Voucher
A voucher is a prepaid document that a customer exchanges for goods, a service or a set amount of money. Gift vouchers are bought by one person and used by another, so they often bring a new customer through the door already paid for.
What a voucher is
Vouchers come in two main forms. A value voucher holds an amount, such as €50, that is spent down. A service voucher names what it buys, such as a massage or a set number of entries. Paper vouchers still exist, but digital ones arrive by email, can be saved to the phone and are checked at the till by code. In Rewardly, vouchers are sold online through the business's own Stripe account, Rewardly takes no commission on the sales, and they come with the Professional plan.
How it works for a café, salon or restaurant
- A café sells a coffee pass for a set number of drinks, and the remaining uses show on the customer's card.
- A salon sells gift vouchers before Christmas and Mother's Day, when people look for something to give.
- A restaurant offers a dinner voucher as a present, redeemed at the table when the guest pays.
What to watch
A sold voucher is money owed to the customer until it is used, so keep track of what is outstanding. Check the tax rules in your country, since some vouchers are taxed when sold and others when used. And make redemption easy for staff, because a voucher that is awkward to accept leaves a poor last impression.
Posts that use this term
- The 10 Best Gift Voucher Tools for Restaurants and Salons Compared for 2026
- How to sell more gift vouchers online: where to promote, which amounts, when
- How to sell Christmas gift vouchers: a six week plan for local businesses
- Digital voucher: what it is and how it works from purchase to redemption
- Gift voucher template or selling online: which do you need?