In this post, we’ve stated the best practice on what to include on your gift voucher template and explain in each instance why it matters. Our gift certificate management system helps our customers sell millions in gift vouchers every year, so we’ve seen from painful experience the consequences of not including the right information. One of the difficulties is balancing all the relevant information with how the certificate looks. We recommend 2 sides of a smaller paper size like A5, to ensure you have enough room for visuals and information. Leave room for your company's branding and a suitable title. Don’t rename gift cards to offers, i.e ‘Christmas Special 3 Course Meal’ or make them too vague like ‘Spa Special’. As a gift, the receiver won’t see as many of the details as the buyer has through the purchasing process. Leave space or use a system that facilitates a personal message, one of the reasons gift experiences are given over cash is they are considered a step above in thoughtfulness. Allowing the buyer to leave a message gives them the opportunity to add context to the gift and to claim ownership. Without this, the receiver won’t know who it’s even from! Adding a personal message allows the buyer to send it directly to the receiver for that special occasion. It’s important to consider that most gift certificates are purchased for someone else. In fact, 60% of people have been introduced to a new brand by receiving a gift certificate. Each new customer will have no idea how to redeem, how to contact you and what the gift is unless you tell them. The description for monetary gift cards is easy, but on experiences make sure you leave space for the full description of what the experience entails. A ‘Romantic weekend getaway’ is a wonderful sounding gift but without a description, it's not particularly useful. Does it include dinner or is it just a B&B rate? Make it clear and if the description is long, use bullet points or other formats. It’s also important to use this space to communicate particulars, is there a dress code? What are the check-in times?We have outlined below an easy guide on a gift certificate wording template.
We often get asked, “what should be included on a gift certificate?”
Brand and Title
Personal Message
Voucher Description
Validity Date
In most countries, monetary gift cards can not legally expire whereas experience gift cards can. When a gift card can expire most buyers will expect a 12-month validity from purchase but will be happy with lower validity time periods if they purchase it at a deal.
Many experiences like skydives are typically from April - October. The validity of the gift may only be in those months, but most businesses will accept a booking in the off-season. But, make sure this is clearly communicated.
We often get asked, when should a gift voucher/ card get redeemed?
We typically recommend at the point of booking for a few reasons:
- It acts like a pre-payment and avoids complaints if customers show up without their voucher/ card.
- Avoids repeat cancellations.
How to redeem
Leave room on the gift card with clear information on how to book and redeem. When booking an experience, it typically involves making a reservation, unless there is an integration between your booking systems and voucher systems. Include your contact details.
Unique Code
Get rid of messy spreadsheets from using premade voucher books, and switch to using a unique code that’s specific to that voucher.
Improve security
Ensure the codes aren’t obvious and use non-sequential and random numbers against fraud. There is a lot of attempted fraud in the gift card business, would-be criminals will try to use photocopies and attempt to use sequential numbers to older vouchers they’ve seen.
How many people is the voucher valid for?
State on the voucher how many people the experience is valid for. This one seems obvious, but we’ve seen it cause a good few problems over the years.
Terms and Conditions
What terms and conditions should be on a voucher is the question we get asked the most. Every business is different, but the job of the terms and conditions are to protect yourself from potential issues. As many businesses know, if you leave any wiggle room in your T&Cs there will be customers that will take the opportunity to take advantage.
Here is a list of things you may want to cover:
For Monetary
- Should they be non-transferable, non-refundable and not exchangeable for cash? (We would recommend that they should always be non-transferable, non-refundable and unexchangeable for cash)
- Do you want to give change or allow part redemption?
- Are purchases made subject to the same terms and conditions as a normal booking?
- Can a gift certificate be used to purchase further gift certificates?
- When they do they expire?
- What is your loss, theft or stolen policy?
- Does a supplement exist on certain items?
Free gift certificate template
Here’s an example that we feel covers the bases quite well:
Experiences
For monetary gift cards, the information is simpler, but if you want to sell experiences things can get a little more complicated.
You should definitely be selling experiences as that’s where the revenue growth is!
With experiences there are even more variables, you may even want to use the terms and conditions to reiterate things you have already stated on other parts of the voucher.
- Are bookings subject to availability and change? (We always advise that this should be in everyone’s terms and conditions)
- Exclude unavailable dates, it’s usually a safe bet to exclude public holidays.
- If there are specifics like dates and times, should you restate them?
- When is the voucher redeemed at point of booking or point of arrival?
- Should they be non-transferable, non-refundable and not exchangeable for cash? (We would recommend that they should always be non-transferable, non-refundable and unexchangeable for cash)
- Are purchases made subject to the same terms and conditions as a normal booking?
- When they do they expire?
- What is your loss, theft or stolen policy?
- Does a supplement exist on certain items?
Free gift certificate template
Although this is a longer example, we think this is a great example of Terms and Conditions that cover all the bases:
Finally, if you have space, use as many photos of the experience or put a welcome message from the team. This really helps you set expectations and communicate your brand.
Here are some A5 examples of some of our customers, they have gone with one side having information and one side being visual with welcome messages or space to highlight their facilities or experiences.
If you need any help creating your gift template or would like any help with design, please get in touch with us, we are always happy to help!
As an expert in the field of gift certificate management and design, I have extensive experience in developing effective strategies for creating appealing and functional gift voucher templates. I have actively contributed to the success of our gift certificate management system, which has facilitated the sale of millions of gift vouchers annually. Through our system, I have gained valuable insights and firsthand knowledge about the critical elements that contribute to the success of gift certificates.
The importance of a well-designed gift certificate cannot be overstated, as it directly impacts the buyer's and receiver's experience. Let's delve into the key concepts outlined in the provided article:
-
Brand and Title:
- Incorporate your company's branding and choose a title that clearly represents the essence of the gift. Avoid overly vague or specific titles to strike a balance that appeals to both buyers and receivers.
-
Personal Message:
- Allow space for a personal message to add a thoughtful touch to the gift. Personalized messages enhance the perceived value of the gift experience.
-
Voucher Description:
- Clearly communicate the details of the gift, especially for experience-based certificates. Include a comprehensive description, using formats like bullet points for clarity. Provide information such as dress codes, check-in times, and other particulars.
-
Validity Date:
- Specify the expiration date, especially for experience gift cards. Clearly communicate the validity period, taking into consideration seasonal variations for certain experiences.
-
How to Redeem:
- Provide clear instructions on how to book and redeem the gift. Include contact details and any specific information about the redemption process. Recommend redeeming the gift at the point of booking to act as a pre-payment and avoid potential issues.
-
Unique Code:
- Implement a unique code system to enhance security and prevent fraud. Use non-sequential and random numbers to make codes less predictable.
-
Number of People Valid for:
- Clearly state how many people the experience is valid for on the voucher to avoid confusion and potential issues.
-
Terms and Conditions:
- Include comprehensive terms and conditions to protect the business. Cover aspects such as non-transferability, non-refundability, expiration dates, policies for loss or theft, and any relevant business-specific conditions.
-
Free Gift Certificate Template:
- Provide a sample template that covers all necessary information, balancing details and aesthetics.
-
Experiences:
- Emphasize the growth potential in selling experiences and address additional variables and considerations in the terms and conditions for experience-based gift certificates.
-
Visual Appeal:
- If space allows, use visuals like photos of the experience or a welcome message from the team to set expectations and enhance brand communication.
By considering these concepts, businesses can create effective and visually appealing gift certificates that not only attract buyers but also provide a positive and seamless experience for the recipients.
