RepairDesk allows users to issue gift cards to customers, so that they may be able to pay for a repair using the card instead of cash. This feature is designed to create gift cards directly from the POS that your customers can then redeem in the future

This guide will walk you through on how to quickly set up the Gift Card module and explain its many features

To learn more, please watch the video below

Steps to enable the Gift Card module

From the Store Settings screen, select Gift Cards on the left-hand menu to be taken to the Gift Card page.

Here, you can use the Enable Gift Card button to turn on the feature.

From the settings screen, you can set the expiry date for any gift cards you issue if you'd like your gift cards to expire after a certain period of time.

Note: The expiry date will be calculated from the date when the gift card is sold.

You can tweak the following settings on the Gift Card page:

Redeem Gift Cards At Other Store Locations
If this option is enabled, your customers will be able to redeem gift cards issued to them at any store location.

Charge Tax on Gift Cards
If this option is enabled, the default tax class will be applied on gift cards.

Once you've completed the setup process and clicked the Save Changes button, you are ready to add and sell gift cards to your system.

How to add gift cards

Once you have set up the module successfully, the Gift Cards tab will be visible on the POS. Here, you can add a new gift card and sell them.

By clicking on the Add Gift Card button, the following pop-up appears, allowing you to add a new gift card.

 

On this pop-up, enter a Gift Card Number manually or by scanning an existing gift card. Set the value of the gift card and the date it's been added into the system which will populate automatically. You can also click on Generate to assign a set of random numbers to your gift cards.

Gift cards can also be added to the system from the Manage Gift Cards section under Inventory as shown below.

Once the gift card has been added, its status will be marked as Inactive till the gift card is sold. When the gift card is sold from the POS, its status will be marked as Active.

How to sell gift cards

In order to sell a gift card from the POS, you will first have to select an existing customer or create a new one to whom the gift card is being sold.

Note: It is mandatory to select a customer when selling a gift card.

Steps to sell a gift card:

1. Select a customer from the POS screen.
2. Add a gift card from the POS screen to the cart.
3. When you're done, click the Checkout button.
4. Proceed to the payment screen as usual and collect your payment through any payment method.

As soon as the gift card is sold to a customer, its status will be marked as Active and it will disappear from the list of available gift cards from the POS. A regular invoice will also be created for the gift card sold.

You can keep track of the value of the gift cards issued and redeemed by a customer from the View Customers page, as well as from the Manage Gift Cards page.

How to redeem gift cards

Gift Cards can be redeemed by any customer, provided that they have the gift card number or the physical card, if issued.

To redeem a gift card, proceed with adding items to the cart as normal and click on the Checkout button. On the Payment screen, you will see the option titled Gift Card as a payment method. Select this option and add the gift card number in the reference field. You can also scan the gift card to add the gift card number directly on the Checkout screen.

After entering the gift card number, click on green checkmark button to verify the gift card and add the amount that you want include in the payment. When all is done, click on Confirm to have the payment processed. The gift card's status will then be marked as Partially Redeemed or Redeemed, depending on your payment status.

Gift card inquiry and reloading

RepairDesk allows you to reload a gift card or share a gift card's balance with your customers upon their inquiry. From the POS screen, click on the Action button, and then click on the Gift Card Inquiry button.

A pop-up window will appear which will ask you to enter the gift card number. Enter the number manually or scan it with a barcode reader, and click on Search Card Number.

The system should now display your card's details in the pop-up window.

If your gift card has a balance of zero, you'll see a button titled Add Funds to Gift Card. This button will only show when your gift card balance is zero. By clicking on it, you'll have the option to add an amount to the gift card. Enter the amount you would like and click Save.

The gift card will now be recharged with the amount you've entered, and its status will change to Reloaded. A new invoice will be created on the same gift card when the process is complete.

Note: Only cards which are active and have a zero balance amount will be reloaded. You will not be able to reload cards that have expired.

Gift card roles and permissions

The Gift Cards module has its own set of permissions in the Roles and Permissions section in your Store Settings.

Employees who have these permissions will be able to use the module according to the settings. Options for the settings include the following:

• Enable/disable module
• Set expiry date
• Sell Gift Card
• Redeem Gift Card
• Refund Gift Card

Gift cards report

We have a dedicated report for the Gift Cards module available in the Reports section of RepairDesk. This report will help you to keep track of how your gift cards are being issued and redeemed. It will also help you to maintain a history of which cards have been issued and redeemed by customers.

FAQs

Q. How can I print a gift card?
A. You can print a gift card by going to Manage Gift Cards, looking up the gift card you'd like to print and clicking the Action button, and selecting Print.

Q. Which printer can I use to print gift cards?
A. Gift cards can be printed through receipt printers only, and you can print gift cards through any receipt printer. Also, the gift card print template is editable, and you can edit it from the Template Editor in your Store Settings.

Q. Can I import/export data for gift cards?
A. You can export the existing records and import gift card data in an Excel sheet to your RepairDesk account.

Q. Is it possible to generate serials against gift cards?
A. Yes. Serials can be generated for gift cards from the Add Gift Cards pop-up window. By clicking on the Generate button, a random number will be created for the gift card which can be used as the gift card number.

Q. Can my customers redeem gift cards that are expired?
A. No. It is not possible to redeem the gift cards that are expired.

Q. Can my customers track their gift card history through the Customer Portal?
A. No. Currently, it is not possible for your customers to track their gift card redemption history through the Customer Portal. However, we are planning to add this feature in the near future.

Q. Can I sell gift cards from the "Manage Invoices" section?
A. No. Currently, it is not possible to sell gift cards from the Manage Invoices section. However, we will make this possible for our users in the near future.

Q. Can I give line item discounts on gift cards?
A. No. Line item discounts will not work for gift cards.

Q. Can I redeem gift cards for any customer, regardless of whether they bought the gift card?
A. Yes. Gift cards can be issued to one customer and redeemed by another customer without any trouble.

Q. Is it possible to refund a gift card once it's been issued?
A. A gift card issued to a customer can only be refunded if the card hasn't been redeemed. Payments processed using a gift card can only be refunded through cash. The refunded gift card will automatically be added back to your Inventory and marked as Inactive. However, if you don’t want to add the gift card back to the Inventory, please uncheck the Add gift card back to inventory box when issuing the refund.



To learn more about the refund process, please read our Knowledge Base article here.

Q. Do customers receive any automated email or SMS for a gift card?
A. Yes. Customers can receive an automated email and SMS when a gift card has been issued, redeemed or refunded.

Q. Will customers earn any loyalty points on purchasing gift cards?
A. That depends on the trigger that we have added in loyalty settings as shown below. By default the trigger will be OFF and loyalty will not be issued

Q. Can store credits be issued when a gift card is refunded?
A. Yes. You can issue store credits to customers when refunding the payment for a gift card.

Q. Does the Gift Card module work on the iPad POS Register app?
A. Yes you can sell, redeem and refund gift cards using iPad POS Register. To learn how to do this, please read the knowledge base article.

Q. Can I generate multiple gift cards with the same value?

A. From the Add Gift Cards pop-up on POS and customers, details view section, you can generate multiple gift cards with the same value as shown below 

By clicking on generate multiple cards, you will get the following pop-up where you can enter the number of cards to generate and their cummulative value.

By clicking on generate, the relevant gift cards will be generated

You can also scan the gift card to change the gift card serial number.

A. While selling a gift card, when the card is added to cart, you will get the link to add recipient as shown below.

Also, you can inquire about the balance against these gift cards and reload them using the same process as described above.