# How discount rules work - Discountline 1.x documentation

> Rule types, what happens when rules overlap, priorities, and managing rules from the list.

Every discount in Discountline is a **rule** under **Marketing → Discount rules**, next to WooCommerce's Coupons. The same people who can manage coupons can manage rules.

![The rule list with each rule's type, discount, coverage and status](https://storage.extendiment.com/media/943/screenshot-1.png)

## Rule types

| Type | What it does | Where shoppers see it |
|---|---|---|
| **Product discount** | Matching products cost less: a percentage off, an amount off, or a fixed price. | As a sale price in the shop, on product pages and in the cart. |
| **Quantity discount** | The price per item depends on how many are in the cart, in tiers. | A price table on the product page; the tier price in the cart. |
| **Order discount** | Money off the order once the matching items reach a minimum spend. | A discount line in the cart and checkout, by the rule's name. |

## When rules overlap

Discounts don't stack. Each item gets **one item discount** (a product or quantity discount), and each order gets **one order discount**.

Which one wins is a store-wide setting under **WooCommerce → Settings → Products → Discount rules → When rules overlap**:

- **Give customers the biggest discount** (the default): the rule that gives the lowest price for the item, or the biggest saving on the order.
- **Use the rule with the highest priority**: the first rule that applies, by its **Priority** number (in the rule's **Advanced** box; lower numbers come first). Rules with the same priority go by age, oldest first. The rule list shows rules in this order; click a column heading to sort it another way.

An item discount and an order discount can both apply: the order discount is then worked out on the already discounted prices.

## Turning rules on and off

A rule applies while it is **published**. In the list:

- **Turn off** moves a rule to draft without opening it; **Turn on** publishes it again. Like publishing a coupon, turning a rule on needs the permission to publish coupons; people without it don't see **Turn on**.
- **Duplicate** makes a switched-off copy with the same settings, a handy start for a similar promotion.

The **Status** column shows **Active** for published rules and **Off** for drafts.

## Display name

Customers see a rule's **Display name** (in the Discount box) in the cart, at checkout, on their order and above the quantity price table. Left empty, it is the rule's name.

## Rules that need Discountline Pro

If you used Discountline Pro and it isn't active, rules that use its rule types (Buy X, get Y; Free shipping) or its conditions (such as customer roles or end dates) show **Needs Discountline Pro** and don't apply. See **Troubleshooting** for why, and what you can do.

Source: https://extendiment.com/plugins/discountline/docs/1.x/how-discount-rules-work