Engineering Scalable Coupon Distribution for E‑Commerce: DeWu’s Technical Blueprint

Background

In e‑commerce, platforms frequently provide users with subsidies (coupons, vouchers, discounts) along the purchase journey to encourage conversion and reduce churn, especially during high‑traffic events such as Double‑11, holidays, and gifting occasions.

Concepts

Define "benefits" (assets: coupons, vouchers, subsidies) and "benefit distribution" (delivering benefits through specific channels so that eligible users can claim them). Also define "benefit acquisition" (merchant‑driven procurement of assets).

Typical Cases

Home Page

When users open the DeWu app home page, an incentive popup appears. The home‑page benefit distribution has undergone four development stages.

High traffic and QPS requirements.

Multiple benefit types share a single channel slot.

Different benefit types have distinct recall chains and user interactions.

Special demand for automatic coupon claiming to improve the shopping experience.

Product Detail Page

On a product detail page, an incentive popup appears. The distribution has three development stages.

Three channel slots exist:

Internal navigation to the detail page.

External ad‑driven entry to the detail page.

Any path leading to the detail page.

QPS is three times higher than the home page, requiring low latency.

Automatic coupon claiming is also required.

Coupons must be strongly related to the displayed product, demanding matching calculations.

Benefit recall can amplify downstream traffic.

Benefit Types

The system currently supports asset‑type benefits, which can be categorized as follows:

Coupon – static or strategy assets:

Full‑reduction coupon (threshold‑based discount).

No‑threshold coupon (any purchase).

Category coupon (specific product categories).

Product‑specific coupon.

Interest‑free coupon – offsets interest on installment purchases.

Voucher – merchant‑issued, usable on designated products or brands.

Subsidy – virtual currency, up to 3% of order value, max ¥200.

Benefit Supply

Benefits are supplied either by the platform (coupons, subsidies) or by merchants (vouchers). Platform‑funded assets are created via internal marketing tools; merchant‑funded assets are obtained through a recruitment process where merchants submit proposals and the platform approves them.

Benefit Distribution Design

Layered Architecture

The distribution system follows a multi‑layer design:

Service Support Layer : Provides common services such as counting, rule engine, relationship management, and notification.

Prize‑Issuing Platform : Consolidates all user‑facing benefits (coupons, vouchers, physical gifts, special event items).

Asset & Strategy Layer : Manages lifecycle of static and strategy assets; merchant‑issued vouchers bypass this layer and are handled via the recruitment platform.

Solution Layer : Packages flexible, personalized schemes on top of the underlying assets to meet campaign requirements.

Placement Layer : Executes unified recall, targeting, merging, trimming, and delivery of benefits across channels (home page, search, event halls, etc.).

Home‑Page Placement

The home‑page placement is the most complex, supporting coupons, vouchers, hooks, and product‑level benefits through multiple interaction modes.

Product‑Detail Placement

Product‑detail placement must handle high traffic, strong coupling between the displayed product and the issued benefit, and sophisticated recall, rule matching, and ranking logic.

Hook Placement

Hooks enrich the user journey on the home page by adding interactive benefit mechanisms such as lottery draws, one‑click claims, or personalized recommendations.

Evolution Thoughts

Benefit Play Upgrade

Future upgrades will consider four dimensions: user (preferences, lifecycle), channel (touchpoints across entry, exit, reminders), benefit (expanding types beyond coupons and vouchers), and operations (efficiently creating new schemes with lower cost).

User Growth Model

Traditional growth frameworks (AARRR, RARRA, Growth Loops, etc.) are reviewed, highlighting their focus and limitations. DeWu’s growth strategy emphasizes acquisition, conversion, and retention, leveraging benefit‑driven interventions throughout the user lifecycle.

User Operations Architecture

The operation architecture integrates expert knowledge, algorithmic recommendations, and neural‑network models to deliver coordinated benefit interventions across multiple channels, aiming to improve ROI and shift from scene‑based subsidies to person‑based subsidies.

Conclusion

The article presents DeWu’s technical system for benefit distribution, covering supported channels, benefit types, layered architecture, and future directions for user growth and operations. Readers should now have a clear understanding of how the marketing domain implements scalable, flexible benefit delivery in an e‑commerce environment.