How to: Sell Gift Cards Online
As COVID-19 grinds normal daily transactions to a halt, small businesses are encouraged to make themselves available in multiple ways. According to Entrepreneur, gift cards can be a simple way to increase sales, attract new customers and deepen relationships with existing ones.
Gift cards are the most popular type of gift in today’s market, accounting for more than $129 billion in consumer spending, according to insight and technology company CEB.
How do i get started?
First, choose your gift card system. Are physical gift cards important to you, or would you like to stick to online gift cards? How much would you like to invest? Below are a few different options to consider.
Second, input your gift card system into your business operations. Add your button to your POS, post your link to your website, make a sign for your front counter, or share the link on your social media channels. Don’t forget to train your staff on your policies.
Third, start selling! Let your customers know that gift cards are an option at your business and track your sales.
Square
If you already use Square for your business’ point of sale system, setting up gift card sales takes only a few clicks. Square offers digital and physical gift card options that are easily redeemable at your terminal.
All Square gift cards are integrated into your account, making sales easily trackable.
The Gift Card Café
The Gift Card Café touts easily printable digital gift certificates. Their turn-key full featured gift certificate sales system can be added to any website with a simple link or button.
The Gift Card Cafe’s basic plan charges just under 5% per transaction after a one-time setup fee of $50 (currently waived to help small businesses during COVID-19).
Kabbage
Kabbage Payments™ allows any business to sign up to sell gift certificates online by offering a database of participating small businesses available to the public. Once registered, businesses can send a custom link to their customers.
Kabbage does not charge businesses to sign up for services, but does charge gift certificate purchasers a 2.5% processing fee per each transaction. Customers can purchase certificates for any amount from $15 to $500, redeemable at any time. Most transactions are eligible for next day deposits.
Giftfly
GiftFly is an eGift card platform for local businesses allowing shoppers to buy and send gift cards via email and text directly from their local merchants online. No monthly fees or credit card required to set up. There is a 2.70% + $0.30 fee per card transaction which can be paid for either by the merchant or the customer.
Shopify
Shopify allows independent businesses to set up online shops in an easy to use format. However, they also allow for the ability to sell gift cards as well. If you already have a Shopify shop or are considering setting one up, this is may be the best place for you to also offer gift cards. They’re currently offering a 90 day free trial. View our post about setting up an online shop.