Looking to increase sales in your online store without significant investment? Gift cards might be the perfect solution.
They serve as more than just store credit; they attract new customers while encouraging existing ones to continue shopping with you.
Having developed numerous online stores with WooCommerce and explored various gift card solutions, we have identified the best plugin for this purpose through extensive testing.
In this comprehensive guide, we will walk you through the process of integrating gift cards into your WooCommerce store, turning them into a consistent revenue stream.
What Is an Advanced Gift Card?
An advanced gift card offers more than the standard store credit functionality found in traditional gift cards.
While regular gift cards function as digital currency for your WooCommerce store, advanced gift cards provide additional features such as customizable designs, scheduled delivery, partial redemption, and detailed tracking options.
For your WordPress website, these advanced features elevate a basic store credit system into a robust marketing and sales instrument.
Whether you are selling physical products or digital downloads on WordPress, advanced gift cards enhance the shopping experience, making it more professional and flexible.
These enhanced gift cards are perfect for special occasions such as birthdays, holidays, and anniversaries, giving your customers greater flexibility in choosing how and when to deliver their gifts.
Additionally, they offer valuable tracking insights that can help you grow your email list in WordPress and turn first-time gift card recipients into loyal customers.
For online retailers aiming to broaden their audience, advanced gift cards are an effective marketing tool that can introduce your brand to new customers while enhancing the shopping experience for existing ones.
Now that you understand what an advanced gift card is, let’s explore how to implement them in WooCommerce. You can use the quick links below to navigate through this tutorial:
- Step 1: Install the Advanced Coupons Plugin and the Advanced Gift Cards Add-on
- Step 2: Create Your First Advanced Gift Card
- Step 3: Personalize the Advanced Gift Cards Email
- Bonus: How to Create a Free Gift Coupon in WooCommerce
- Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Step 1: Install the Advanced Coupons Plugin and the Advanced Gift Cards Add-on
The simplest way to add advanced gift cards in WooCommerce is by using the free Advanced Coupons plugin along with the premium Advanced Gift Cards add-on.
To create gift cards, you must have both the Advanced Coupons plugin and the gift card addon installed, as the addon relies on the core plugin to function properly.
Advanced Coupons is the leading coupon code plugin for WordPress, designed to help you create effective coupons that enhance sales and grow your business. We have frequently utilized it in our WordPress tutorials.
For additional details, please refer to our comprehensive review of Advanced Coupons.
Important Note:This guide is based on the free version of the Advanced Coupons plugin. However, to enable gift card creation, you will need to purchase the premium Advanced Gift Cards for WooCommerce addon.
Here is an example of a gift certificate created using the Advanced Gift Cards for WooCommerce addon.
When a customer purchases a gift card, WordPress will automatically send them an email containing a unique coupon code that can be redeemed in your eCommerce store.
Upon purchasing a gift card, WooCommerce will send the customer an email with a unique coupon code for use in your online store.
To create and sell virtual gift cards, start by installing and activating the free Advanced Coupons plugin. If you need assistance, check out our beginner’s guide on installing a WordPress plugin.
Next, you will also need to install the Advanced Gift Cards for WooCommerce addon.
To begin using the Advanced Gift Cards add-on, first activate it by entering your license key. This key can be found in the purchase confirmation email you received when you bought the add-on.
Alternatively, you can retrieve this key by logging into your Advanced Coupons account. Once logged in, navigate to ‘View Licenses’ to find it.
Simply copy the key displayed in the ‘License key’ field. If you have purchased other plugins or add-ons from Advanced Coupons, ensure you are using the correct license key for the Advanced Gift Cards add-on.
Once you have your key, go to the Coupons » License section in your WordPress dashboard.
Scroll down to the Advanced Gift Cards License Activation area. Here, paste your license key into the ‘License key’ field.
Next, enter the email address associated with your purchase of the Advanced Gift Cards add-on, and click the ‘Activate Key’ button.
Step 2: Create Your First Advanced Gift Card
You are now set to create gift cards for your customers. To begin, navigate to the Products » Add New section in your WordPress admin sidebar.
