A Guide to Shopify Gift Cards
If you are a smart Shopify merchant, surely you wouldn’t want to miss out on one of the ways of boosting a store’s sales and revenue, and that is, selling gift cards.
In fact, an activated gift card can be used as a reward and incentive for the next shopping experience of the customers.
So, if you’re looking to gain an edge over the competition, you need to learn to create and issue Shopify gift cards for your store. If that’s your motive too, then you’re at the right spot.
The idea of offering gift cards is quite old, but it has become popular with the growth of e-commerce stores in the past few years. Well, it has always been in the practice to offer gift cards to boost brand awareness, customer retention, or more footprint to the store, and Shopify gift cards are no exception to it.
The process of creating Shopify gift cards directly from the panel can seem to be an overwhelming task, especially if you’re new to the platform.
So, to help you, here’s a complete guide for all Shopify merchants out there to get started with creating and issuing gift cards to your customers.
What is a Shopify Gift Card?
A gift card is similar to a prepaid money card that can be used as an alternative to cash for purchases within a store.
According to a study by Statista, the gift cards market in 2017 was valued at around 320 billion U.S. dollars, and by 2025, it will reach 510 billion U.S. dollars.
Also, 55% of online shoppers agree to the fact that they are most likely to make purchases in a store with a gift card they would have otherwise skipped.
Similar to digital gift cards, a Shopify gift card is created in the admin panel and provided to customers as an incentive or reward. Additionally, customers can also use these gift cards to buy and use as payment toward future orders.
Why Should You Create Gift Cards for Your Shopify Store?
There are various reasons why you must create gift cards for your Shopify store, including:
Boosts Sales & Revenue
Creating gift cards is one of the excellent strategies to boost sales and revenue for your Shopify store.
Gift cards can increase customer engagement, encourage repeat business, reduce cart abandonment, and acquire new customers. Moreover, gift cards can improve cash flow, increase the average order value, and enhance brand awareness.
When customers purchase any gift cards from your store, they are actually paying in advance for your products or services. This pre-payment can help you boost your cash inflow and generate revenue that you can reinvest in your business.
Generates Customer Loyalty
No doubt, creating gift cards can help build customer trust and loyalty for your Shopify store.
Gift cards offer customers the flexibility to choose products they like, and this personalization can make them feel appreciated and valued. This positive experience can lead to increased customer engagement and encourage repeat business.
In addition to that, gift cards can motivate customers to return to your store and spend more money on your products or services since they would consider purchasing items that they wouldn’t otherwise.
Other than that, gift cards can create a sense of exclusivity in the minds of customers, especially if they are customized products or offers. This exclusivity can make customers feel special, and therefore more loyal to your brand.
Attracts New Customers
Gift cards are often given as presents, and this can introduce new customers to your brand who may not have been aware of your store previously. These new customers may then explore your store and make additional purchases, leading to increased sales and revenue.
Moreover, gift cards can encourage customers to try out a range of products from your store, as they might want to make a purchase when they have a gift card to spend.
Additionally, gift cards can be an effective tool to encourage customer referrals, as satisfied customers may gift cards to their friends and family, creating a viral effect.
Hence, gift cards can help you attract new customers to your store. Also, they may help you expand your customer base, boost brand awareness, and achieve long-term growth in the competitive online marketplace.
Increases Brand Awareness
Creating gift cards can be an effective strategy to increase brand awareness for your Shopify store.
Gift cards serve as mini billboards that promote your brand, and when customers give them as presents, they effectively endorse your products. This endorsement can be powerful, as it introduces new potential customers to your brand who may not have heard of your store previously.
Additionally, gift cards can be customized with your store’s branding, logo, or imagery, further reinforcing your brand identity. When customers use gift cards from your store, they may share their valuable reviews on their social media platforms, which can further lead to brand exposure.
How to Generate a Shopify Gift Card for Your Store?
It isn’t required for an individual to be a pro at the Shopify dashboard or know how to set up gift cards. All you need to do is follow the below-mentioned steps and create a gift card for your store that can be purchased by your customers.
However, please note that the Shopify gift cards are only redeemable through Shopify checkout, and not from any third-party platform like Amazon.
Being said that, let’s get started with creating Shopify gift cards.
Step 1: From your Shopify store’s admin area, click on Products > Gift Cards.
Step 2: Look through the right side of the page. There you’ll find an option named ‘Add gift card product’. Click on it.
Step 3: Next, you need to give the gift card a title and description. Then, click on ‘Add file’ to add an image to the gift card. This way, it will look more appealing to the customers.
Step 4: Now, let’s get down to the ‘Denominations’ section. It shows default values based on your current store’s currency setup.
If you want to customize it, click on the trash icon to remove a variant or you can even add more variants by clicking on ‘Add denomination’.
Step 5: Next, you need to edit the search engine listing preview. To do so, click on ‘Edit’. It will definitely help you boost your store’s SEO ranking.
