PCXPROGRAM DESIGN / ECONOMICS

Make the benefit affordable to honor

A program budget should account for the promised customer benefit and the services needed to deliver and support it. The face value of a card is not the entire campaign cost.

01

Use a complete cost checklist

Actual charges come from the relevant commercial terms. This list identifies what the team should ask about, not a price schedule.

Cost areaQuestion for the brief
Customer benefitWhat obligation follows from an eligible purchase?
Program servicesWhich charges apply and what do they cover?
CommunicationWho prepares and maintains recipient information?
Support and exceptionsWho handles questions, order changes, and unresolved cases?
ReportingCan costs and program outcomes be reconciled for the same period?
02

Use realistic participation assumptions

A Shopify offer needs to remain supportable if more eligible customers participate than expected. Discuss uncertainty with finance and the responsible program parties. Do not make customer failure to access the benefit a budget objective.

03

Evaluate value and cost together

Assess whether the incentive makes sense for the proposed purchase, then examine total attributable costs alongside return-adjusted outcomes and service effort. Keeping the original product price does not preserve margin automatically.