Working with Gift Cards
Gift cards are one of the easiest ways to bring new customers through your door. Someone buys one for a friend, that friend walks in, browses your humidor, and suddenly you've got a new regular. TORO supports two flavors: gift certificates (code-based) and virtual gift cards (swipe-based with a physical card). Both work great -- they just differ in how the customer presents them.
Gift Certificates -- Code-Based
Think of these as the classic approach. A unique code gets generated, you write it on a paper certificate or print it on the receipt, and the recipient types it in or gives it to the cashier when they're ready to use it.
Selling One
- 1 Add the Gift Certificate item to the transaction
- 2 Enter the dollar amount the buyer wants to load
- 3 Process payment from the buyer like any other sale
- 4 TORO generates a unique certificate ID automatically
- 5 Write that ID on a physical certificate, or just hand them the receipt -- the code is right there
Redeeming One
- 1 When the customer is ready to pay, select Gift Certificate as the payment method
- 2 Enter the certificate ID (or look it up if they've lost the slip)
- 3 TORO shows the remaining balance so there are no surprises
- 4 The purchase amount gets deducted, and whatever's left stays on the certificate for next time
Virtual Gift Cards -- Swipe-Based
These use a physical plastic card, just like the gift cards you'd see at any big retailer. The customer swipes it at the terminal instead of reciting a code. It feels a little more polished.
Selling One
- 1 Add the Virtual Gift Card item to the transaction
- 2 Enter the dollar amount to load onto the card
- 3 Swipe the physical gift card on the payment terminal to register it in TORO
- 4 Process payment -- the card is now loaded and ready to hand over
Redeeming One
- 1 At payment, select Gift Card as the payment method
- 2 The customer swipes their card on the terminal
- 3 TORO reads the balance and deducts the purchase amount automatically
If you're buying pre-printed gift cards from a vendor, you can import them in bulk so they're all ready to activate when a customer wants one.
Checking Balances
Customers will ask "how much is left on this?" -- and you've got a couple ways to answer that quickly.
- Gift Certificate Find tool -- available from the Dashboard or right during payment. Search by the certificate ID and you'll see the balance, original purchase amount, and full redemption history.
- Gift Card lookup from the Dashboard -- same idea, but for swipe-based cards.
Both views show you the complete picture: when it was purchased, every transaction it's been used on, and what's remaining.
Things Worth Knowing
Certificates vs. gift cards -- what's actually different?
Certificates are code-based, meaning someone types in or reads off a number. Gift cards are swipe-based, meaning they use a physical card on the terminal. Both carry balances across multiple transactions, and both work the same way from an accounting perspective.
No expiration by default.
Gift certificates don't expire unless you've specifically configured an expiration policy in your store settings. Most shops leave them open-ended.
Refunds to gift cards.
You can issue a refund onto a gift certificate or gift card instead of giving cash back. It's a clean way to handle returns when you'd rather keep the money in-store as credit.
Tracked separately in reports.
Gift card and gift certificate sales are tracked separately in your reports. This matters for accounting because they represent deferred revenue -- the money came in, but the goods haven't been delivered yet. Your reports will reflect this correctly.