Start by entering a title for your gift card in the ‘Product name’ field. This title is prominently displayed at the top of the product page, making it one of the first things customers notice.
Next, provide a detailed description for your gift card in the text editor located beneath the ‘Product Name’ option. A compelling and informative description can significantly boost your sales.
After that, navigate to the ‘Product Categories’ section.
Product categories enable your customers to easily find related items on your WordPress site, which can enhance your sales and increase revenue.
To assign this gift card to a category, simply check the corresponding box.
Alternatively, you can create a new category, such as a dedicated Gift Card section, where customers can explore all your available cards. For detailed instructions, refer to our guide on adding categories in WordPress.
Once you’ve done that, scroll down to the Product Data section and select ‘Simple product’ from the dropdown menu at the top.
Then, click on the new ‘Advanced Gift Card’ option. WooCommerce will display all the settings available for creating your new gift card.
In the ‘Regular price’ field, enter the price at which you want to sell this gift card.
💡Helpful Tip:Allow customers to select their own gift card amount by leaving the ‘Regular price’ field empty. This will create a new input field on the product page where customers can enter their desired amount.
When a customer purchases this gift card, the plugin will automatically generate a unique coupon code. Customers can then use this code at checkout, just like any other discount code.
In the Gift Card Value field, enter the amount that will be credited to the customer’s account when they redeem this coupon. This amount typically matches the gift card’s Regular Price.
💡Helpful Tip:You can create enticing promotions by setting the ‘Regular price’ lower than the ‘Gift Card Value’. For instance, sell a gift card worth $100 for just $90, which can effectively boost sales.
By default, Advanced Gift Cards will send the card to the buyer’s email address. However, gift cards are often intended for others, such as friends, family, or loved ones.
To accommodate this, consider providing customers with the option to send the gift card to a different email address during the checkout process, as shown in the following image.
To enable this option for your customers, simply check the ‘Giftable’ box.
When this option is selected, the gift card email containing the code is sent directly to the recipient, while the original purchaser receives the standard purchase receipt.
Customers now have the flexibility to choose whether to send the gift card to their own email address or to a different recipient’s email.
Upon purchasing a gift card, the plugin automatically sends an email to the customer with their coupon code along with relevant information about your store.
Advanced Gift Cards offers a variety of pre-designed templates that can be added to these emails, as shown in the screenshot below.
To select one of these email templates, navigate to the Gift Card Design section and click on any of the available designs.
To see a preview of how your emails will appear, simply click the Preview Gift Card Email button.
This action will open a popup displaying how your email will look with the selected design.
Alternatively, you can upload a custom image of your choice. For instance, you might create a thank-you image using web design software that showcases your store’s unique branding.
To upload your own image, click on the ‘Select image’ button.
This will open the WordPress media library, where you can either select an existing image or upload a new one for your gift voucher from your computer.
Next, review the additional settings available, but the essentials for creating WooCommerce gift cards are covered.
Before finalizing your gift card, consider personalizing the email that will be sent to each customer who purchases it.
With that in mind, click the Save Draft button to keep your gift card saved without making it live on your online store.
Step 3: Personalize the Advanced Gift Cards Email
When a customer purchases a digital gift card, they will receive an email containing instructions on how to redeem their card.
You might want to tailor this email to better reflect your brand and include any specific messaging. Additionally, consider adding any details that are not included in the default email.
To modify this email, navigate to the WooCommerce » Settings section in the WordPress admin dashboard and select the ‘Emails’ tab at the top.
On this page, scroll down to locate the ‘Advanced Gift Card’ email option.
Then, click the ‘Manage’ button next to it.
You will now see the template that Advanced Gift Cards uses for all outgoing emails.
Begin by editing the email header and subject line.
You can enter simple text in these fields, and WooCommerce will use this text for all gift card emails.
Additionally, you can incorporate dynamic text, which automatically updates based on variables like the gift card value or expiration date.
