> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://help.hoopai.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Gift cards — sell and send digital gift cards in HoopAI

> Create, sell, and send digital gift cards in HoopAI — set denominations, track redemptions, and manage balances from one dashboard.

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Gift cards let you sell store credit that customers can use toward future purchases. You can sell them through your store, send them directly to contacts, and track all redemptions and balances from a dedicated dashboard.

Navigate to **Payments → Gift Cards** to get started.

## Gift card dashboard overview

The gift card dashboard provides a consolidated view of how your gift card program is performing.

<Frame caption="Gift card dashboard">
  <img src="https://mintcdn.com/hoopai-84ec0cdc/CS0bauo8Tbx8zu0U/images/payments-gift-cards-dashboard.png?fit=max&auto=format&n=CS0bauo8Tbx8zu0U&q=85&s=bdf36a3c56009784c6a0dfa6d16336d5" alt="Gift card dashboard overview" width="1260" height="403" data-path="images/payments-gift-cards-dashboard.png" />
</Frame>

### Dashboard metrics

| Metric                               | Description                                                                           |
| ------------------------------------ | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Total gift cards issued**          | Total count of all sent and sold cards                                                |
| **Total value of gift cards issued** | Cumulative monetary value of all issued cards, with trend graph and period comparison |
| **Average order value**              | Median denomination selected when purchasing cards, with trend graph                  |
| **No. of customers**                 | Total individual customers who received or purchased a card                           |
| **Top denomination**                 | The highest value gift card sold in the selected period                               |

Use the **Date Range** dropdown at the top to filter all metrics to a specific period.

### Gift card sale trends

Hover over the charts to see day-by-day breakdowns of card sales, value, and customer counts. A **Gift Card Sale Trends** graph at the bottom shows the top 5 highest denominations sold during the selected period.

### All gift cards

Click **All Gift Cards** within the dashboard to view all created gift cards. From here you can:

1. Edit the gift card
2. Send to a customer directly
3. Copy the checkout link
4. Download a QR code for the checkout
5. Disable the card (prevent further purchases)
6. Delete the card

### Orders

Click **Total Gift Cards Issued → Orders** to access the orders dashboard showing all issued cards with their value, expiry date, and owner. Switch to **list view** for additional details including remaining balance.

***

***

## Creating a gift card

Gift cards function as a flexible prepaid balance, giving customers store-exclusive funds or allowing your business to issue credits for loyalty, compensation, or promotions.

<Steps>
  <Step title="Start a new gift card">
    Go to **Payments → Gift Cards** and click **Create Gift Card**.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Enter basic details">
    * **Name** — internal identifier for the card in your system
    * **Description** — short summary for you and your customers
    * **Expiry date** — optional; all cards issued from this product expire on this exact date, regardless of purchase date
  </Step>

  <Step title="Add a redemption URL (optional)">
    Enable the option to include a URL that guides recipients on how to redeem their card. Enter or select your desired URL.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Add terms and conditions">
    Enter any usage restrictions, eligibility rules, or conditions applicable to this gift card. These are visible to customers.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Customize the card design">
    Click **Continue** to access the design step. Either:

    * Create a color gradient design
    * Upload your own artwork from your Media Store
  </Step>

  <Step title="Set denominations">
    Choose from **preset values** or enter custom amounts manually. You can add multiple denomination options so customers can choose.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Set inventory (optional)">
    Enable **Define Quantity** to limit how many gift cards can be sold. Set your inventory count.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Enable taxes (optional)">
    Toggle on **Tax** if you need to include automatic tax calculation on gift card sales for compliance purposes.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Assign a category and create">
    Select a category if needed, then click **Continue** to review and **Create Gift Card** to finalize.
  </Step>
</Steps>

<Frame caption="Creating a gift card">
  <img src="https://mintcdn.com/hoopai-84ec0cdc/CS0bauo8Tbx8zu0U/images/payments-gift-cards-create.png?fit=max&auto=format&n=CS0bauo8Tbx8zu0U&q=85&s=78d4d184aa24c35dc44b386e10ae0a7e" alt="Gift card creation flow" width="1597" height="728" data-path="images/payments-gift-cards-create.png" />
</Frame>

***

***

## Selling gift cards

After creating your gift cards, you can sell them via a checkout link, QR code, or your e-commerce store.

### Via checkout link or QR code

<Steps>
  <Step title="Access the sell option">
    In the Gift Cards tab, click the **Sell** icon or the **QR** icon next to your gift card.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Copy the checkout link">
    In the Sell section, click the copy icon to get the checkout URL. Share it in emails, SMS, or on any page.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Download the QR code">
    Click the download icon to save a PNG of the QR code. Add it to emails, SMS messages, or printed materials to redirect customers to the checkout page.
  </Step>
</Steps>

### Via your e-commerce store

Gift cards are automatically added to your stores when created. To manage store visibility:

<Steps>
  <Step title="Open the store editor">
    Go to **Sites → Stores** and edit your desired store.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Find the gift card product">
    Switch to the **Products** tab and click your gift card.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Toggle store visibility">
    Toggle the **Include in online store** option on or off as needed.
  </Step>
</Steps>

When sold through any checkout, the gift card is delivered to the customer's purchase email address automatically.

***

***

## Sending gift cards directly

Send a gift card to any contact without requiring a purchase — ideal for loyalty rewards, service recovery, promotions, or referral incentives.

