You found a promo code, typed it into AliExpress checkout, and... nothing. Or an error. Or, the most confusing outcome of all, the code was accepted and your total went up.
AliExpress promo codes have more rules than most stores' codes. Once you know them, almost every failure has an obvious cause. Here are the nine we see most often, roughly in order of how common they are.
1. The code made your total go up (it replaced a better coupon)
This is the one that catches the most people, because the code works: it just makes things worse.
AliExpress lets one platform discount apply to an order. Promo codes share that slot with the AliExpress coupons already in your account. If you hold a US $10 account coupon and you enter a US $6 promo code, the code takes the slot and you pay US $4 more. In the order summary this shows up on the line for AliExpress coupons/codes.
Fix: always note your total before entering a code and compare it after. If it went up, remove the code, or simply reload the checkout page: in our testing, AliExpress puts its own best coupon back when the page reloads.
2. The order doesn't meet the minimum spend
Nearly every AliExpress promo code has a threshold, such as US $3 off US $29 or US $25 off US $199. Under the threshold, the code is rejected.
Fix: check the code's minimum against your order. If you're just short, it can be worth adding a small item you need anyway. Be careful when you're only just over a minimum: other discounts on the order can change the amount that counts.
3. The code is for a different country or currency
AliExpress releases separate codes for each region and currency. A code shared on a US deal site is often a US-dollar code, and it won't work on a checkout in Canadian dollars, euros or pounds.
Fix: look for codes for your country, and make sure your ship-to country and currency in AliExpress match the code. Changing currency just to use a code rarely helps, because the code is tied to the region.
4. The sale is over
Most AliExpress promo codes belong to a specific sale and stop working the moment it ends. A code that worked last week can be dead today.
Fix: check the code's end date. Between big sales there may be no sitewide codes at all, and that's normal.
5. You can only use one promo code per order
If you already applied a code, a second one will either be refused or replace the first.
Fix: pick the single code with the biggest discount your order qualifies for. If you have two codes, compare them one at a time.
6. The code has run out
Some codes, especially high-value ones at the start of a sale, can only be redeemed a limited number of times. When the allocation is used up, the code stops working even though the sale is still on.
Fix: use high-value codes early in a sale, and keep a backup code from the next tier down.
7. It's a new-customer code
Some codes only work on a new account's first order. If you've ordered before, the code is rejected.
Fix: use a sitewide code instead. New-user codes are usually clearly labelled on AliExpress's own coupon pages.
8. Some items in your cart are excluded
Some codes don't apply to every item or seller, so the qualifying part of your order may fall below the minimum even when the cart total is above it.
Fix: if a code fails on a mixed cart, try checking out the items from one store or category on their own and see whether the code applies.
9. A typo, a space, or the wrong case
Codes copied from a web page often bring a trailing space or a look-alike character with them.
Fix: retype the code by hand in capitals, or paste it into a plain text field first to strip formatting.
Don't forget store coupons
Promo codes get the attention, but store coupons are where AliExpress savings stack. They are offered by individual sellers, you collect them on the store or product page before checkout, and they apply to that seller's items alongside a promo code.
On a cart with items from several stores, collecting each store's coupon by hand is tedious. It is also usually worth more than hunting for one more promo code.
Let an extension do the checking
Every reason on this list can be handled automatically. AutoAli, our free extension, does it at checkout in one click:
- it collects the store coupons for every seller in your order;
- it finds the current sitewide promo codes for your country and currency;
- it applies the best code your order qualifies for, and only keeps it if your total goes down, so reason #1 can't happen.
It never places an order and needs no account. You can also see the current situation on our AliExpress coupons page.
Quick checklist
- Note the total before entering a code
- The code is for your country and currency
- The sale it belongs to is still running
- Your order meets the minimum spend
- It's not a new-customer code (unless you are one)
- One promo code only, the best one you qualify for
- Store coupons collected for each seller
- Total compared after: if it went up, reload the checkout