Student verification and benefits of providing discounts for students

Here at Radiant, we strive to support e-commerce merchants by all possible means. Thus, a while ago we launched an app. Easy Student Discounts is our very own Shopify plugin that verifies student statuses and provides discounts specific to those still in school. Now, with all the apps we could have created, you might wonder why we chose to make one for student discounts — which is a great question!

Student discounts are precisely what they sound like: discounts specific to students. Stores near-always limit this to university students due to their financial status, offering lower-price purchases to help offset the cost of schooling. One of our reasons for catering to this youthful demographic is that 67% of students say that they expect student discounts. Keeping up with the times and providing brand accessibility is vital for Shopify stores that want to thrive in this high-competition market. Moreover, 83% of students state that they’re more likely to shop at retailers that offer student discounts; don’t you want to be one of them?

The Benefits of Student Discounts for Online Retailers

Ultimately, student discounts can increase sales — but how? There are more reasons than you probably realise.

Students represent an interesting demographic of customers, often with high desires to buy but less capital to do it with than those in the workforce. Because of this, it’s likely that students represent quite a large portion of that shopping cart abandonment rate. Afterall, what’s better than a day procrastinating on assignments by online shopping for things you won’t buy? By offering student discounts, you encourage young shoppers to actually follow through with their purchase instead of clicking out of your site (often with no intent to return).

Then, shoppers appreciate brands that give discounts, plain and simple. When shops offer discount codes and coupons for groups like students, it frames a brand as one that cares about the customer. Compare this to a company who may come across as only wanting to make a profit, and it’s easy to see why the competitor with student discounts is pulling in a bigger margin. All things considered, student discounts are one of the easiest ways to ensure brand loyalty from a lifelong customer — most notably one whose capital is likely to increase as they age. In addition, student discounts influence future shopping habits. Companies that offer student discounts are more likely to be shopped at, allowing them to expand their product offerings to customers more quickly. Empowered by student discounts, brands have the capacity to shape commerce to some degree. In fact, 85% of students say that the experience they have with a brand during university is likely to influence where they shop or what they buy in the future, regardless of if those benefits apply to the brand offering the code or if the experience drives a desire for similar shopping experiences elsewhere.

Lastly, word spreads fast on university campuses. Offering a student discount helps expand your reach within the collegiate community through word of mouth or, more likely, social media. Being student-friendly can encourage buying from university students who wouldn’t have otherwise purchased from your shop. This level of influence interconnection between members of the student demographic is simply not found in other groups of buyers to the same extent. All of this to say: it helps you be trendy.

Student Status Verification Should Be Simple

Convinced? We’re glad! Having student discounts is the perfect way to boost your business. But, don’t think it’s too simple. One study showed that when the discount process confirming student status was too lengthy, nearly 70% of student shoppers were unlikely to go ahead with the discount access or their purchase. That means a difficult student discount confirmation could actually make things worse, so you will need to look for a good student verification service or solution suitable for your shop. (Like ours, for Shopify: Easy Student Discounts.)

There are a few ways to verify student status. One of the most common one is via the email address. Student verification over email typically involves the following steps:

• The student provides their school email address: This is usually done through a form on the retailer's website or in-store.

• The retailer sends a verification email: The email will contain a unique link that the student must click to verify their status as a student.

• The student clicks the verification link: This will take the student to a landing page where they may be asked to provide additional information to confirm their enrollment status, such as a student ID number or a copy of their student ID card. Alternatively, access to the school email address can be sufficient enough for verification.

• The student receives the discount: Once the student has been verified, they will receive the student discount, either in the form of a promo code or an automatic discount applied to their order.

This process is designed to prevent fraud and ensure that only eligible students receive the student discount. The specifics of the verification process may vary depending on the retailer's policies and the information required to confirm enrollment.