<Steps>
  <Step title="Open the Send option">
    In the Gift Cards tab, click **Send** next to the gift card you want to send (or access it from **All Gift Cards**).
  </Step>

  <Step title="Select the recipient">
    Use the dropdown to select a customer. Only contacts with an email address in the system can be selected.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Add a personal message">
    Write a personal message to accompany the gift card. Use **Write with AI** or pre-written prompts to draft the message quickly.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Select the denomination">
    If the gift card has multiple values, select one from the dropdown.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Choose delivery method and date">
    Select the delivery method and set a delivery date, then click **Continue**.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Preview and send">
    Review the email preview — including the gift card details and your message. If everything looks correct, click **Send Gift Card**.
  </Step>
</Steps>

<Note>
  The email content for directly sent gift cards cannot be edited beyond the personal message. Sending a gift card reduces your inventory count.
</Note>

<Tip>
  Use the direct send feature for customer loyalty programs, referral rewards, and service recovery instead of cash refunds — keeping funds within your business ecosystem.
</Tip>

***

<Frame caption="Gift card redemption — customers apply their code at checkout and the balance is deducted automatically">
  <img src="https://mintcdn.com/hoopai-84ec0cdc/CS0bauo8Tbx8zu0U/images/payments-gift-cards-redeem.png?fit=max&auto=format&n=CS0bauo8Tbx8zu0U&q=85&s=3eba2ebcc274f560eb7d09a729eb7510" alt="Gift card redemption" width="742" height="687" data-path="images/payments-gift-cards-redeem.png" />
</Frame>

***

## How customers redeem gift cards

When a customer is ready to use their gift card, they apply the code at checkout.

### Receiving a gift card

Once purchased or sent, the customer receives an email containing their gift card details. The most important detail is the **Gift Card Code** — they must copy this to pay with their balance.

### Applying a gift card at checkout

<Steps>
  <Step title="Customer proceeds to checkout">
    Gift cards can be applied on any checkout page: funnels, websites, stores, or payment links.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Enter the gift card code">
    Before entering card details, the customer enters their gift card code in the designated field and applies it.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Balance is applied">
    The gift card value is deducted from the order total. The customer can see their available balance displayed under the Gift Card section.

    * If the card covers the full order: no other payment method is needed.
    * If the order exceeds the card balance: the remaining amount can be paid with a card (Stripe, NMI, Authorize.net, Square support partial redemption).
  </Step>

  <Step title="For payment links">
    If the customer receives a payment link, they can apply their gift card code after clicking **Pay**.
  </Step>

  <Step title="For calendar bookings">
    When collecting payment for appointments, **Gift Card Balance** appears as a payment option at checkout.
  </Step>
</Steps>

<Note>
  Gift card balance can cover the full amount for all supported payment providers. Partial balance coverage (paying the remainder with another method) is supported with Stripe, NMI, Authorize.net, and Square.
</Note>

***

***

## Tracking gift card orders

<Steps>
  <Step title="Open the orders view">
    Go to **Payments → Gift Cards**, click **Total Gift Cards Issued**, then select **Orders**.
  </Step>

  <Step title="View all issued cards">
    All issued gift cards appear here regardless of status or remaining balance. Use the list view for additional details including remaining balance.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Filter the results">
    Use the filters to find cards by:

    * **Status** — active, redeemed, expired
    * **Purchase value** — a specific denomination
    * **Contact** — the recipient or purchaser
  </Step>

  <Step title="View card details">
    Click any card to open the gift card order details page, which shows:

    1. Purchaser or sender information
    2. Recipient information
    3. Hidden gift card number (toggle **Show gift card code** to reveal)
    4. Delivery method and scheduled date
    5. Denomination and quantity
  </Step>
</Steps>

<Note>
  Gift cards sent directly (without payment) do not appear in the Orders tab. The orders tab only shows purchased gift cards.
</Note>

***

***

## Frequently asked questions

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Can a customer use a gift card for a subscription?">
    Gift cards currently apply to one-time purchases at checkout. They cannot be applied to recurring subscription charges.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="What happens if the gift card balance is less than the order total?">
    The customer pays the difference with a standard payment method (card, PayPal, etc.). The gift card covers its remaining balance and the payment method covers the rest.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Can I set an expiry date on gift cards?">
    Yes. When creating a gift card, enable the expiry date option and choose the duration. Customers are notified of the expiry in their gift card email.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Can I issue a gift card as a refund?">
    Yes. Instead of refunding to the original payment method, you can send a gift card of equal value to the customer using the direct send feature.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Are gift cards trackable by contact?">
    Yes. When you send a gift card directly to a contact, it is linked to their contact record. Purchased gift cards are linked when the buyer is identified as a contact.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Can I limit how many gift cards are sold?">
    Yes. When creating a gift card, enable **Define Quantity** and enter the inventory count. Once that number of cards has been sold, the checkout link becomes unavailable.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="What happens to a gift card's balance if it is partially redeemed?">
    The remaining balance stays on the gift card and can be used on a future purchase. Customers can see their current balance displayed in the Gift Card section at checkout.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="How does a customer receive a gift card they purchased?">
    The gift card is delivered automatically to the email address entered at checkout. The email contains the gift card code and any redemption instructions you configured.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>
