The most common question we hear when we explain in-factory unique-code printing — where the code goes on the outside of the pack alongside the Best Before Date — is some version of “can’t people just copy that in the shop?”. It’s a fair question. It’s also one we measure on every campaign, and the answer is layered.
Most consumers don’t copy codes
The overall incidence of code-copying on prize draws and point-collection schemes is statistically tiny relative to legitimate entries. We measure it on every campaign and report it back to the brand. The premise that outside-the-pack codes get copied at any meaningful scale is, in practice, not borne out by the data.
There are two types — only one is solved by hiding the code
It helps to distinguish two patterns:
- Type 1: in-store copying. Someone scans or photographs the code without buying the product. This is what hiding the code on the inside of the pack is meant to prevent.
- Type 2: sharing. A legitimate buyer gives the code to a friend or family member who tries to use it. This happens regardless of where on the pack the code is printed.
Type 2 is by far the more common type, and Type 2 isn’t prevented by inside-the-pack printing. So the protective effect of hiding the code is smaller than it seems.
AI Vision can audit the rare in-store copying concern
For the residual Type 1 risk, recent AI Vision advances make an extra audit layer feasible. When a code is submitted, the campaign flow can ask the user to scan the code and surrounding environment so the campaign can check they are not standing in-store. The same scan can capture the BBD and production-line data for cross-reference against the code itself. This can be applied universally, or triggered selectively when a consumer’s behaviour pattern looks suspicious.
A measure-retain-audit framework backstops the rest
For higher-stakes promotions — prize draws with monetary value — winners can be required to retain their physical pack and produce it on request. Audits are typically only triggered on participants who have won something of real value, or who have breached a risk-score threshold — so the operational overhead is small.
The advantages of outside-the-pack more than cover the residual fraud
Putting the code on the outside of the pack delivers benefits that compound across every interaction:
- No need to rip open packaging to find the code.
- Faster, easier mobile scanning.
- On-the-go participation is possible during commutes, breaks and impulse moments.
- No risk of consumers tearing open the product in store.
These translate into measurably higher engagement rates — which is, after all, the entire point of running the campaign.
The takeaway
For the vast majority of promotions, printing on the outside of the pack is the right answer. For the small set of campaigns where the brand judges the risk profile differently, an inside-pack route is available — we offer that too. See the full code-copying argument on the Why-in-factory page →