Gift Cards, Vouchers (Rainchecks) and Promo Codes – Business Guide

# Gift Cards, Vouchers (Rainchecks) and Promo Codes – Business Guide Boost revenue and attract new customers with RecSystems' gift card feature. Perfect for holidays, special occasions, and customer rewards. ## 🎯 Overview Gift cards in RecSystems: - Generate immediate revenue - Attract new customers - Reduce no-shows (pre-paid) - Create perfect gifts for adventure seekers - Track usage and balances automatically ## 🎁 What You Can Offer There are four ways to save or pay with codes in RecSystems. You can enable any or all of them based on your business policies: - Gift Cards (Credit): Money value used like cash at checkout. Great for selling online and gifting. - Vouchers (Rainchecks): Store credit issued for service recovery or cancellations. Applied before taxes (reduces the taxable amount). Ideal for weather-related rainchecks. - Discounts ($ Off): A specific dollar amount off the booking price. Applied before taxes. - Coupons (% Off): A percentage off the booking price. Applied before taxes and reusable until the expiration date. Owner controls: - Choose whether customers can use more than one discount code at checkout. - Choose whether to limit coupons to one per order. - Set optional expiration dates and preset values. Tip: For the smoothest checkout, ask customers to enter codes before the final payment step. ## 🎁 How Gift Cards Work ### The Customer Journey 1. **Purchase**: Customer buys gift card online 2. **Delivery**: Receives code via email 3. **Redemption**: Enters code during booking checkout 4. **Balance**: Any remainder stays on card ### What to Expect - Each gift card has a unique code - Partial redemptions are allowed (remaining balance stays on the card) - Optional expiration dates - Full reporting for sales, usage, and outstanding balances ## 🚀 Setting Up ### Step 1: Enable Gift Cards 1. Go to **Dashboard** → **Gift Cards** 2. Click **Settings** or **Configure** 3. Toggle **Enable Gift Cards** to ON ### Step 2: Configure Options ``` Essential Settings: - Minimum Amount: $25 - Maximum Amount: $500 - Preset Amounts: $50, $100, $150, $200 - Custom Amounts: Allow/Disallow ``` ### Step 3: Customize Design 1. **Email Template** - Add your logo - Customize colors - Write welcome message - Include terms 2. **Gift Card Display** - Choose card design - Add branding elements - Set up thank you message ## 💳 Managing Codes (Gift Cards, Vouchers, Discounts, Coupons) ### View All Codes Navigate to **Dashboard** → **Gift Cards** to see: - Card code - Original amount - Current balance - Purchase date - Purchaser info - Usage history ### Search and Filter Find specific cards by: - Code (partial match) - Purchaser email - Date range - Balance status - Amount range ### Manual Creation For promotions or corrections: 1. Click **Create Gift Card** 2. Enter amount 3. Add optional note 4. Generate code 5. Send to recipient ## 📊 Sales & Promotion ### Promoting Gift Cards **On Your Website** - Add gift card link to navigation - Feature on homepage - Include in booking flow **Marketing Ideas** - Holiday promotions - Birthday gift suggestions - Corporate gifts - Loyalty rewards - Contest prizes ### Seasonal Campaigns ``` Peak Gift Card Seasons: - 🎄 Christmas: #1 season - 🎂 Father's Day: Outdoor adventures - 🎁 Mother's Day: Relaxation packages - 🎃 Black Friday: Bonus value offers - 💝 Valentine's Day: Couple experiences ``` ## 🔄 Customer Redemption & Checkout ### How Customers Use Codes 1. **During Booking** - Enter the code on the checkout page - The amount or discount is shown immediately - For best results, add codes before the final payment step 2. **Partial Usage (Gift Cards & Vouchers)** - Remaining balance stays on the code - Confirmation email shows the remainder - Can be used again until the balance reaches $0 or the code expires 3. **Combining Payment** - Gift cards can be combined with a credit card - You can allow multiple discount codes, or limit to one (your choice) - Coupons (% off) are typically limited to one per order ### Staff Processing (Phone or In-Person) When customers call to use gift cards: 1. Ask for gift card code 2. Look up in system 3. Verify balance 4. Apply to booking 5. Note remaining balance ## 📈 Tracking & Reporting ### Key Metrics Monitor gift card performance: - **Sales Volume**: Total cards sold - **Revenue Generated**: Immediate income - **Redemption Rate**: % used - **Average Value**: Per card - **Breakage**: