Frequently asked questions about gift cards

General Questions

Can gift cards be used with Shopify POS?

Yes, if your store is on the Shopify plan or higher, then you can sell and redeem gift cards on Shopify POS.

Can I sell physical gift cards with this feature?

Yes, you can. You can buy physical gift cards from the Shopify Hardware Store in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Ireland, Germany, European Union, and Australia. Learn more about selling physical gift cards.

How can customers access gift cards which were misplaced or never received?

Customers can click Resend gift cards from their order confirmation email. This link will only work if the order has been fulfilled.

What rules apply to gift cards?

Laws and regulations about gift cards vary based on region. To determine any regulations that apply to you, such as whether to charge tax or for how long a gift card must stay valid, consult a local tax or legal expert.

How do I share a gift card on social media?

Social media platforms might allow you to share gift card products by using the link to the product in your online store. Customers can buy a gift card from your online store to receive a gift card code.

Can customers buy gift cards for someone else?

Yes, some themes will support the ability to add recipient information to a gift card. Learn more about adding recipient fields to your gift card product.

Can I add a SKU to each gift card denomination I sell?

Yes, you can. After you create your gift card product, you can edit the product and assign a SKU (stock keeping unit) to each variant. Learn more about adding or updating gift cards.

Issuing Gift Cards

Can gift cards be issued with any initial value?

Gift cards have a maximum value of $9,999.99 USD (or equivalent in your local currency) when issued.

Can I issue a gift card without a customer purchasing it?

Yes, you can. Learn more about issuing gift cards.

Can I issue a gift card as a customer promotion?

Yes, you can issue a gift card without a customer purchasing it (for example, "Here's $10 off your next purchase"). However, any gift cards that are issued create a liability to provide future sales. Depending on your region's laws surrounding gift cards, you might not be allowed to add an expiry date or to limit the way in which the gift card is used. The gift card is reported in your liabilities report.

Alternatively, you can create a discount code for the amount. This allows you to control the amount, use restrictions, and expiry of the promotion.

Can I apply a discount to the purchase of a gift card?

It depends. Most discounts cannot be applied to gift cards. The exception is a product specific discount where the product is a gift card. Learn how to add a discount to a gift card product.

Can online store customers customize the amount for a gift card purchase?

No. In Shopify POS, however, you can enter custom amounts for gift cards that are purchased in person.

If a customer wants to buy a gift card online for an amount that isn't for sale on your online store, then you can instead create a draft order for the amount. After the customer pays, you can then issue a free gift card in that amount to the customer.

Using Gift Cards

Can a gift card be used more than once?

Yes, provided there is still a balance remaining on the card.

Can more than one gift card be used towards a purchase?

Yes. A customer can redeem another gift card during checkout.

Can a gift card be used to buy a gift card?

No, you can't use a gift card to buy another gift card.

Can a gift card be used to pay for shipping and taxes?

Yes, gift cards are applied to the final order total which includes shipping and taxes.

Can gift cards be used in conjunction with a discount code?

Yes, gift cards are a form of payment.

Can a customer pay for an order that includes a subscription with a gift card?

Yes, you can use gift cards to pay for your first payment. However, you can't use your gift card to pay for recurring subscriptions. Learn more about subscriptions.

Can I apply a refund to a gift card?

Yes. If your customer used a gift card to pay for the purchase, then you can apply the refund to the gift card.

If you only refund part of an order that was purchased using a gift card and other methods of payment, then you can manually change the refund amount that is applied to each payment method.

If I refund a gift card, is it automatically disabled?

Yes. If you refund a gift card, then it's automatically disabled. You need to specify the quantity of gift cards that you want to refund, but you don't have to restock them or refund the full amount paid.

Managing gift cards

Can gift cards be reloaded?

Yes, gift cards can be reloaded during the return and exchange process when the original transaction was processed with Shopify Payments.

If Shopify Payments wasn’t used, then the gift card can't be reloaded and a new gift card will need to be issued.

How do customers check their balance?

Customers can check their balance on the gift card page. Alternatively, you can check the balance and send the information to the customer.

Some themes will show the initial value instead of the balance. You can modify this by editing the gift card liquid template

Can I change the gift card image on the gift card page?

Yes, you can. Learn more about customizing gift card images.

Can I customize the gift card redemption code?

No, the 16-character redemption codes are randomized and printed by the gift card manufacturer.

Why can't I see the full gift card code after I issue the card?

Gift card codes are considered currency, so only the customer can see the full gift card code.

Sales channels that support gift cards

Customers can redeem their gift cards on any of your sales channels that use Shopify's checkout:

  • Online store
  • Buy Button
  • Facebook Shop
  • Messenger
  • Shopify POS
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