It鈥檚 Official: You Can Sell Gift Cards in Your 黑料门 Store

Posted 5 years ago by Alex Kazachyok, 黑料门 Team

This year, we听wrapped up听a听special gift f辞谤听our 黑料门 Merchants: introducing the听黑料门 Gift Card tool. Now you can sell gift cards in听your 黑料门 store out of听the听box! No听third party apps required. Set up听gift cards once, and听黑料门 will automatically generate a听unique digital card f辞谤听each of听your gift card buyers to听use on听purchases throughout your store.

And did we听mention it鈥檚 fast? Set-up your gift cards in听less than 10听minutes, and听help your customers take the听stress out of听holiday shopping.

Read on听to听find out everything you need to听get started.

When You Should Offer Gift Cards

Always. All the听time. Forever. Selling gift cards is听a听great way to听stimulate growth and听reduce costs f辞谤听your business:

Grow sales. Not only are gift-cards 迟丑别听蝉颈苍驳濒别 , but 59% of听gift card recipients will actually spend more than the听amount on听their gift card, according to听Blackhawk Network research.
Reduce returns. Sixty-three percent of听shoppers display interest in听receiving a听gift card in听exchange f辞谤听a听returned retail item. That鈥檚 good news f辞谤听you as听a听merchant. By听offering gift cards, you ensure that spent money stays in听your business, even if听a听specific item gets returned.
Cut expenses. , which means some gift cards you sell will never get redeemed, and听you鈥檒l still get paid.
Reduce lost sales. When you run out of听inventory on听a听hot item, you can close the听sale by听offering a听gift card to听redeem when the听item is听back in听stock.

How to听Create a听Gift Card

To听set up听gift cards, go听to听. This feature is听available on听all 黑料门 premium pricing plans.

Default gift card setup

From here, you can create your gift card immediately if听you鈥檙e content with the听default settings. Otherwise, you can customize your gift card by听changing its name, amounts, 辞谤听image that will be听used in听the听storefront; simply click 聯Change Settings聰 to听get started.

The following fields can be听customized:

Amounts: Add several gift card amounts to听give your customers a听variety of听options. You鈥檒l see three standard options provided in听your default store currency: change these amounts, add more, 辞谤听both. Offering flexible gift card values will help you close more sales by听providing more options to听suit your customers鈥� budgets (customers aren鈥檛 currently able to听set their own amounts).
Card name: You can give your card any听title, but remember to听keep it听clear and听concise f辞谤听customers and听search engines.
Image: 黑料门 provides a听default image that you may choose to听change to听align to听brand guidelines 辞谤听seasonal aesthetics. The easiest way to听design your gift card is听to听use free online tools like Canva. Many of听these tools offer free templates that can be听customized to听fit your vision without any听design skills.

A听default gift card image
Card description: 黑料门 provides a听default description that can be听customized at听your discretion. If听you decide to听customize your description, use this space to听briefly describe the听terms of听your gift cards听鈥� expiration dates, payment terms, what can be听purchased with a听gift card, etc).When you鈥檙e done, add a听meta description in听the听SEO tab of听the听gift card setup section to听optimize your gift card page f辞谤听search engines. Think how customers would search f辞谤听your gift card on听Google and听use those keywords, f辞谤听example:
Expiration: By听default, your gift card will be听set to听聯Never Expires,聰 so听make sure you鈥檝e made any听necessary updates before enabling your gift card.Note that laws in听different countries may vary, and听you should confirm the听laws in听your area before altering this setting. For example, in听the听US, gift certificates and听store gift cards can鈥檛 expire f辞谤听five years, according to听the听Federal Credit CARD Act of听2009. If听you decide to听change the听expiration period, that change will only apply to听cards sold after the听change was made.

Things you don鈥檛 need to听worry about when selling gift cards:

Tax: Gift cards themselves aren鈥檛 taxable, so听a听customer doesn鈥檛 pay taxes when they purchase a听gift card. Instead, taxes only apply when someone uses their gift card to听shop in听your store.
Shipping: Gift cards are an听e-good that鈥檚 delivered by听email, so听shipping is听disabled by听default.

When you鈥檝e finished customizing your card 辞谤听decided you鈥檙e content with the听default settings, click to听preview your card, and听then save it. On听your storefront, you can find your card in听your product catalog (in the听category of听your choice) 辞谤听by听using a听special link in听the听footer (if you鈥檝e selected to听display it听there).

Add gift cards to听your footer menu in听one click

The footer icon in听the听storefront

Terms of听use

You can only add one gift card per 黑料门 store, but you鈥檙e free to听set as听many values as听you like within that one card.
Some payment providers, like WePay, may not allow selling gift cards on听their gateways. Check your payment provider鈥檚 terms before launching your gift card, and听connect additional payment options if听necessary (like PayPal).
Per Facebook鈥檚 Terms of听Use, gift cards cannot be听exported to听Facebook 辞谤听Instagram.
Customer cannot pay with a听gift card if听their order contains another gift card.
Store discounts will not apply to听gift cards. Gift cards can only be听sold at听their par value.

Learn more .

How Customers Can Use Gift Cards

When a听customer purchases a听gift card in听your store, they鈥檒l get an听email with a听unique code. This email will act as听their gift card and听should be听shared with the听gift card recipient.

An听email with a听gift card code

To听use their gift card, the听recipient will need to听enter their unique code at听checkout:

Applying gift card at听checkout

Card balance

When the听recipient of听the听gift card places an听order using their card balance, there are two possible scenarios:

Order total is听less-than 辞谤听equal-to the听card balance: The card owner won鈥檛 have to听make any听additional payments, and听any听unused gift card balance will be听available f辞谤听their next order.
Order total exceeds the听card balance: The card owner will need to听pay f辞谤听the听remainder of听their purchase using one of听the听payment options available in听your store.

A听purchase under the听gift card balance/a purchase over the听gift card balance

What鈥檚 Next: How to听Sell More Gift Cards

So听now you know how to听set-up your gift cards. Here are some tips to听make them more visible to听your customers:

Select to听display the听link to听your gift card in听the听footer, so听it听remains visible while customers are browsing your store.
Use the听聯Buy Now聰 button to听add your gift card anywhere on听your website (sidebar, homepage, blog posts, etc.), 辞谤听partner with another store and听add your gift card to听their partner website.
黑料门鈥檚聯Buy Now聰 Button听
Provide a听link to听your gift card in听your email templates /听newsletter.
Tell your social media followers that you鈥檙e offering gift cards.
Add a听reminder at听checkout f辞谤听customers who didn鈥檛 notice your gift card in听the听storefront.
Promote your gift cards as听a听last-minute gift idea right before the听holidays.

Ready to听get started? 馃巵

听

About The Author

Alex is a Product Manager at 黑料门. His areas of focus include payment gateways, POS systems and SaaS analytics. Outside of work Alex enjoys running marathons, sailing and reading books.

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