How to Add Advanced Gift Cards to Your WooCommerce Store in 2024 (Ultimate Guide)
Are you looking for a way to drive more sales and delight your customers in 2024? Consider adding gift cards to your WooCommerce store! Gift cards have long been a favorite of shoppers and merchants alike for their convenience, flexibility, and revenue-generating power.
In this in-depth guide, we‘ll walk you through exactly how to set up advanced gift card functionality on your WordPress/WooCommerce website. We‘ll also share proven tips and strategies to supercharge your gift card sales and achieve your business goals. Whether you‘re a small boutique or a large ecommerce brand, gift cards are a must-have for your online store in 2024 and beyond.
Why Your WooCommerce Store Needs Gift Cards in 2024
Consumer demand for gift cards continues to grow year after year. Gift cards have topped holiday wish lists for over a decade now. The global gift cards market is expected to reach nearly $1.4 trillion by 2027, according to research firm Arizton. For ecommerce stores, digital gift cards are a no-brainer. Here are a few key reasons why:
Boost Sales and AOV – Gift cards are the ultimate upsell. Customers reliably spend more than the value of their gift card once they start shopping. Multiple studies have shown gift card recipients spend 20-50%+ above the card amount on average. Gift cards are also frequently bought on impulse as add-ons to other purchases.
Attract New Customers – When someone receives a gift card to your store, they are highly likely to become a new customer, even if they weren‘t familiar with your brand before. You gain new customers without spending anything on advertising. The gift giver does the promotion for you!
Improve Cash Flow – With gift cards, you get revenue upfront, before having to deliver any actual products or services. This can help even out your cash flow, especially around the holidays when expenses are high but retail sales happen later.
Promote Your Brand – Digital and physical gift cards put your store name and logo directly in front of potential new customers. Every gift card is a little branding opportunity that can build awareness and encourage recipients to browse your offerings.
Provide Convenience – Gift cards allow shoppers to give a thoughtful, personalized gift even at the last minute or when they aren‘t sure what specific item to buy. They also give recipients the freedom to pick out exactly what they want. Digital delivery makes them instant and effortless.
As you can see, adding gift cards to your WooCommerce store is one of the most impactful things you can do to grow your business in 2024. Now let‘s dive into the technical details of getting your gift card system up and running.
Step by Step: How to Set Up WooCommerce Gift Cards
The easiest way to start selling gift cards on your WooCommerce site is by using a dedicated plugin. We recommend the Advanced Coupons plugin with the premium Advanced Gift Cards addon. This powerful duo makes it simple to create gift card products, track balances, and deliver cards seamlessly. Here‘s how to get started:
Install and activate the core Advanced Coupons plugin on your WordPress site. This free plugin is required for Advanced Gift Cards to work.
Purchase and install the premium Advanced Gift Cards for WooCommerce addon. Enter your license key under WooCommerce → Settings → Advanced Gift Cards to activate it.
Create a new WooCommerce product for your gift card. Go to Products → Add New. Enter a clear name and appealing description.
In the Product Data section, select "Advanced Gift Card" as the product type. Configure the card value and any usage restrictions. Enable the "Giftable" option to let customers enter a recipient email at checkout.
Customize the gift card delivery email under WooCommerce → Settings → Emails → Advanced Gift Card. Personalize the subject line, heading, and body content. Use merge tags to dynamically insert key details.
Display your gift cards prominently in your store navigation, homepage, and relevant product categories. Consider creating a dedicated "Gift Ideas" or "Gift Cards" collection.
Test a gift card purchase and email delivery from end to end to make sure everything is working smoothly. You‘re now ready to start promoting and selling gift cards!
By following these steps, you can quickly start offering digital gift cards to your customers and reaping the benefits. But don‘t stop there – advanced gift card options can take your program to the next level…
Advanced Gift Card Settings to Maximize Results
The Advanced Gift Cards for WooCommerce plugin includes a variety of additional settings you can use to fine-tune your offerings:
Set Expiration Dates – Adding expiration dates to your gift cards creates a sense of urgency and encourages recipients to redeem them faster. You can set a relative expiration (e.g. 6 months after purchase) or an absolute date.
Allow/Restrict Products – If desired, you can restrict gift cards to only work for certain products or categories. This can be helpful if you want to exclude sale items or limit gift cards to full-price offerings.
Allow Custom Amounts – Let customers choose the value of their gift card by setting a minimum and maximum amount. This makes your gift cards more flexible for different budgets and occasions. Just be sure to clearly state any restrictions.
Send to Multiple Recipients – Advanced Gift Cards Premium supports sending a single gift card to multiple recipient emails. This is perfect for corporate buys or group gifts.
Schedule Delivery – Let customers pick a future date and time for their gift card email to be delivered. Scheduled sending is great for holidays and special occasions.
Include Printable Cards – In addition to digital gift cards, you can attach printable PDF cards to your gift card emails. Customers can print these out and give them in person for a personal touch.
Using one or more of these advanced gifting options can help you create gift card promotions for any scenario and make your program more appealing to shoppers. Mix and match features to find what works best for your unique audience and business needs.
Gift Card Marketing Ideas & Best Practices
Having gift cards available is a good start, but you also need to actively market them to drive sales. Try these ideas to put your gift cards front and center:
Seasonal Promotions – Ramp up your gift card marketing around major seasonal events like Christmas, Mother‘s Day, Graduation, etc. when people are actively looking for gift ideas.
Gift Card Bonus Offers – Offer a free bonus card or bonus $ amount with gift card purchases over a certain value. For example, get a $20 bonus card for every $100 in gift cards purchased.
