Different actors are involved in the process of creating, checking, distributing, accepting and refunding national coupons valid in different store formats. They each have a specific role to play.
Coupon issuer
The issuer of a coupon creates a coupon that is uniquely identified using the Global Coupon Number (GCN). The coupon data is encoded via My Coupon Manager, then synchronised and shared with retailers.
Supermarket
Retailers receive updated coupon information on a daily basis. They process and integrate it into their checkout systems, which can then process and validate the coupons when they are scanned at the checkout. At the end of each day, all the coupon scans are collated and sent back to the clearing house.
Clearinghouse Highco Data
The clearing house receives reimbursement data from retailers, including an overview of coupons by shop and by checkout, as well as physical coupons. It validates the coupons accepted by the retailers, reimburses them and charges the costs back to the coupon issuer.
Note: digitising the information flow linked to the reimbursement of scanned coupons and standardising the validation process will eliminate the need for paper copies and pave the way for digital coupons.
GS1 Belgium & Luxembourg
GS1 is a standardisation organisation. GS1 manages the standard for the unique identification of discount coupons (GCN) and the encoding of this code in a medium that can be scanned at the checkout. It also oversees the My Coupon Manager application and the exchange of coupon information between GS1, retailers and the clearing house.
FPS Finance
The Federal Public Service Finance allows VAT to be exempted on coupon reductions, thus avoiding a complex process of payment and reimbursement of VAT on the amount of the reduction.
Retailers provide GS1 with refund data on a daily basis to ensure quality monitoring and to enable the clearing house to ensure an efficient and correct refund process. Based on this information, the clearing house will validate the transactions, refund the retailers and charge back the issuer of the coupon.