Discount Codes, also referred to as Price Codes, are industry specific codes that suppliers use to identify List Price versus Net Cost discounts on their products. Generally, discount codes can be found directly following a retail price, in or around the pricing grid, or within the F.O.B. (Freight On Board) section of the catalog page. ASI members can view more information about the Discount Codes.
While all ASI publications and research tools use PQR coding, from time to time, the codes be displayed as ABC coding. The good news is that these two coding systems are the same in practice.
As part of your ASI Membership, you will receive catalogs from ASI-listed suppliers. These catalogs include retail pricing and will be coded. If you receive a catalog without these codes, the pricing listed in the catalog may be net pricing. Contact the supplier before showing it to a customer, as it is a possibility that the customer is familiar with these codes and could calculate the net cost.
I saw a code with number before the letter. What do the numbers mean?
The numbers before the discount code letters indicate how many price break quantities are set for that discount. If there is a single number followed by a single letter such as "6R"; it means that there are six price break quantities and all are set for a discount of R.
In the example below, the code displayed is 3R2U. This means that the first three price breaks are set to "R" and the next two are set to "U".
Why are there two coding systems?
Given the age of the ABC system, it's likely that customers are more familiar with that coding. As a result, all ASI publications and research tools use PQR coding. Supplier advertisements in magazine publications like Counselor® may still include ABC codes.
Why do some ASI publications hide discount codes?
Certain end-buyer catalogs and websites hide discount codes for the benefit of distributors. End-buyers may understand the coding system and calculate the net cost.