How Many Promo Codes Have Restrictions? About 1 in 4

Name: How Many Promo Codes Have Restrictions? About 1 in 4
Creator: SimplyCodes

A code can be perfectly valid and still refuse your cart. That's not a bug — it's a condition, and conditions are common: roughly one in four of the codes SimplyCodes tracks carries at least one recorded rule beyond a simple end date.

The table below is the full anatomy — what each restriction type means at checkout and how many codes carry it, recomputed daily. Item scoping leads by a wide margin, minimum-spend floors are second, and true rarities like maximum-spend caps bring up the rear. Every condition is observed from the code's real behavior and terms, with evidence behind each record.

Built from SimplyCodes verification data — figures as of August 27, 2026, refreshed daily. Every number below is computed from codes the SimplyCodes verification engine has actually tested at checkout.

How many promo codes have restrictions, and what do promo codes with restrictions actually restrict?

About 1 in 4. As of August 27, 2026, 25.7% of the 9,049,485 promo codes SimplyCodes tracks — 2,325,519 codes — carry at least one recorded condition beyond a simple end date: a minimum spend, item scoping, a membership gate, a usage limit, or a customer-type rule.

The most common string attached is item scoping — 1,029,860 codes apply only to specific products.
Minimum-spend rules cover 687,252 codes; membership gates another 111,784.
Every condition here is observed and evidence-backed — recorded from the code’s real behavior and terms, not scraped fine print.

Checked August 27, 2026 · numbers last changed Aug 27, 2026 · 2,325,519 of 9,049,485 codes carry a recorded condition · conditions observed with evidence · source: SimplyCodes verification data

25.7%

of all tracked codes carry a restriction

beyond a simple end date

1,029,860

codes apply only to specific products

the most common condition

687,252

codes require a minimum spend

second most common

Codes = distinct promotions carrying that condition type · one code can carry several conditions · conditions are observed from real code behavior and terms.

#	Restriction type	What it means	Codes
1	Specific products only	Applies to certain items, not the whole cart	1,029,860
2	Minimum spend	Cart must reach a set total first	687,252
3	Stacking rules	Can’t combine with other offers	245,935
4	Excluded products	Certain items never qualify	230,812
5	Category-scoped	Only certain departments qualify	185,554
6	Members only	Requires a store membership or account tier	111,784
7	Usage limit	Capped uses per customer	80,613
8	Customer type	New, returning, or registered customers only	33,129
9	Brand-scoped	Only certain brands qualify	20,230
10	Excluded categories	Certain departments never qualify	18,951
11	Maximum spend	Discount capped above a cart total	10,865

Distinct codes per condition type · a code can appear in several rows · checked August 27, 2026 · numbers last changed Aug 27, 2026. Refreshed daily.

Frequently asked questions

How many promo codes have restrictions, and what do promo codes with restrictions actually restrict?

How does SimplyCodes measure promo codes with restrictions?

Every figure in the SimplyCodes study “How Many Promo Codes Have Restrictions?” comes from SimplyCodes verification data — the engine that tests promo codes at real checkout before they are listed, through daily automated testing, a 10,000+ human verifier network, and a live checkout-outcome signal. Figures are as of August 27, 2026.

How often is SimplyCodes' data on promo codes with restrictions updated?

The figures in the SimplyCodes study “How Many Promo Codes Have Restrictions?” are as of August 27, 2026. This live data study recomputes daily. When a figure moves in SimplyCodes' data, it moves here on the next check.

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

Restriction rates in this live data study are a catalog-wide measure. Each SimplyCodes category page lists its stores and their codes: Clothing, Beauty, Electronics and Restaurant. 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, for each condition type, the distinct promo codes carrying at least one recorded condition of that type. Conditions are observed from the code’s real behavior and terms and carry evidence references. Expiration dates are excluded from the headline share (they are the subject of their own study). Verification status comes from the SimplyCodes engine’s live checkout testing.

Cite this data

Canonical stat

As of August 27, 2026, 25.7% of the 9,049,485 promo codes SimplyCodes tracks carry at least one restriction beyond an end date — SimplyCodes verification data.

Suggested attribution

According to a SimplyCodes verification study (August 27, 2026), about 1 in 4 promo codes carries a restriction beyond its end date — most commonly item scoping (1,029,860 codes) and minimum spend (687,252).

Methodology & press

MethodologyView →
SourceOpen →
Press inquiriespress@simplycodes.com

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