Gift cards bring in sales before the product ships and bring new customers through the people who receive them. This guide is for Shopify store owners: how gift cards work, how to set them up, how to make the gift card email look like your brand and how to avoid the problems that confuse customers. If you are a customer trying to use or check a gift card, jump to the note below.
500+
Projects completed
98%
Client satisfaction
50+
Team experts
Looking for a gift card you received? Shopify itself does not hold your balance. A gift card belongs to the store that sold it, so please contact that store, or use the link in the gift card email, to check the balance or redeem it.
For store owners, gift cards are one of the simplest ways to bring in cash early and reach new buyers. A customer buys a gift card for a friend, the friend visits your store, and you gain a customer you did not pay to acquire. Gift cards are also popular around festivals and gifting seasons.
The feature is built in, but a few details decide whether it works well: whether the gift card page is easy to find, whether the email looks like your brand, whether customers understand how to redeem it and whether your team knows how to handle problems.
Fixed amounts and, where you want, custom amounts, with a clear product page that explains how the gift card works.
The email the recipient receives, edited so it looks like your brand and explains how to redeem the card.
A short explanation on the product page and in the email, so recipients know where to enter the code.
Links from the menu, footer and checkout-adjacent pages so shoppers can find gift cards easily.
Banners, emails and social posts for gifting seasons, with simple offers that do not hurt margins.
A plain process for lost codes, balance queries and bookkeeping, agreed with your accountant.
A gift card is created as a special product in your admin. When someone buys it, Shopify generates a code and sends it by email to the buyer or to the recipient, depending on how the gift card is bought. The recipient enters the code at checkout and the balance reduces as they spend. You can also issue gift cards manually, for example as a replacement for a returned order or a customer-service gesture.
Availability of gift cards, and how they can be sold, depends on your Shopify plan and region, and Shopify changes its features over time. Please check the Shopify Help Center for what applies to your store.
In the Shopify admin, you add gift card products in the products area, choose the denominations you want to offer and add a clear title, description and image. You then preview and edit the gift card notification email, which is a template you can customise to match your brand. Test by buying a small gift card yourself, redeeming it on a test order and confirming the balance behaves as expected.
If you want a gift card page that looks more designed than the default, we can customise the product page and the email template for you, working on a duplicate theme so your live store stays safe.
The email is often the first thing a recipient sees from your brand. It should show your logo, a short friendly message, the amount, the code and one clear button to start shopping. Keep it simple, test it on phone and desktop, and check that the code is easy to copy. A gift email that looks like a generic receipt wastes the moment.
Put gift cards in the main menu in the weeks before festivals and gifting dates. Offer a few clear amounts that match your product price points. Add a short line about when and how the recipient can use it. Mention gift cards in post-purchase emails, because happy customers are likely to gift. Avoid heavy bonus offers unless you have checked margins, since a bonus changes how much you effectively discount.
Rules around gift card expiry, refunds and tax treatment depend on where you sell and what the card can be used for. In India, how gift cards or vouchers are treated for GST is a question for your accountant. We do not give tax advice, but we can help you set up the store to match whatever policy you decide with your accountant and legal adviser.
Customers who cannot find where to enter the code, emails that land in spam, recipients who delete the email and ask for the code again, and confusion about whether the balance can be used with discount codes. Most of these are solved by clear wording on the product page, a branded email with a simple button, a short help page and a clear process for your support team.
Tell us about your business and we will suggest the right approach and a clear quote. No obligation.
Gift card availability and any related fees are set by Shopify and your plan, so check shopify.com and the Shopify Help Center. Our setup work is quoted in writing after seeing your store, and depends on:
Related: Shopify store development cost, Shopify theme customization, email marketing services, or request a custom quote.
The website developed by Javedify gave our business a strong online presence. It looks modern, loads fast, and works perfectly on mobile devices.
Javedify built a professional website for our company that perfectly represents our brand. The design is clean, modern, and easy for visitors to navigate.
Their SEO service significantly improved our Google rankings and increased website traffic. We started receiving more inquiries in a short time.
Plan, region, theme and current setup.
Amounts, wording and where gift cards appear.
Product page, email template and placement on a duplicate theme.
Buy, receive, redeem and check the balance.
Go live and plan the first campaign.
Shopify gift cards belong to the store that issued them. Use the link in the gift card email or contact the store for the balance and redemption help.
You add gift card products in the Shopify admin, choose denominations and edit the gift card email. Availability depends on your plan and region, so check the Shopify Help Center.
Yes. The gift card notification is a template that can be edited to match your brand. We can do this for you.
Yes. Store owners can issue gift cards from the admin, for example as a goodwill gesture or a replacement for a return.
Rules on expiry depend on where you sell and your store settings. Check local rules and the Shopify Help Center, and take advice from your accountant or legal adviser.
That is a question for your accountant. We do not give tax advice, but we can set up your store to match your agreed policy.
Yes. We customise the product page and email template on a duplicate theme, test it and publish after your approval.
They can bring in early cash and new customers through recipients, but results depend on your products, pricing and promotion. We do not promise a specific result.
Leave your number and our team will call you back with a clear scope, timeline and quote.