1. Understand why it's worth it
A gift card brings several advantages to a small business.
- You receive the money upfront
- You attract customers who didn't know you
- Recipients often spend more than the card's value
- It's a last-minute gift option
- It takes no space in your inventory
2. Set clear amounts
Offer three or four fixed amounts related to your prices: one that covers a popular product, a mid-range one, and a high one. Fixed amounts are easier to sell and track than open amounts.
3. Write simple rules
Before selling the first one, decide and write down the conditions: expiration date, whether it can be used across several purchases, whether it applies to sale items, and what happens if the order costs less than the card. Also check whether your country's laws regulate how long these certificates stay valid.
4. Give each card a unique code
Assign a code to each card and log it in a spreadsheet with the amount, purchase date, buyer, and remaining balance. Without that record, the same card can easily be used twice.
5. Make it easy to buy and to give
Add it as another product in your catalog, with the amounts as variants. With Vallen, customers pick it and send you the order on WhatsApp like any other purchase. Deliver it digitally, with a nice design that can be forwarded, or printed if you deliver to the door.
6. Promote it on the right dates
Christmas, Mother's Day, Valentine's Day, and birthdays are the best moments. Remind people in the last days before each date, when there's no time left for shipping: it's the gift that always arrives on time.
Selling gift cards requires no special technology: clear amounts, written rules, and an orderly record are enough. Start with a few, learn how customers use them, and turn them into an extra source of sales every season.