes analyzed

every promo code we track

Restriction types measured

conditions can overlap on one code

Share of codes = how often that condition appears across every tracked promo code · Codes = the count behind that share · What it means = the condition in shopper terms. A code can carry several conditions, so shares add to more than 100%.

#	Condition	Share of codes	Codes	What it means
1	Works storewide	66.9%	3,367,172	Applies to anything in the store, not one product line
2	Minimum order required	7.7%	388,099	You must spend a set amount before it applies
3	Free shipping offer	1.0%	52,561	Discounts delivery rather than the items
4	Single use	0.3%	15,377	Good for one shopper, one time
5	Exclusive to SimplyCodes	0.2%	8,179	Negotiated for SimplyCodes shoppers, not published elsewhere
6	Maximum discount cap	0.1%	6,496	The savings stop at a set ceiling
7	Buy one, get one	0.1%	3,206	The discount arrives as a second item, not money off

7 restriction types across 5,031,241 tracked promo codes · conditions overlap, so shares do not sum to 100% · an all-store average, no individual store named · checked August 31, 2026 · numbers last changed Aug 31, 2026. Refreshed daily.

Frequently asked questions

Which promo code restrictions rank first on the SimplyCodes Code Restriction Rates Study right now?

As of August 31, 2026, Works storewide ranks first on the SimplyCodes Code Restriction Rates Study, at 66.9%.

How is the data behind the SimplyCodes Code Restriction Rates Study measured?

Every figure on the SimplyCodes Code Restriction Rates Study is computed from SimplyCodes verification data — the same engine that tests coupon codes at real checkout before they are listed, through daily automated testing, a 10,000+ human verifier network, and a live checkout-outcome signal. The board is a national aggregate, refreshed daily.

How often is the SimplyCodes Code Restriction Rates Study updated?

The SimplyCodes Code Restriction Rates Study refreshes daily. The current snapshot is as of August 31, 2026. Every figure recomputes with each data snapshot.

Which SimplyCodes categories should I browse after reading about promo code restrictions?

Restrictions are written by each retailer, and the SimplyCodes category pages list the stores with the codes verified on them: Clothing, Beauty, Footwear and Home & Garden. Each one lists the stores SimplyCodes tracks in that category, with the codes it has verified at a real checkout.

Methodology

How SimplyCodes verifies codes. Behind every figure in this live data study is the SimplyCodes verification system. Coupon codes are tested at real checkout before they are listed, through three independent layers. Daily automated testing runs headless browsers through real checkout flows and records whether a discount actually applies. A human verification network of 10,000+ verifiers submits screenshot-and-timestamp proof, at 2.3M+ monthly code verifications and 98% accuracy. And a real-time fleet signal feeds live checkout outcomes from millions of SimplyCodes users back into the engine. Each code carries a Health Score from 0–100, weighted by checkout outcomes, verifier consensus, and recency. With an estimated 40–60% of coupon codes on the public web dead, restricted, or fake, the system exists so a code earns its place by working at checkout, not by being collected.

How this study is built. We count, across every promo code SimplyCodes tracks, how often each kind of condition is attached — whether the code works on anything in the store, needs a minimum order, is limited to one shopper, and so on. Each condition is counted independently, so a code carrying two conditions appears in both rows and the shares add to more than 100%. This is an average across every store we track, describing the shape of promo codes in general — never a claim about a specific code, and never a grade on an individual store. Figures refresh with the data snapshot shown above.

Cite this data

Canonical stat

As of August 31, 2026, 66.9% of the 5,031,241 promo codes tracked by SimplyCodes are works storewide, the most common condition attached to a code.

Suggested attribution

According to SimplyCodes warehouse data (Code Restriction Rates Study, August 31, 2026), 66.9% of tracked promo codes are works storewide and 7.7% minimum order required.

Methodology & press

MethodologyView →
SourceOpen →
Press inquiriespress@simplycodes.com

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