Gift Card Styles, Expiration, and Reloading
About This Course
Transcript
Why it matters
Selling a gift card is only the start. Once your program is running, you decide what a card looks like, whether it ever expires, and how a guest adds more value to one they already have. Getting these settings right up front means fewer support questions later and a smoother experience for the guest holding the card.
What you will learn
- How to add and manage gift card styles (design templates) under Setup, Get Paid, Gift Cards.
- How to set a default or featured design so guests see it first at checkout.
- How to turn on an expiration policy and choose how many years a card stays valid, or leave cards from ever expiring.
- What happens when a gift card reaches its expiration date, and how to reactivate one.
- How to reload more balance onto a gift card a guest already has.
Prerequisites
- Gift cards enabled on your account (Gift Card Settings).
- Admin access to Setup, Get Paid, Gift Cards.
Gift card styles
Gift card styles are the designs a guest picks from when they buy a card. Add as many as you like under Setup, Get Paid, Gift Cards -- give each one a name, upload your own artwork, and mark it Active to put it in front of guests. Set one as your default or featured design, and it is the first one guests see at checkout. A design that is in use cannot be deleted; set it inactive instead so existing cards keep their artwork.
Setting an expiration policy
You decide whether gift cards expire at all. In Gift Card Settings, turn on Set an Initial Expiration Date and choose how many years a card stays valid. Leave the toggle off and your gift cards never expire -- this is the default.
Expired cards and reactivating one
When a card reaches its expiration date, TripWorks marks it Expired and its balance can no longer be redeemed. A nightly process is what actually flips a card's status once its expiration date has passed. From there, you can reactivate an expired card at any time, and its expiration moves forward by the same number of years configured in Gift Card Settings, ready to use again.
Reloading a gift card
A guest does not need a new card to add more funds -- reload the one they already have. Open the card, select Reload, and enter the amount to add, either a preset amount or a custom one. Collect payment for it, and the new balance is ready to spend right away, on top of whatever the card already had.
Common mistakes
- Deleting a design that is still in use. A style used by existing cards cannot be deleted -- mark it inactive instead so those cards keep their artwork while new guests no longer see it as an option.
- Assuming a reload is usable before payment is collected. The added balance is not available to spend until payment for the reload has actually been collected.
- Expecting an expired card to reactivate with the original expiration date. Reactivating moves the expiration forward by the configured number of years from reactivation, not back to the original date.
Expected final result
Your gift card program reflects the designs you want guests to see, expires cards on the schedule you choose (or never), and lets you bring an expired card back to life or top up an existing one without issuing something new.
FAQ
How do I add a new gift card design?
Go to Setup, Get Paid, Gift Cards, add a new style, give it a name, upload your artwork, and mark it Active.
Do gift cards expire?
Only if you turn on Set an Initial Expiration Date in Gift Card Settings and choose a number of years. Leave it off and gift cards never expire.
Can I reactivate an expired gift card?
Yes. Reactivating an expired card moves its expiration forward by the same number of years configured in Gift Card Settings.
How do I add more balance to a gift card a guest already has?
Open the card, select Reload, enter the amount to add, and collect payment. The new balance is available once payment is collected.
Related lessons
- Selling and Redeeming Gift Cards
Learn more
Transcript
Once your gift card program is up and running, you can shape how those cards look, how long they last, and how guests add more value to one they already have.
Gift card styles are the designs a guest picks from when they buy a card. Add as many as you like under Setup, Get Paid, Gift Cards -- give each one a name, upload your own artwork, and mark it Active to put it in front of guests. Set one as your default or featured design, and it is the first one guests see at checkout.
You decide whether gift cards expire at all. Turn on Set an Initial Expiration Date in Gift Card Settings and choose how many years a card stays valid. Leave it off and your gift cards never expire.
When a card does reach its expiration date, TripWorks marks it Expired and its balance can no longer be redeemed. Reactivate an expired card any time, and its expiration moves forward by the same number of years you have configured, ready to use again.
A guest does not need a new card to add more funds -- reload the one they already have. Open the card, select Reload, and enter the amount to add. Collect payment for it, and the new balance is ready to spend right away, on top of whatever the card already had.