How to Create a Private Voucher Category

What Is a Private Category?

A Private Category is a dedicated page for promoting products, offers and tickets that aren't available to the general public. It works just like your regular sales page, but with the key difference that you can control who can access it and when.

Because a Private Category isn't listed anywhere on your public site, you can run targeted promotions - special pricing, exclusive vouchers and internal perks - without exposing them to your general customer base or competitors.

Example uses for Private Categories:

Cardholder-exclusive offers - reward existing cardholders with pricing or vouchers not shown on your public sales pages.
Black Friday Pre-Sales - create a pre-sale for your repeat customers to share with them the week or month before anyone else has access.
Corporate offers - give a specific business partner or client a branded page of offers exclusive to them.
Internal employee offers - run staff discounts or perks without publishing them where customers can see them.

These are just a few examples of how this feature can be used - the possibilities are virtually endless, depending on your business and the audiences you want to target.

Where to Find Your Private Categories

Log in to the VoucherCart dashboard.
Navigate to Vouchers > Private Categories. [1]

VoucherCart dashboard sidebar with the Vouchers menu expanded, showing the Private Categories link.

Understanding the Private Categories List

This page lists all your Private Categories. You can filter the list by Active and Inactive status. [1]

Private Categories list with the Status filter dropdown open, showing Active and Inactive options, alongside the Name, From, To, and Vouchers columns.

Each row shows the category's name, current status, validity dates, and how many vouchers it currently has available, along with five icon actions, numbered [1] to [5] in the screenshot below and listed in the same order in the table:

Icon action	What it does
Copy URL [1]	Copies the Private Category page's link, ready to share with your audience.
Copy access code [2]	Copies the access code, if one is enabled for that category.
Preview [3]	Opens the Private Category page so you can check it before sharing.
Edit [4]	Opens the category so you can change its settings or content.
Delete [5]	Removes the Private Category.

Private Categories list page with the Add private category button highlighted in the top right

You can also export a CSV of your Private Categories, with the following columns:

Name
Status
Availability from
Availability to
Vouchers
URL
Access code

Exported Private Categories CSV with columns for name, status, availability dates, voucher count, URL, and access code.

How to Create a Private Category

Step 1: Start a new Private Category

On the Private Categories page, select Add Private Category [1]. This opens the creation page.

Step 2: Configure Page Settings

The Page Settings section sets the category's identity, URL, and availability.

Enter a Name for the Private Category. [1]
Edit the Custom URL — it's auto-filled from the name but can be customised. [2]
Set an access code requirement [3]:
1. Set it to Disabled so anyone with the link can access the page.
2. Set it to Enabled to require a custom access code.
Set the availability dates [4] — leave the End Date empty to keep the category open indefinitely.
Use the Enable toggle [5] to make the category active or inactive.

Included Products section of the Private Category creation form, listing vouchers and offers available to add to the page.

Caution — before proceeding:

Without an access code, anyone with the link can open the page, even though it isn't listed publicly. Set a code for anything genuinely restricted, such as cardholder or employee-only offers.

Step 3: Choose the included products

In the Included Products section, select which vouchers and offers buyers can access from this Private Category in the dropdown menu [1] — only the products you choose here will appear on this Private Category sales page.

Step 4: Set the page content

The Page Content section controls what buyers see once they land on the page:

Header [1] — the main heading shown at the top of the page.
Banner text [2] (optional) — promotional text displayed alongside the header, useful for a short call-to-action or highlighting the offer.
Description [3] — the main body text explaining the offer to the buyer.
Header image [4] — the banner image shown at the top of the page.

Page Content section of the Private Category creation form, with fields for header, banner text, description, and header image.

This is how the above will appear on the Private categories page:

Private Category sales page showing, in order, the header title, banner text, description, and header background image — matching the fields set in the Page Content section.

Step 5: Save and publish

Select Save. [1]

Private Category creation form showing the Included Products and Page Content sections, with the Save button highlighted.

You'll be returned to the Private Categories page, where your new category [1] now appears in the list alongside your others — with the same row details and icon actions described above.

Private Categories list with the newly created Demo Private Category now appearing as a row.

Use Copy URL [1] or Preview [2] to check the page — and, if you set an access code, confirm it's actually required before the page loads.

Private Category page prompting the visitor for an access code before the page will load.

If you have enabled the access code, anyone who navigates to the Private Category page using its URL or the Preview mode will be prompted to enter the access code before the page loads. [1]

Once entered, you'll land on your Private Category page.

Private Category page after the access code is entered, showing the header, banner text, description, and available vouchers.

Once you're happy with it, share the link with your intended audience.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I edit a Private Category after creating it?

Yes — select the Edit icon next to it in your Private Categories list to update its settings or content at any time.

What happens if I don't set an access code?

Anyone with the link can open the Private Category page, even though it isn't listed publicly — the access code is what actually restricts entry.

Can a Private Category stay open indefinitely?

Yes — leave the End Date empty when setting the validity dates, and the category stays active with no expiry.

How do buyers get into a Private Category that has an access code?

They need both the page's URL and its access code — copy each from the icon actions in your Private Categories list before sharing them with your audience.

Can I see how many vouchers are available in a Private Category without opening it?

Yes — the Vouchers column on the Private Categories list shows the current count for each category at a glance.

Need more help?

Speak to our support team via chat or contact us by email at help@vouchercart.com

For more video tutorials, FAQs, and self-help guides, go back to the Help Center