Keeping the Shopify gift card feature on your store can help you attract more customers, expand your brand reach, and generate free cash for you.
With these benefits, a Shopify gift card is one of the most popular options preferred by merchants, aiding their customers from the dilemma of choosing a gift.
Learn more about how to carefully set up a gift card, how to set an expiry date, assign a customer, and keep track of a Shopify gift card in this guide.
Shopify Gift Cards: Quick Guide
- A Shopify gift card can boost your sales and brand engagement, on top of a gifting experience for a customer.
- You can create two types of Shopify gift cards using any Shopify plan.
- Keeping a gift card helps customers explore gifting options, and an unused gift card balance basically keeps free cash for you.
What Is A Shopify Gift Card?
A Shopify gift card can be a great asset in times when you are feeling generous, want to strengthen your brand loyalty, or when your sales are dipping or not performing as you expected them to be.
One of the key Shopify glossary terms, Shopify digital gift cards offer a way to win a customer by selling gift card products or sending a gift card to specific customers as an admin.
On Shopify, two types of Shopify gift cards exist:
- Add a gift card product
- Issue a direct gift card
The first type of gift card on Shopify can be used by someone who can purchase a gift card of a specific value from your store, and gift it to someone who can then redeem the Shopify gift card.
Using a Shopify gift card can be highly rewarding to you as:
- 9 out of 10 customers return after using a gift from a new business they bought from.
- 70% of the gift card holders end up spending $60 above their gift card value on an average.
All you need to do is create a well-designed Shopify gift card from the “Gift cards” section to start.
How Do Shopify Gift Cards Work?
A Shopify gift card works exactly the same as any standard gift card does. A customer purchases an online gift card of a certain amount to be gifted to someone.
The person who receives the gift card may buy an item costing less than the actual gift card value, or even end up spending more than the exact gift card value. At the end of it, you, as a store owner, benefit with more money anyway.
But there are two ways a Shopify gift card works:
- Method 1 involves someone purchasing a gift card for someone else as a gift
- This includes the store owner directly sending gift cards to select consumers via email, whatsapp etc.
Another good thing about the Shopify gift card feature is that you can also track the assigned gift cards, which lets you in about the sales, outstanding balances, and more via a dedicated report.
Benefits of Using a Shopify Gift Card
The benefits of using a gift card strategy for your Shopify business are plenty. Apart from increasing cash flow, it can also help build or maintain your brand image and loyalty.
Check out more such benefits of issuing a gift card on your store that you just can’t ignore:
- Sales Boost
A gift card purchase gives you immediate revenue upfront without having to deliver a product. It brings in advance payment and helps during cash flow when you need it most, such as during holidays and festivals.
Customers also end up spending more than the amount assigned to them as a gift card, most of the time, in fact, 70% of the time.
- Customer loyalty & retention
Through a gift card strategy, you can acquire new customers easily and bring people who have never known or visited your store before. On top of that, when someone purchases from your store for the first time with a gift card.
Even if they don’t make a purchase, the website visit may still boost your brand recognition and newsletter sign-ups.
- Flexibility
Using a gift card gives both the buyer and the recipient the freedom to redeem their benefits at any time.
It also makes gifting very easy for when your customers have no idea what to gift someone, or when you think the receiver can decide best for themselves in terms of products and their specifications.
- Promotions & Refunds
In events where you want to promote referrals or incentives during contests, a gift card helps as a reward without losing the cash flow of your Shopify store.
Also, when things go wrong and you need to offer a refund, a gift card can help you give store credit instead of cash back to the customer.
How To Set Up A Shopify Gift Card?
The two ways you can set up a gift card for your store allow you to reach out to either many or one customer at a time.
One acts as a gift card available for purchase by many, and the second acts as a direct delivery gift card intended for a single customer.
Gift Card For Your Store?
To add a gift card to your Shopify store, head to your dashboard and follow the steps below:
Step 1: Find the ‘products’ tab on the top left of your screen.
Step 2: Under the products tab, find the ‘Gift cards’ section next.
Step 3: Select the ‘Create a gift card’ button to generate a gift card for your customer to buy. These gift cards can be sold online and in person using Shopify POS.
Step 4: Add a gift card code here and the initial (minimum) value you want to keep for the gift card.
Step 5: Next, you can also add a customer from your search tab, an expiration date if needed, and a note for the gift card.
How To Set Up a Direct Shopify Gift Card?
To set up a direct Shopify gift card product, follow the same steps till step 3.
Step 1: Once done, select the ‘Add gift card product’ button.
Step 2: Next, add a title to your gift card, add a description, any media, add denominations and more.
Step 3: Ensure that the selected status for the gift card is active, and you have filled in the details under the product organization section with the product type, vendor name, and collection.
Step 4: Completing the above step will take you to the products page where you can preview, edit, and draft the gift card, and even track the inventory.
How to Change Gift Card Expiry Settings in Shopify?
To change the expiry setting of a gift card, select the ‘Set expiration date’ when creating a gift card.
For a Shopify gift card as a product, if you want to edit the expiry date of the gift card, you can simply turn the gift card status to active or draft, or change the sales channels as required.
How To Design A Shopify Gift Card?
Designing a Shopify gift card requires you to keep a few factors in mind for it to perform the way you intend it to be.
Follow this checklist to craft a stunning Shopify gift card:
- Use your brand colors, logo, content tone
- Ensure that the card feels like a gift and not like a boring business card
- Keep the festivities, occasions, and events in mind for the theme of the card.
- Always display the gift card value clearly.
- Add a short & strong message to the receiver
- Optimize the design well for all devices.
- Insert important terms and conditions in fine print at the bottom
- Add the redemption instructions on the back (if selling a physical gift card)
Ensure that the expiry date, minimum value, and denominations added are accurate.
Troubleshooting Common Shopify Gift Card Issues
When sending virtual gift cards to your customers, issues may arise, but they can surely be resolved.
- Issue #1: Customer did not receive gift card.
Solution: Ask the customer to check their spam folder/junk folder. Verify customer details. Resend the gift card.
- Issue #2: Gift card not working at checkout.
Solution: Ensure that the gift card code has not been used earlier. Make sure that the discount codes and gift cards both are not added to the product.
- Issue #3: Customer returned the product for a refund.
Solution: When a customer cancels an order, the card value is automatically restored to the original code.
If you face a bigger issue and can’t seem to handle it yourself, reach out to Shopify customer support to get the required assistance.
Conclusion: Use a Shopify Gift Card To Boost Sales & Brand Awareness
A Shopify gift card can get you the required cash flow when you need it the most, and simultaneously work on increasing the brand awareness for your Shopify store.
Select the method with which you want to send a gift card to your customer, add accurate details, create an exciting description and design for a gift card product, so that it feels like a gift, and enriches the experience.
Keep a note of the gift card performance to track how it is performing easily, to estimate your free cash flow without selling a product from your inventory!
FAQs
Go to Products → Gift Cards → Edit the gift card product, then add or adjust price variants. Save changes to reflect new denominations on your storefront.
You can customize the product image and description, but not the actual email template, without code edits. For advanced customizations, edit your gift_card liquid file.
Go to Products → Gift Cards → Create Gift Card, enter the amount, customer email, and optional expiry. Click “Activate and Send” to issue it instantly.
Customers can check their balance using the link in the gift card email or during checkout. You can also check it manually in the Gift Cards section of your admin panel.