Gift Card Only Products – Create special products/services that can only be bought with gift cards. This exclusivity rewards gift card holders and helps promote your cards.
Prominent Website Placement – Display your gift cards in high-visibility areas like your homepage banner, header navigation, and checkout page. Make them impossible to miss.
Employee Incentives – Use gift cards to reward and incentivize your own staff. Offer them as spot bonus, as holiday gifts, or as sales contests prizes. Your employees can become some of your best gift card promoters.
B2B Gift Card Sales – Don‘t overlook the lucrative corporate gift card market. Many businesses buy gift cards in bulk for employee rewards, customer appreciation, and marketing programs. Reach out to local businesses directly to become their preferred gift card partner.
Social Media Contests – Run a social media contest or giveaway with your gift cards as the prize. This can help raise brand awareness and attract new customer leads, in addition to direct gift card sales.
Improve Gift Card Terms – Reexamine your gift card terms and conditions and look for areas to improve. Can you extend the expiration dates? Remove some exclusions? Allow gift card sale purchases? Improving your policies can make your cards more appealing.
Of course, these are just a few ideas to get you started. The key is to treat your gift cards like any other important product and give them dedicated marketing attention. Experiment with different promotional tactics and see what resonates with your customer base.
Real-World Gift Card Success Stories
Need some inspiration for your own gift card program? Check out these real-life examples of businesses using gift cards in innovative ways:
Sephora – This beauty retailer offers two gift card options – traditional fixed value cards and the innovative "Gift Card to eGift Card" which allows recipients to convert their physical card to a digital one for easier shopping. They promote gift cards heavily in-store, online, and to their loyalty program members.
Amazon – The ecommerce giant lets customers buy gift cards in any amount between $1-$2000, in a variety of designs for different occasions. They highlight suggested amounts for birthdays, weddings, babies, and more. Amazon Pay users can also send gift card via email, text message, or messaging apps.
Starbucks – Starbuck gift cards are so popular, they‘ve become a cultural phenomenon. Customers can buy physical cards, eGift cards, or add value to a registered Starbucks Card through the app. The company introduces new card designs seasonally and for special collections. Gift cards are promoted as a "Give Good" opportunity.
Airbnb – This popular travel marketplace offers digital gift cards that can be used to book unique accommodations all over the world. The cards never expire and can be customized with a personal message and image. Airbnb promotes them as an ideal gift for travel lovers, newlyweds, retirees, and adventurers.
Warby Parker – The hip eyewear brand positions gift cards front-and-center on their beautifully-designed ecommerce site. Fixed-price gift cards are sold in $50 increments up to $500 and can be sent via email or text. They come with a personal message and don‘t expire.
Nike – The athletics giant allows gift givers to send a digital Nike Gift Card or a physical "Nike Gift Card Plus" which recipients can use in-store or convert to a digital card online. Both individual and bulk gift card purchases are supported, with the ability to buy up to 250 cards at once. Nike promotes them as "The Gift of Sport."
Notice how each of these big brands uses gift cards a bit differently to mesh with their overall business model and target audience. Take inspiration from what major companies are doing, but don‘t be afraid to customize your own gift card marketing to your specific niche. There‘s no one-size-fits-all approach.
Frequently Asked Questions About WooCommerce Gift Cards
Still have questions about adding gift cards to your WooCommerce store? We‘ve rounded up answers to some common inquiries:
Are gift cards taxable?
In the US, gift cards are generally not taxable at the time of purchase. However, when a customer redeems a gift card, that transaction may be taxable just like any other purchase. Be sure to check the current tax regulations in your state or region.
What happens to unused gift cards?
Most WooCommerce stores treat unredeemed gift cards as a liability on their balance sheet. When the card expires unredeemed, that value is then recognized as revenue. It‘s important to ensure your gift card terms comply with any applicable laws around unclaimed property and escheatment.
Can you use gift cards to pay for subscription products?
Combining WooCommerce gift cards and subscription products (like with the WooCommerce Subscriptions extension) can get a bit tricky. The easiest approach is to let gift cards be redeemed for subscription products, but not used for recurring payments. So a gift card could cover a subscriber‘s initial payment and/or setup fee only, with subsequent renewals requiring a credit card or other payment method.
How do you handle lost or stolen gift cards?
Prevention is the best medicine here. Encourage your gift card recipients to treat them like cash. Make it easy for them to check their balance online so they know when a card has been used. For digital gift cards, consider requiring the card number and a unique pin to redeem them. Some WooCommerce store owners may replace lost/stolen physical gift cards if the owner can provide the original receipt as proof of purchase.
Do gift cards have to expire?
No, gift cards do not require an expiration date. In fact, some shoppers specifically seek out non-expiring gift cards. It‘s up to you to decide what term makes sense for your business. Many WooCommerce stores choose expiration periods of 1-5 years to encourage timely redemption while still giving customers adequate time to use their cards.
The Bottom Line on WooCommerce Gift Cards
By now, you should have a thorough understanding of what it takes to implement a successful gift card program for your WooCommerce store in 2024 and beyond. Gift cards are a proven way to drive more revenue, attract new customers, and strengthen your brand. Thankfully, WooCommerce makes it easy to start selling gift cards with just a few clicks.
The key is to treat your gift cards like a core product and put careful thought into all the details – from the purchase experience to the delivery to the redemption. Use the tips and best practices we‘ve shared here to create a gift card program that delights your customers and helps you hit your growth goals.
If you need help getting your gift cards up and running, don‘t hesitate to reach out to a WooCommerce expert or the friendly Advanced Coupons support team. Here‘s to your gift card success in 2024!
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