Using dynamic text can enhance the usefulness and engagement of your emails. To view all available dynamic text options, hover over the ‘?’ icon next to the field.
A popup will display all the various dynamic text options you can use in that field.
You can then enter this dynamic text into the field, and WooCommerce will take care of the rest.
You can also combine plain text and dynamic text, as illustrated in the following image.
If you want to add more information to the default email, simply type it into the ‘Additional content’ box. This text will appear below the main email content.
As mentioned earlier, the ‘Additional content’ box allows both plain and dynamic text. To see the dynamic text options available for your additional content, hover over the ‘?’ icon.
Once you are satisfied with your email, remember to click the ‘Save changes’ button to save your settings.
Ensure that all emails sent from your WooCommerce store reach the recipient’s inbox instead of the spam folder.
The most effective way to achieve this is by utilizing an SMTP service provider to enhance email deliverability. For further information, refer to our guide on resolving WordPress email sending issues.
We suggest starting with the free WP Mail SMTP plugin.
💡Expert Insight:At CanadaCreate, we use WP Mail SMTP on many of our websites. It is crucial for ensuring that important emails, such as gift card notifications and order confirmations, consistently arrive in the inbox.
If you’re interested in learning more about our experience, check out our comprehensive WP Mail SMTP review.
After setting up your emails, you’re all set to start selling your gift card.
To publish your gift card product, navigate to the Products » All Products page. Locate the gift card we created earlier and click the ‘Edit’ button.
Then, proceed to publish your gift card by clicking the ‘Publish’ button. This gift card will now be visible in your WooCommerce store, ready for customers to purchase.
Bonus: How to Create a Free Gift Coupon in WooCommerce
Now that you understand how to sell gift cards, let’s explore another fantastic way to utilize them. You can provide free gift coupons to reward loyal customers or attract new ones, particularly during the holiday season.
For instance, you might offer a gift coupon when a customer spends a certain amount in your store or purchases a specific product.
This strategy can enhance your revenue, increase the average order value, and motivate customers to return to your store.
To implement this, you will need the Advanced Coupons plugin. Once activated, navigate to the Marketing » Coupons page and click the ‘Add Coupon’ button.
This will direct you to a new page where you can input the coupon details as you prefer. Afterward, click the ‘Generate Coupon Code’ button to create a code that customers will use to redeem the free gift.
Next, scroll down to the ‘Coupon Data’ section and switch to the ‘Add Products’ tab.
Here, you can specify the product that will be given to customers when they enter the gift coupon. Once you are finished, don’t forget to click the ‘Publish’ button at the top to save your settings.
For more detailed guidance, check out our tutorial on how to create a free gift coupon in WooCommerce.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Having assisted numerous users in setting up their WooCommerce stores, we frequently address questions regarding gift cards. Here are some of the most common inquiries we receive.
Is it possible to offer gift cards with various price options?
Absolutely! You can provide multiple gift card values such as $25, $50, and $100 by creating a Variable Product in WooCommerce and setting it up as an Advanced Gift Card.
This feature allows customers to select an amount that suits their budget.
Can customers apply gift cards to taxes and shipping fees?
Yes, the gift card balance is deducted from the total cart amount during checkout. This total includes the cost of products, along with any applicable taxes and shipping fees.
Do WooCommerce gift cards come with an expiration date?
The Advanced Gift Cards plugin allows you to set an expiration date for your gift cards.
You can adjust this in the coupon settings, or leave it blank for an indefinite validity period.
How can I monitor the gift cards I have sold?
You can oversee and track all issued gift cards by navigating toWooCommerce » Gift Cardsin your WordPress dashboard. This section displays each card’s balance, recipient information, and usage history.
What should a customer do if they lose their gift card email?
No worries! You can quickly locate the customer’s order from the gift card management screen in your WordPress admin and resend the gift card email with just a few clicks.
We hope this article has helped you learn how to easily implement advanced gift cards in WooCommerce. You might also want to explore our guide on creating a WooCommerce popup to boost sales and discover the best WooCommerce plugins for your store.
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