Gift cards are a popular option for online shoppers, and as an e-commerce store owner, offering gift cards as a payment option can be a great way to increase sales and customer loyalty. However, managing gift cards can be a bit of a challenge. Fortunately, WooCommerce makes it easy to create, sell, and manage gift cards on your online store. In this article, we’ll explore the different ways to manage gift cards in WooCommerce.
Table of Contents
Why Offer Gift Cards?
First, let’s talk about why you should offer gift cards on your online store. Here are some benefits of offering gift cards:
- Increased sales: Gift cards can attract new customers and encourage existing customers to spend more on your store.
- Customer loyalty: Offering gift cards can be a great way to reward loyal customers and encourage repeat business.
- Easy to sell: Gift cards can be sold directly on your online store, making it easy for customers to purchase them.
- Flexible payment option: Gift cards can be used to pay for part or all of an order, giving customers more flexibility in how they pay.
Overall, offering gift cards can be a win-win for both you and your customers.
Creating Gift Cards in WooCommerce
To create gift cards in WooCommerce, you’ll need to install and activate a WooCommerce-compatible gift card plugin. There are several plugins available, such as YITH WooCommerce Gift Cards and Gift Up!, but we’ll focus on the WooCommerce Gift Cards plugin in this article.
Once you’ve installed and activated the plugin, you can create gift cards by going to WooCommerce > Gift Cards in your WordPress dashboard. From there, you can add a new gift card product, set the gift card amount, and configure the options for the gift card.
You can also customize the design of your gift cards by editing the gift card email and template files. This can help make your gift cards feel more branded and personalized.
Selling Gift Cards in WooCommerce
Once you’ve created your gift cards, you can start selling them on your online store. To do so, you’ll need to add the gift card product to your store and make it available for purchase.
To add the gift card product, go to WooCommerce > Products in your WordPress dashboard. From there, add a new product and select "Gift Card" as the product type. Then, configure the product details as you would for any other product, such as the price, description, and product image.
Once the gift card product is live on your store, customers can purchase it just like any other product. They’ll receive an email with the gift card code, which they can use to redeem the gift card later.
Managing Gift Cards in WooCommerce
Now that you’re selling gift cards on your store, you’ll need to manage them effectively. Here are some tips for managing gift cards in WooCommerce:
1. Keep track of gift card codes
Make sure you keep track of the gift card codes and their corresponding balances. You can view and manage gift cards in WooCommerce by going to WooCommerce > Gift Cards and selecting the "Manage Gift Cards" tab.
From there, you can view the gift card codes, balances, and transaction history. You can also manually add or subtract from the gift card balance if needed.
2. Set expiration dates
You can set expiration dates for your gift cards to encourage customers to use them before they expire. To set an expiration date, edit the gift card product and set the expiration date in the "Gift Card Expiry" field.
3. Monitor gift card usage
Make sure you monitor the usage of gift cards to prevent fraud or abuse. You can view the transaction history for each gift card in WooCommerce to ensure that the gift card was used legitimately.
4. Offer refunds or exchanges
If a customer wants to return an order that was paid for with a gift card, you should offer refunds or exchanges. You can refund the customer’s payment by going to WooCommerce > Orders and processing a refund for the order.
5. Promote gift cards
Finally, make sure you promote your gift cards to encourage sales. You can promote gift cards on your homepage, social media, or in email newsletters. You can also offer discounts or incentives for customers who purchase gift cards, such as a free gift with purchase.
Conclusion
Offering gift cards can be a great way to boost sales and customer loyalty on your online store. By using the WooCommerce Gift Cards plugin and following these tips for managing gift cards, you can create a seamless and enjoyable gift card experience for your customers.