Running effective promotions at your laundromat doesn't have to be complicated. Laundroworks offers several built-in promotional tools through the LaundroPortal that can help drive customer engagement and increase revenue during key periods like holidays or new store launches.
Before diving into promotions, you'll need to ensure that the Marketing feature is enabled on your account. Once activated, you'll see a Marketing tab in your LaundroPortal where you can create and manage all promotional campaigns.
Promo codes are one of the most versatile promotional tools available, giving you the flexibility to target different customer segments with precision.
Global Codes: Perfect for public-facing promotions like "HOLIDAY15" for a $15 bonus. These codes can be redeemed by multiple customers and are ideal for advertising on your website, social media, or in print materials. Use these for:
Holiday promotions (Valentine's Day, Memorial Day, Labor Day)
Grand opening campaigns
Seasonal slow-period traffic drivers
Social media contests and giveaways
Unique Codes: One-time use codes that work well for targeted marketing efforts like:
VIP customer appreciation
Win-back campaigns for lapsed customers
Partnership promotions with local businesses
Direct mail campaigns with trackable codes
The key to successful promo campaigns is balancing generosity with profitability. When setting up your promotion, consider:
Promo Value Strategy: A $15 bonus might seem steep, but if it brings in a new customer who spends $20+ per visit and returns monthly, your customer lifetime value makes it worthwhile. Start with smaller bonuses ($3-$5) for broad campaigns and reserve larger bonuses ($10-$15) for new customer acquisition.
Expiration Dates Create Urgency: Limited-time offers drive immediate action. Holiday campaigns that end on Christmas or New Year's Eve tap into the scarcity principle and customers don't want to miss out.
The account applicability settings let you get surgical with your marketing:
New Customer Acquisition: Select "New Cards" only and waive the card fee to remove all barriers for first-time visitors. This works especially well when combined with local advertising.
Customer Retention: Target "Existing Cards" only with loyalty rewards like "Thanks for being a customer and here's $5 on us."
Reactivation Campaigns: Use unique codes sent via email or direct mail to customers who haven't visited in 60+ days.
Mobile App Adoption: Target "New Mobile" to incentivize downloads of your LaundryCat customer app, building your digital customer base.
The best marketers test, measure, and optimize. Track these metrics for every campaign:
Redemption rate: How many codes were actually used vs. distributed
New vs. returning customers: Are you acquiring or retaining?
Average transaction value: Do promo users spend more overall?
Return visit rate: Do promotional customers come back?
Export your campaign data to CSV and analyze patterns. You might discover that Tuesday promotions outperform weekend ones, or that $5 bonuses have the same redemption rate as $10 bonuses, insights that directly impact your marketing ROI.
Read the complete Promo Code setup guide
While promo codes grab attention, reload bonuses quietly increase your revenue by encouraging larger transactions. Think of them as your store's built-in upsell mechanism.
Reload bonuses aren't about gimmicks, they change customer behavior in predictable ways. People naturally avoid repeated small transactions. When a customer sees "Add $20, get $1 free," they're far more likely to load $20 once instead of $10 twice. That shift creates real operational impact:
Customers carry higher balances, which translates into committed future spend which incentives retention.
Operators receive cash up front instead of spread across multiple visits, improving near-term cash flow and predictability.
Higher stored balances reduce friction at the machines, creating faster turns and smoother in-store experience.
It's a simple incentive that drives larger loads, locks in future revenue, and improves day-to-day operations without changing transaction economics.
Reduce credit card processing fees (flat 4% per transaction)
Minimize cash box collections by encouraging larger bills
Appeal to cash-preferring customers (still a significant segment)
Maximizes participation across all payment types
Keeps messaging simple ("$1 bonus for every $20 loaded")
Doesn't alienate card-preferring customers
Reduces how often you empty cash boxes (fewer $1 and $5 bills)
Encourages customers to hit the ATM before visiting
Can offer tiered incentives ($1 bonus for $20 bills, $3 bonus for $50 bills)
Creates massive buzz and foot traffic
Works best as a limited-time offer (2-4 weeks)
Expensive but effective for establishing a customer base quickly
Typical ROI: customers acquired during this period often become regulars
Let's say your average customer visit is $12 (one wash, one dry). Without reload bonuses, they load $12 each visit. With a "$1 bonus per $20" promotion, they load $20 and get $21 to spend. They're now good for nearly two visits. You've:
Reduced transaction frequency (and costs) by 40%
Locked in future revenue
Created perceived value without discounting your actual service prices
Learn how to configure Reload Bonuses step-by-step
Here are proven promotional strategies combining these tools:
Week 1-2: Double Your Money reload bonus
Ongoing: Free Dry promotion to establish customer habits
Social media: "GRANDOPEN15" promo code for $15 bonus (new cards only)
Thanksgiving-Christmas: "THANKFUL5" global code for $5 bonus
December reload bonus: $2 for every $25 loaded
New Year promotion: "NEWYEAR2025" for $10 bonus (expires Jan 15)
Tuesday-Thursday special: $1 bonus for every $15 loaded (cash only)
Email to lapsed customers: Unique codes worth $7 each
Free Dry promotion with 48-hour expiration to encourage return visits
"GOMOBILE10" for new mobile accounts only
Higher reload bonuses through app vs. kiosk (e.g., $2 vs. $1 per $20)
App-exclusive promo codes sent via push notifications
Direct mail to competitor's neighborhood: Unique $15 codes for new customers
Big Bill bonus to attract cash-heavy customers
Free Dry promotion + waived card fee = no barriers to switching
Promote Everywhere: Your promotions only work if customers know about them. Use window signage, social media, your website, email, and Google ads. QR codes linking to promo code entry make it frictionless.
Test & Learn: Run small pilots before going all-in. Try a $5 bonus one month and $10 the next. Compare redemption rates, new customer acquisition, and repeat visit behavior.
Stack Strategically: Combine a reload bonus with Free Dry during slow periods. The reload bonus brings them in, Free Dry keeps them there longer, and you've maximized revenue per visit.
Create Urgency: Limited-time offers outperform open-ended promotions. "This weekend only" urgency beats "ongoing promotion" every time.
Segment Your Audience: Don't give the same offer to everyone. New customers get acquisition offers, loyal customers get retention rewards, lapsed customers get win-back campaigns.
Track Everything: Export campaign data monthly. Which promotions drove the most revenue? Which had the best ROI? Let data guide your decisions, not guesses.
Tell the Story: Don't just say "$5 bonus", explain the value. "Get $5 free - enough for a complete wash at our store!" Context increases perceived value.
Whether you're launching a holiday campaign, driving traffic during slow periods, or building long-term customer loyalty, Laundroworks' promotional tools give you the flexibility to create compelling offers that align with your business goals. The key is understanding your customer behavior, testing different approaches, and doubling down on what works.