How to create a hardware fittings incentive program
Door and window fittings, locks and architectural hardware are rarely chosen by the person who pays for them. The carpenter fixing a door picks the hinge and the mortise lock; the aluminium fabricator building a sliding window picks the rollers, handles and locking points; the architect specifies the door closer and the patch fittings on a glass entrance. An incentive program has to reach each of them in a way that suits how they work.
A hardware fittings incentive program rewards carpenters and aluminium fabricators for every genuine pack of locks, hinges and window or door fittings they install, rewards hardware retailers for range, and runs dealer schemes across product families, with project and counter sales handled separately. It is set up by mapping who chooses each product family, coding each pack, setting rewards by family and value, deciding retailer proof, configuring dealer schemes and checking the cost on past purchases.
Step 1: Map who chooses each product family
Hardware brands carry thousands of SKUs across families that are chosen by different people. Start with a simple map; it decides who the program is for.
| Product family | Who usually chooses | Where it is bought | Program track |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mortise locks, cylinders, door handles | Carpenter, sometimes homeowner | Hardware retailer | Carpenter scan-to-earn, retailer range scheme |
| Door hinges, tower bolts, door stoppers | Carpenter | Hardware retailer | Carpenter scan-to-earn, low value per pack |
| Aluminium and uPVC window fittings | Aluminium fabricator | Section dealer or hardware dealer | Fabricator scan-to-earn, dealer scheme |
| Door closers, floor springs, glass patch fittings | Architect or fabricator on projects | Architectural hardware dealer | Project track with recognition and meets |
| Digital and smart locks | Homeowner, guided by retailer and installer | Retailer or dealer | Installer reward plus warranty registration by scan |
Keep hardware fittings distinct from cabinet and kitchen fittings even if you make both. The fabricator who installs a sliding window system and the modular kitchen maker who fits drawer channels are different audiences with different buying rhythms. If you sell both, run them as separate tracks in one program. For cabinet hardware, see the furniture fittings page.
Step 2: Code each pack, and make the code part of the trust story
Hardware is a category where look-alike products sit on the same shelf as the original. A unique QR code on each pack or box lets the installer earn and lets the buyer verify the product before it goes on the door. Put the code inside the pack or under a tamper-evident seal so that it can be scanned only after purchase, and print a line in the local language saying what scanning does. For locks and digital locks, the same scan can register the product warranty in the homeowner's name. More in our note on anti-counterfeit QR codes.
Step 3: Set rewards by family and value
A pair of tower bolts and a heavy-duty door closer cannot earn the same. Group SKUs into reward bands by price, and add a premium band for families you want to grow.
Illustrative worked example. Suppose band A (hinges, bolts, stoppers) earns Rs 2 per pack, band B (mortise locks, handles) Rs 15, band C (window fitting kits) Rs 25 per kit and band D (door closers) Rs 40. A fabricator who installs 12 window kits and 4 door closers in a week earns 12 x 25 + 4 x 40 = Rs 460. A carpenter who fits 6 doors, each with one lock set and three hinge packs, earns 6 x 15 + 18 x 2 = Rs 126. These numbers are illustrative only.
- 1Family mapWho chooses locks, hinges, window kits, closers
- 2Pack codingCode inside the pack; verify and earn in one scan
- 3Reward bandsBy family and price; premium band for growth lines
- 4TracksCarpenters, fabricators, retailers, architects
- 5Dealer schemesCounter and project schemes, family conditions
- 6Cost checkWhat-if on last year's purchases
Illustrative sequence for a door, window and architectural hardware brand.
Step 4: Separate counter and project sales
Counter sales through hardware retailers and project sales through architectural hardware dealers behave differently. Project orders are large, negotiated and paid on long credit; counter sales are small and frequent. Run counter schemes on volume and range, and project schemes on target with a collection condition. Do not let a single large project order push a dealer into a counter slab that was designed for steady retail buying.
Step 5: Decide how retailers prove sales
Hardware retailers usually buy through a distributor. Accept the distributor's invoice, a bill photo read by OCR, or retailer scans as proof, and say which in the scheme text. Range schemes, which pay when a retailer stocks a set number of families, suit this category because the retailer's job is to have the right lock or fitting in stock when the fitter asks. See retailer scheme types in building materials.
Step 6: Give architects a different track
Architects and interior designers specify door closers, architectural handles and glass fittings months before purchase. Per-pack cash is the wrong tool for them. Recognition, product training sessions, invitations to meets and catalogue rewards work better. Keep this track small and personal.
Step 7: Check the cost, then launch
Run the reward bands and dealer schemes on last year's purchases to see the cost and who would have qualified. Payments to installers may attract TDS under section 194R above the threshold, and GST treatment depends on the scheme design; confirm both with your advisor. Launch through dealers and fabricator meets, with scheme explanations by voice in the local language.
Where Unotag fits
For hardware fittings brands, Unotag provides per-pack QR codes scanned on WhatsApp or app with first-scan binding and duplicate blocking, anti-counterfeit verification and warranty registration by scan, instant UPI payouts or points, tiers and meets, retailer proof by invoice, bill OCR or scan, and the scheme engine for counter and project dealer schemes on SAP, Tally or any ERP data. See also the influencer loyalty program.
Key takeaways
- Map which product family each audience chooses before designing rewards.
- Code each pack inside or under a seal, so one scan both verifies and earns.
- Group SKUs into reward bands by family and price.
- Run counter and project schemes separately, with a collection condition on projects.
- Give architects recognition and meets, not per-pack cash.
Frequently asked questions
Who should a door and window hardware brand reward?
Carpenters for locks, hinges and door fittings, aluminium fabricators for window and door systems, hardware retailers for range, dealers through trade schemes, and architects through recognition and meets.
Where should the QR code go on hardware packs?
Inside the pack or under a tamper-evident seal, so it can be scanned only after purchase. The same scan verifies the product and credits the installer.
How do you set rewards when SKUs range from bolts to door closers?
Group SKUs into reward bands by family and price, and add a premium band for lines you want to grow.
Should project sales be part of the dealer scheme?
Keep them separate. Project orders are large and on long credit; run them on a target scheme with a collection condition, and keep counter schemes for steady retail buying.
Can the program register lock warranties?
Yes. A scan of the code on a lock or digital lock can register the warranty in the buyer's name while crediting the installer.
Do fabricator rewards attract TDS?
Business benefits above the threshold can attract TDS under section 194R. Confirm the treatment for your program with your tax advisor.