Step 6: Once you’re done with editing the search engine listing preview, scroll up the page again and find the ‘Product Status’ section on the left corner of the page. Click it as Active.
In the Sales Channels and Apps, you can manage them to make the gift card available for the purpose. Also, you can ‘schedule the availability’ and set a specific publishing date and time.
Step 7: Under the ‘Product Organization’ section, edit them for better results.
In ‘Product Type’, you can set an automated collection or filter products.
In ‘Vendor’, you can enter the manufacturer, wholesaler, or other vendors for the product.
In ‘Collections’, you can add the gift card directly to a collection.
In ‘Tags’, you can enter relevant keywords to improve the experience of customers.
Step 8: When you’re done with it, click on the ‘Save’ button. This way, you can create as many gift cards as you want in your Shopify dashboard.
How to Issue a Gift Card?
You can use a Shopify gift card for many purposes, like offering it as a reward, promotion, or credit instead of a refund.
Please note, when you issue a gift card, you create a code for it and send it to your customer without exchanging any funds.
Now, if that’s clear, let’s get started with the steps to issue a gift card on Shopify!
Step 1: From your Shopify store’s admin area, navigate to Product > Gift Cards.
Step 2: Next, click on ‘Issue a Gift Card’.
Step 3: In the first section, you’ll see ‘Gift card details’. Keep the code section field intact. Next, enter the value of your gift card in the initial field.
Step 4: Now, if you want this gift card to end before a specific date, set an expiry date. Or else, select ‘No expiration date’.
Step 5: In this section, you can find or create a new customer or add an existing customer.
To find an existing customer, click on the search box and write down the name of your existing customer.
Or, you can click on Click on a new customer and enter the details like name, email address, and contact number. Click on the ‘Save’ button at the end.
Step 6: Lastly, you can add a note for yourself to remind the intent of the gift card. This will only be available to you in your store’s admin.
Once you’ve entered all the details, click on ‘Activate’.
This way, you can issue Shopify gift cards for your marketing campaigns and bring more customers to your Shopify store.
Third-Party Apps for Creating Gift Cards on Shopify
If you’re willing to add more features and functionality to your gift cards, you can go for third-party apps. Simply download them from the Shopify App Store and you’re all set to go. Some popular top picks include:
Rise.ai: Gift Cards & Loyalty
Rise.ai is a Gift Cards & Loyalty Shopify app that allows Shopify store owners to easily integrate gift card and loyalty program solutions into their online stores.
With the app, Shopify merchants can create and sell digital gift cards, send gift cards as gifts, and manage the redemption process.
This app is easy to set up and use and provides merchants with a range of customization options to ensure that the gift cards and loyalty programs align with their brand identity.
Giftkart: Gift Card Suite
Giftkart is a Shopify app that provides a comprehensive suite of gift card solutions for online stores. The app offers a range of customization options, allowing merchants to design gift cards that align with their brand identity.
Giftkart is a powerful tool for Shopify merchants looking to offer gift cards to their customers and drive sales through gift card promotions.
ShopKeeper Gift Cards
ShopKeeper Gift Cards is a Shopify app that enables merchants to sell digital gift cards on their online store.
With ShopKeeper Gift Cards, merchants can easily create custom gift card designs, set custom gift card denominations, and manage the gift card redemption process.
In addition, the app offers a range of marketing tools to help merchants promote their gift card program and drive sales.
Gift Card Factory
Gift Card Factory is a Shopify app that enables merchants to create and sell digital gift cards on their online store.
It allows merchants to create gift cards that align with their brand identity and resonate with their customers.
The app is easy to set up and use. Also, it offers a range of customization options and provides tools they need to manage and promote their gift card program.
Tips to Make the Most Out of Shopify Gift Cards
There are several ways that you can take advantage of to promote your products and boost sales eventually with Shopify gift cards. Let’s take a look at some tips to help you get started!
- Create seasonal gift cards to be used during the holiday season.
- Issue a gift card to existing customers on their birthdays.
- Take advantage of popular social media platforms to promote your gift cards.
- Promote your gift cards in your email marketing campaigns.
- Consider cross-selling your gift cards across your Shopify store.
- Boost Shopify gift cards using effective content marketing strategies.
Conclusion
In the end, Shopify gift cards are a perfect solution for promoting your brand. But, in order to bring great results, you need to promote it across different sales channels.
Let’s think from the customer’s point of view. A customer love gift card. And it promotes the idea of purchasing anything in the store. On top of that, Shopify gift cards are a great way to boost your store’s sales and revenue.
So, if you haven’t created a gift card for your store, it is a good time that you to begin with it. Just follow the steps mentioned in the blog and you’re all set to go!
That brings us to the end of the blog. Hope it helps you!
If you’ve certain queries in mind, get in touch with us. We’ll be happy to assist you!
