Discount / promotional subject lines

10 examples

1. 1.25% off this week — applied at checkout
2. 2.Three things on sale (curated, not algorithmic)
3. 3.GIVING25 expires Monday midnight
4. 4.10% off, since you came back to look
5. 5.Your code: SHIPONUS (one-time use)
6. 6.Last 6 hours on GIVING25
7. 7.Free shipping over $50 — automatic
8. 8.A spring sale — picked by hand
9. 9.BOGO on the {{productName}} this weekend
10. 10.Use COMEBACK10 — good for 48 hours

What makes these work

Discount-subject lines are the most over-saturated category in email. The patterns that still earn opens lead with specificity rather than percentages: 'Three things on sale this week' beats '50% OFF EVERYTHING'. Stating the exact percentage and the exact deadline up front is more effective than vague urgency. Avoid ALL CAPS and excessive exclamation points; spam filters now down-rank these subjects, and recipient pattern recognition has caught up to them. For high-AOV brands, the best discount subjects often pair the offer with brand-voice continuity ('A spring sale — picked by hand') so the email feels like a curated note rather than a blast.

Templates that use these patterns