Unredeemed value ### Monthly Reports Track important trends: ``` Sample Report: - Cards Sold: 47 - Total Value: $5,250 - Redeemed: $3,800 (72%) - Outstanding: $1,450 - New Customers: 23 ``` ### Financial Considerations - **Liability**: Outstanding gift card and voucher balances represent future service owed - **Revenue Recognition**: Recognized when redeemed according to your policy - **Breakage Estimate**: Some percentage may never be used (varies by business) - **Cash Flow**: Gift card sales create immediate cash flow ## 💡 Best Practices ### Pricing Strategy 1. **Popular Amounts** - Match common rental prices - Round numbers ($100, $200) - Consider package deals 2. **Bonus Value** - Buy $100, get $110 - Limited time offers - Volume discounts ### Marketing Tips - **Email Campaigns**: "Perfect Gift" messaging - **Social Media**: Share customer experiences - **Point of Sale**: Mention during bookings - **Partnerships**: Local hotels/tourism ### Customer Service - Always check balance before booking - Explain partial usage clearly - Keep purchase records - Handle lost codes case-by-case ## 🚨 Common Questions & Solutions ### "Gift card not working" 1. Verify code entered correctly 2. Check balance in system 3. Ensure not already fully used 4. Confirm gift cards enabled ### "Lost gift card code" 1. Search by purchaser email 2. Verify purchase details 3. Resend code if verified 4. Document interaction ### "Refund to gift card or voucher?" - Decide whether you’ll refund to original payment or issue a voucher (raincheck) - Vouchers are great for last-minute weather changes or service recovery - Publish a clear policy so customers know what to expect - Staff can create vouchers manually when appropriate ### "Can customers stack multiple codes?" - You can allow multiple discount codes or limit them to one - Coupons (% off) are typically limited to one per order - Gift cards and vouchers can be combined with other payments ## 🎯 Advanced Strategies ### Corporate Programs Set up B2B gift card sales: - Bulk purchases - Custom amounts - Invoice billing - Company branding - Volume discounts ### Loyalty & Retention Use gift cards for: - Referral rewards - Review incentives - Repeat customer bonuses - Service recovery - Milestone celebrations ### Cross-Promotion Partner opportunities: - Hotels include in packages - Tourism boards promotion - Chamber of commerce - Event organizers - Wedding planners ## 📋 Quick Reference ### Code Statuses - **Active**: Available to use - **Partially Used**: Balance remaining (for gift cards and vouchers) - **Fully Used**: Zero balance - **Expired**: Past expiration date (if set) ### Popular Amounts - $50 - Single hour rental - $100 - Half day adventure - $200 - Full day experience - $500 - Weekend package ### Staff Scripts **Selling**: "Gift cards make perfect presents for adventure lovers!" **Balance Check**: "I can look that up - what's your gift card code?" **Partial Use**: "You have $X remaining that you can use anytime!" ## 🔒 Security & Fraud Prevention ### Protect Against Fraud - Unique, complex codes - One-time generation - Balance limits - Usage tracking - Velocity checks ### Staff Guidelines - Never share codes insecurely - Verify purchaser identity - Document all adjustments - Monitor unusual patterns --- 💡 **Pro Tip**: Promote gift cards heavily during November–December; many businesses see a large portion of annual gift card sales in this window. Need help? Contact [email protected] ## Appendix: Policy Templates (Copy/Paste) 1) Raincheck (Voucher) Policy - If we cancel due to weather or safety, we’ll issue a voucher equal to your booking total (before taxes/fees). - Vouchers can be used on a future booking and may have an expiration date. - Vouchers cannot be applied to the original cancelled booking. 2) Discount & Coupon Policy - Percentage coupons are limited to one per order. - You may use more than one discount ($ off) code if allowed. - Gift cards can be combined with discounts/coupons. 3) Gift Card Policy - Gift cards act like cash at checkout and may be refunded when appropriate. Refunds are processed at the cart level using intelligent LIFO allocation: stored‑value applied to the purchase is restored first up to the original applied amounts, then any remaining refund is sent back to the credit card payment. - If your purchase is more than the gift card balance, you can pay the difference with a credit card. - Lost codes can often be recovered with proof of purchase.