Selling and Redeeming Gift Cards
About This Course
Transcript
Why it matters
A gift card is not one feature, it is one balance that moves through several different doors: your online store, your front counter, a guest checking out on their own, and you applying a balance to a booking for them. Whether you sell it or a guest buys it themselves, whether it gets redeemed online or you apply it from the trip's Payments tab, it is the exact same card and the exact same balance underneath. Knowing all four paths means you can help a guest wherever they show up, instead of only knowing the one you use most.
What you will learn
- How a guest buys a gift card themselves from your online store, choosing a design, an amount, and a recipient.
- How to sell a gift card directly to a guest over the phone or at the counter, using the exact same design-amount-recipient flow.
- How to sell a pre-printed physical gift card by entering its printed code manually instead of letting TripWorks generate one.
- How a guest redeems a gift card themselves at online checkout with Apply a Gift Card.
- How to apply a gift card to a booking for a guest from the trip's Payments tab.
Prerequisites
- Gift cards enabled on your account (Gift Card Settings).
- At least one active gift card design if you plan to sell or show a guest the design picker.
Buying a gift card online
On your online store, a guest selects Buy a Gift Card, picks a design from the style grid, and chooses an amount -- one of your preset amounts or a custom amount between ten and five thousand dollars. They enter their own contact details plus the recipient's name, then pay. The card goes out by email as a Gift Card Purchase confirmation, with a printable PDF attached if you have that set up.
Selling a gift card directly
To sell a gift card yourself, go to Gift Cards and select Sell a Gift Card. It is the same design, amount, and recipient flow a guest uses online, and you take payment the same way you would for any other sale -- cash, a card reader, or a card on file.
Selling a physical, pre-printed gift card
If you stock pre-printed physical cards at the counter, TripWorks tracks those too. Instead of letting the system generate a code, enter the card's printed code manually at the sale, and TripWorks tracks its balance and redemptions from that point on exactly like any other gift card.
Redeeming a gift card online
Guests can redeem a gift card themselves at checkout by opening Apply a Gift Card and entering the code. The balance comes off the total, and a credit card covers anything left over. Gift cards redeem for experiences only, not for buying another gift card, and if the balance does not fully cover an online order, the guest finishes the rest with a card.
Applying a gift card to a booking
You can apply a gift card for a guest just as easily. Open the trip, go to Payments, start a new payment, and choose Gift Card. Find the card by its code, enter the amount to apply, and select Apply Gift Card. That amount comes off the card's balance and posts to the trip with no processing fee, and whatever is left stays on the card for the guest's next order.
Common mistakes
- Assuming online redemption can cover a partial balance and finish free. If the gift card balance does not cover the full order online, the guest still needs a card for the remainder -- gift cards do not create a partial-payment hold by themselves online.
- Generating a new code for a card that is already printed. A pre-printed physical card needs its own printed code entered manually at the sale, not a system-generated one, or the printed card in the guest's hand will not match the balance on file.
- Forgetting gift cards only cover experiences. A guest cannot use a gift card balance to buy another gift card.
Expected final result
Whether a guest bought it online, you sold it at the counter, or it started life as a pre-printed card, the balance lives on one gift card record. A guest can redeem it themselves at checkout, or you can apply it to a booking from the trip's Payments tab -- either way, the remaining balance stays on the card for next time.
FAQ
Can a guest buy a gift card themselves online?
Yes. On your online store, a guest selects Buy a Gift Card, chooses a design and an amount between ten and five thousand dollars, and pays -- the card is emailed as a purchase confirmation.
How do I sell a gift card over the phone or at the counter?
Go to Gift Cards and select Sell a Gift Card. It uses the same design, amount, and recipient flow a guest uses online, and you take payment the same way you would for any other sale.
Can I sell a pre-printed physical gift card?
Yes. Enter the card's printed code manually at the sale instead of letting TripWorks generate one, and TripWorks tracks its balance and redemptions from that point on like any other gift card.
How does a guest redeem a gift card at checkout?
The guest opens Apply a Gift Card at checkout and enters the code. The balance comes off the total, and a credit card covers anything left over.
How do I apply a gift card to a booking for a guest?
Open the trip, go to Payments, start a new payment, and choose Gift Card. Find the card by its code, enter the amount to apply, and select Apply Gift Card.
Related lessons
- Creating a Booking
- Gift Card Styles, Expiration, and Reloading (coming soon)
Learn more
Transcript
Gift cards work the same way no matter who is buying or redeeming one -- a guest on your website, a guest on the phone, or you at the counter.
On your online store, a guest picks Buy a Gift Card, chooses a design, and picks an amount -- one of your preset options or a custom amount between ten and five thousand dollars. They add their own contact details and the recipient's name, then pay. The card goes out by email as a Gift Card Purchase confirmation, with a printable PDF attached if you have set that up.
To sell a gift card directly, go to Gift Cards and select Sell a Gift Card. It is the exact same design-amount-recipient flow the guest uses online, and you take payment the same way you would for any other sale.
If you stock pre-printed physical cards at the counter, TripWorks tracks those too. Instead of letting the system generate a code, enter the card's printed code manually at the sale, and TripWorks tracks its balance and redemptions from that point on exactly like any other gift card.
Guests can redeem a gift card themselves at checkout by opening Apply a Gift Card and entering the code. The balance comes off the total, and a credit card covers anything left over. Gift cards redeem for experiences only, not for buying another gift card, and if the balance does not fully cover an online order, the guest finishes the rest with a card.
You can apply a gift card for a guest just as easily. Open the trip, go to Payments, start a new payment, and choose Gift Card. Find the card by its code, enter the amount to apply, and select Apply Gift Card. That amount comes off the card's balance and posts to the trip, with no processing fee, and whatever is left stays on the card for the guest's next order.