An ordinary flyer talks. A flyer with a tear-off element asks for action - and gives the customer something they can take in hand, tear off and slip into a wallet. A tear-off stub turns flat paper into a small call to action: you take it with you as a coupon, a card or a voucher. It is a simple move, yet it makes a huge difference to how much of the flyer stays with the recipient.
- A tear-off element creates a physical gesture of engagement - the customer tears it off themselves and carries the stub away.
- Something stays with the recipient, so it is easier to come back to the offer and easier to measure the effect - you see who returned with the coupon.
- Typical stubs: a discount coupon with a deadline, a loyalty card, a mini-voucher, a contact card, an entry pass.
- Both parts - the flyer and the stub - must stand alone and make sense once torn off.
- Add a unique code or number, a clear condition and deadline, and space for details.
Why a tear-off works
The secret is in the gesture. When a customer tears off a stub, they perform a small, physical action - and action engages more strongly than a mere glance. The paper stops being something you skim and put down. It becomes something you did something with, and that builds a sense of ownership.
After tearing, the customer is left with something concrete. Not a vague memory of "I saw a flyer somewhere", but a tangible coupon in a wallet or a card on the fridge. That stub reminds them of the offer every time it catches their eye, and gives a clear reason to come back.
There is a third benefit, often underrated: measurement. A stub with a code or number is the simplest way to check what actually worked. You see how many customers returned with a coupon, and that tells you more about the flyer's effectiveness than the number of copies handed out.
Give each stub a unique code or number and record who redeems it. Even a simple notebook at the till is enough to know, after the campaign, how many flyers truly brought customers in - and whether it is worth repeating.
Types of tear-off element
A stub can play very different roles. It is worth matching it to what you expect from the customer - one stub invites a tasting, another builds a habit of coming back.
- A discount coupon with an expiry date - a classic that works because it pairs a benefit with time pressure. The deadline gives a reason to use it soon rather than put it off "for someday".
- A loyalty or stamp card - a stub that returns many times. The customer collects stamps or signatures and builds a habit of coming back to you.
- A mini-voucher or token - an invitation to a tasting, a free consultation, a trial visit. Great when you want to lower the barrier to first contact and show what you offer. You will find more on how to build such a document in the article on a voucher that grabs customers' attention.
- A contact card or business card to take away - a stub with details, address and opening hours that the customer tucks into a wallet. The flyer informs, the tear-off card stays for later.
- An entry pass or invitation - an admission stub for an event, an open day or a show. The flyer tells the story of the event, the torn-off ticket gives the customer something to carry and show at the door.
If you are planning a broader campaign with tokens or vouchers, the perspective from the article on gift vouchers and tokens in a service business will also help - it shows how to embed such a document into your everyday offer.
How to design a tear-off stub
A good stub starts with one rule: both parts must make sense on their own. The main flyer should still look complete after the coupon is removed, and the stub itself should work independently, even if the customer forgets where they got it.
What to watch out for when designing:
- A clear perforation line - the stub should tear off easily and evenly. Mark the line visually (a subtle dashed line, a scissors icon) so it is obvious what tears off.
- A self-contained stub - repeat the essentials on the torn-off part: company name, logo, condition and deadline. A coupon with no name is a coupon nobody will connect to you.
- A unique code or number - for verification at redemption and for measurement. We do not print serial numbering, so the code goes on by hand or with a stamp when the stub is handed over.
- A clear condition and deadline - say plainly what the customer gets and until when. A short, concrete sentence works better than fine print.
- Space for details - if the stub is to be a contact or loyalty card, leave fields for a name, signature, stamps or a note.
A tear-off stub is not a decoration but a second flyer in miniature. It has to stand on its own - in a wallet, on the fridge, in a bag - long after the rest of the paper hits the bin.
Formats and production
A tear-off element feels best on flyers that already have some room for content. The natural choice is folded flyers - they give space for the full offer, while making it easy to carve out a strip or corner for the coupon. We do not perforate, so on a flyer the coupon is marked out graphically: a frame and a different background colour.
Where to place the stub so the whole thing looks coherent:
- A bottom strip - the classic solution: the flyer on top, the coupon at the bottom, perforation across. Simple to design and clear to the recipient.
- A side stub - a vertical strip on the side, good for a code or a business card when the main content should stay intact.
- A corner - a small corner for a single code or number, when you want to save space.
- A panel of a folded flyer - one of the panels acts as the stub once folded; unfolded it shows the full offer, and you tear off only a fragment.
The important thing is that the layout guides the eye to the stub without shouting about it. The coupon should be noticeable and logically tied to the offer, not stuck on by force. If you want to make sure you prepare the perforated file correctly, take a look at our tips on preparing files.
Uses - examples by sector
A tear-off element works anywhere you want the customer to come back with something concrete in hand. A few ideas from different sectors:
- Hospitality - a coupon for a coffee with a set, a token for tasting a new dish, a stamp card with "every few meals free". The stub lands in a wallet and returns on the next visit.
- Services - a mini-voucher for a free consultation, a coupon for a first visit, a contact card with the date of the next promotion. You lower the barrier to the first step and leave a tangible trace.
- Retail - a starter discount with a code, a loyalty card for collecting points, a seasonal coupon with an expiry date. The customer has a reason to look in again before the stub expires.
- Events - an entry pass or tear-off invitation, a token for a free drink, a card with the programme the guest keeps. The flyer announces, the torn-off ticket lets them in.
In each of these cases it comes down to the same thing: give the recipient something to take away. If you are thinking about a series of such tokens or ready-made vouchers to sell, it is worth considering separate vouchers and tokens - and treating the flyer with a tear-off stub as the first step that invites people to reach for them.
Before you order a large run, test one stub idea in a small series. Check which type - coupon, card or voucher - actually comes back to you. The test itself costs little, and the lesson from it will set up your whole next campaign.
A flyer with a tear-off element combines two things that usually stand apart: the message and a concrete benefit in the customer's hand. Design a clear perforation, make sure the stub stands on its own, add a code and a deadline - and an ordinary flyer starts to live a second life in your customers' wallets and on their fridges.
