Gift card
A gift card is a prepaid card loaded with credit that someone spends at a business, often bought as a present for someone else. The credit goes down with each purchase until it is used up.
What a gift card is
Gift cards started as plastic cards and paper certificates; today most small businesses sell them online. The buyer pays upfront, the business receives the money at once, and the person who gets the card comes in later to spend it. In Rewardly, gift cards are sold through the business's own Stripe account with no commission, buyers can pick a preset amount or their own within your range, and the card arrives in the wallet with the remaining balance shown. They come with the Professional plan.
How it works for a café, salon or restaurant
- A café sells gift cards before Christmas as an easy present for coffee lovers.
- A salon sells them for birthdays, and the buyer sends one straight to the recipient with a message.
- A restaurant offers a dinner gift card that a couple can spend over several visits.
What to watch
Credit on a sold gift card is still owed to the customer, so keep track of what is outstanding. Rewardly sells one gift card at a time, so plan seasonal designs by updating it rather than running several. And train staff to accept them smoothly, because the person spending a gift card is often a new customer.
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