How to create your first Launch code

Written by Justin Hoehn •Updated May 25, 2026

Launch codes are one of the most flexible features inside Launch by Lead Apparel. They allow companies to fund employee merchandise orders while maintaining control over budgets, employee eligibility and program timing.

Launch codes are created directly inside the Payments section of the Launch dashboard and can typically be configured in just a few minutes.

Step 1: Choose your Launch code type

When creating a Launch code, the first step is choosing the type of funding you want to provide.

Launch supports two code structures:

Fixed Amount

A Fixed Amount code gives employees a specific dollar amount to spend on the store.

Examples:

$50
$150
$500

Employees can continue shopping beyond the code value and pay any remaining balance with a credit card or PayPal at checkout.

This is the most common Launch code structure because it gives employees flexibility while still allowing companies to maintain budget control.

Percentage Off

A Percentage Off code discounts the employee order by a selected percentage ranging from 50% up to 100% off.

When using a discount code, admins can also limit how many products each employee is allowed to order.

This is especially useful for fully funded employee programs where companies want to offer a premium ordering experience while maintaining control over total product quantities.

Employees can also pay any remaining balance with a credit card or PayPal if the discount does not fully cover the order.

Step 2: Name your code

Admins can either:

Create a custom code name
Generate a random code automatically

The code name is what eligible employees will enter at checkout when placing their order.

Step 3: Set code availability

Launch codes can be configured with flexible timing controls.

Admins can:

Set when the code becomes active
Optionally add an expiration date
Leave the code active indefinitely

Expiration dates are commonly used for:

Holiday gifting programs
Seasonal merchandise launches
Limited-time employee campaigns
Event-based ordering programs

Some companies intentionally leave Launch codes active indefinitely for evergreen programs such as employee onboarding. This allows new hires to continue using the same onboarding code over time without requiring admins to constantly create new employee funding programs.

Because Launch codes can also be edited before the store goes live, admins have flexibility to adjust expiration settings, funding amounts and employee eligibility as their merchandise programs evolve.

Step 4: Choose who can use the code

One of the biggest advantages of Launch codes is employee eligibility control.

Admins can choose to make a Launch code available through:

Company email domain matching

Employees using an approved company email domain can access the code automatically.

All active employees

Codes can be assigned to all active employees managed inside the Launch dashboard employee list.

Tagged employees

Admins can also restrict Launch codes to specific employee groups using employee tagging.

This is commonly used for:

Department budgets
Leadership programs
Regional teams
Employee anniversaries
Client gifting campaigns

Only employees assigned to the selected tag group will be eligible to use the code at checkout.

Step 5: Send Launch codes to employees

Launch codes can be distributed through Launch Messenger, which automatically sends a welcome email to eligible employees.

Employees assigned a Launch code receive:

The code name
Store access information
Instructions for placing their order

Employees who are part of the active employee list but were not assigned a code can still receive a welcome email without a Launch code attached.

This helps companies automate employee communication without manually distributing codes one by one.

Editing or removing Launch codes

Launch codes can be edited before the store goes live.

Admins can update:

Funding amounts
Discount percentages
Employee eligibility
Expiration dates
Product quantity limits

Codes can also be deleted entirely before launch if changes are needed.

This flexibility makes Launch codes easy to manage as employee programs evolve.