Modal vs Popup vs Overlay: What's the Difference?
What separates a modal, a popup and an overlay, how to make a modal accessible, and which one an online store should use when.
In this guide, we’ll go over 19 discount popup examples, why they’re effective, and ways to roll out similar promotions on your site.
In short
These 19 discount popup examples show how stores turn browsing visitors into buyers with free shipping, coupon codes, limited-time deals, seasonal sales and product recommendations. Each notes what works and what to A/B test. To build your own, describe the popup to the OptiMonk agent.
Most marketers rely on popups to collect emails, and we’re all for it. But if that’s all you’re using popups for, chances are you’re leaving money on the table.
When done right, popups can drive sales directly and funnel visitors to your checkout.
In this guide, we’ll go over 19 discount popup examples, why they’re effective, and ways to roll out similar promotions on your site.
A discount popup is an overlay that appears on a website (typically an ecommerce store), promoting a discount offer in exchange for certain actions, such as subscribing to a newsletter.
These popups are designed to capture the attention of new visitors and provide an incentive to take immediate action.
Discount popups can be triggered in various ways: they may appear after a user has been on the site for a specific amount of time, when they attempt to leave the page, or while they're browsing specific products.
Commonly, they offer a percentage off or a dollar amount discount, free shipping, or a limited-time deal.
Popup overlays can be a highly effective way of calling attention to your discount offer.
But there’s no one-size-fits-all tactic to promote your special discount with a popup—the approach you take will depend on your store and your goals.
Below, we’ve broken down a variety of offers and promos you can use to level up your own discount popup strategy.
Two-thirds of consumers look up free shipping thresholds on websites before adding items to their carts. Including free shipping as part of your discount popups is a smart move not only for grabbing visitors’ attention but also for increasing order value.
Let’s take a look at some examples below.

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What this popup does well:
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92% of shoppers in the US scout for coupons before making purchases. Offering discounts and coupons is a proven method for driving sales. That’s why they’re perfect for your popups.
Let’s check out some examples below.

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Popup promotions centered around urgency and scarcity are popular for a reason! They encourage immediate action and make your offer feel like it’s too good to miss.
Coupled with the right offer and creative elements, these are among the best popups for sales promotion.

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It’s no secret that holiday ecommerce is booming as consumers flock to Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and other seasonal sales. Holidays represent an ideal time to run sales promotion popups, and they represent a massive opportunity to boost sales for any ecommerce site.
Check out these seasonal discount popups below.

What this popup does well:
What could be optimized or A/B tested:

What this popup does well:
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Product recommendations account for approximately 33% of ecommerce sales, which means using product recommendation popups can be a really smart move!
You can customize your “suggested item” popups based on your visitor’s browsing behavior, or you can promote your best-selling products.
Let’s check out some product recommendation popups below.

What this popup does well:
What could be optimized or A/B tested:

What this popup does well:
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In OptiMonk, you describe the discount popup in one sentence, for example “10% off the first order for new visitors, in exchange for an email.” The AI agent designs it in your brand’s colors and fonts, builds a separate mobile version and sets the targeting: when the popup shows and who sees it.

Review both versions, then build it and switch it on. Once it’s live, A/B test the offer from your discount strategy, such as 10% off against free shipping, and keep the one that sells more.
On Shopify? Follow the step-by-step guide to a Shopify discount popup, from installing the app to applying the code at checkout automatically.
To wrap things up, let’s review some of our popup design best practices and the things you’ll want to keep in mind before you roll out discount popups for your online store.
Think about the user experience when it comes to presenting your discount codes. Rather than triggering your popup immediately as soon as someone lands on your site, give new visitors some time to breathe and browse. See the best time to show a discount popup for each type of visitor.
You don’t want to interrupt those critical first seconds or scare anyone away, right?
This speaks to the importance of behaviorally triggered popups, which are shown based on pre-set criteria that you choose.
For example, you can choose to trigger popups based on how long someone spends on your site or how far they scrolled down on a page. You can even trigger your discount popup to appear when someone is about to leave your site.
This ensures that your popups are seen by the right prospects at the right time, improving the chances they’ll convert.
When it comes to discount popups, relevancy is extremely important. You can't target top-of-funnel visitors who are just browsing a blog with discount codes that expire in 15 minutes.
Make sure to present your discount code to online shoppers who are ready to make a purchase and just need a final nudge.
Another way to make your popups more relevant is by personalizing the messaging, as it works brilliantly. This can be done based on many factors, like interest:

You can also personalize your sales promotion popup based on traffic source:

Simply put, we’re a big fan of gamified popups here at OptiMonk (see example #16 above).
Why? Gamified popups don’t feel like sales messages. They’re a playful way to engage with visitors while also encouraging them to make a purchase.
If nothing else, gamified popups are fun and out of the ordinary. This is a stark contrast to all the brands that don’t put much thought into their promotions.
A common thread among many of the best popups is that they’re not too complicated. Remember, your popups should be easy to understand at a glance.
That means:
We get it: you want to collect as much information on your leads and prospects as possible. But asking for too much can hurt your chances of winning a customer.
Consider this: most people are shopping on their mobile devices. They don’t have as much time (or as comfortable a keyboard) as when they’re browsing on their computers at home.
There’s a reason why most discount popups simply ask for names and email addresses: fewer form fields are easier on your visitors and more likely to result in opt-ins.
Any sales popup on your site needs to match the branding on your site. This includes your logo, color scheme, terminology, and brand voice.
Popups should feel like a natural part of your website, not an in-your-face interruption.
Thankfully, putting together stylish, branded popups can be a cinch thanks to tools like OptiMonk.
The agent designs each discount popup for your brand: your colors, fonts, logo and tone. Start by browsing our Popup Library for inspiration.
Pick the promotion you're running next and describe its popup in one sentence, with the offer and who should see it. The OptiMonk agent designs it, builds the mobile version and sets the targeting.
Free to start. No credit card.

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