Gift Certificates

Gift certificates let customers purchase travel credit that can be redeemed on future bookings. This feature allows you to sell gift certificates through your public portal, track their status, and let customers apply them as payment during checkout. Each certificate has a unique code, expiration date, and redeemable value.

How It Works

A customer (the purchaser) buys a gift certificate for a specific amount and provides recipient information and an optional personal message. After payment, the certificate becomes active and a PDF is generated with the unique redemption code. The recipient can then use that code during booking to apply the certificate value as payment. You can track certificate status, void certificates when needed, and manage the entire lifecycle from purchase to redemption.

Key Concepts

Certificate Statuses

Gift certificates move through different statuses:

• Pending: Certificate has been created but payment hasn't been completed yet.
• Active: Certificate is paid and ready to be redeemed. This is the normal working status.
• Redeemed: Certificate has been used on a booking. It cannot be used again.
• Voided: Certificate has been cancelled and cannot be used. This is typically for refunds or corrections.
• Expired: Certificate has passed its expiration date and can no longer be redeemed.

Unique Redemption Codes

Each certificate receives a unique 12-character code that customers enter during booking to redeem the certificate. These codes are randomly generated and help prevent fraud.

Purchase Flow

When purchasing a certificate, customers:

1. Choose an amount within your configured minimum and maximum
2. Enter purchaser information (name and email)
3. Enter recipient information (name and email)
4. Optionally add a personal message
5. Complete payment
6. Receive a PDF certificate with the redemption code

Expiration

Certificates expire after a configurable number of days from activation. You set the expiration period in your workspace settings, and each certificate tracks its own expiration date. Expired certificates cannot be redeemed.

Redemption Process

During booking, customers:

1. Enter the 12-character redemption code
2. System validates the code exists and is active
3. System checks the certificate hasn't expired
4. System verifies the certificate value doesn't exceed the order total
5. Certificate value is applied as payment toward the order
6. Certificate status changes to "Redeemed"

Customers cannot redeem a certificate if its value is greater than the order total. The certificate must be used in full on a single booking.

Activity Tracking

The system tracks all certificate activities:

• Created: Certificate record was created
• Purchased: Payment was completed
• Redeemed: Certificate was used on a booking
• Voided: Certificate was cancelled
• Reactivated: Voided certificate was restored
• Sent: Certificate email was sent
• Purchased from Portal: Purchase came from the public portal
• Activated from Portal: Certificate became active via portal purchase

This activity log helps you understand the full lifecycle of each certificate.

Public Purchase Portal

You can enable or disable the public portal where customers can purchase gift certificates directly. This setting is configured in your workspace settings. When enabled, customers can buy certificates without contacting you directly.

Segment Restrictions

Limit which certificates customers can purchase based on segments. This allows you to offer specific certificate types to certain customer groups or markets.

Common Tasks

Enabling Gift Certificate Sales

Turn on the public purchase portal in your workspace settings and configure the minimum and maximum certificate amounts. Set the number of days until expiration.

Creating Manual Certificates

Create a certificate manually in the admin interface when a customer purchases by phone or email. Enter the purchaser and recipient details, amount, and any personal message.

Processing Redemptions

When a customer enters a redemption code during booking, the system automatically validates and applies the certificate. You can see which certificate was used on each order.

Voiding Certificates

Void a certificate when you need to cancel it (for refunds or corrections). Add a reason for voiding to maintain clear records. If needed, you can reactivate a voided certificate later.

Searching Certificates

Find certificates by searching for the redemption code, purchaser email, recipient email, or status. This helps you quickly locate specific certificates when customers have questions.

Generating PDFs

PDFs are generated automatically when certificates become active. You can also manually download PDFs for sending to customers or record-keeping.

Tracking Certificate Sales

View all certificates to see your gift certificate revenue, identify popular amounts, and understand redemption rates. This helps you evaluate the success of your gift certificate program.

Managing Expiration

Certificates expire automatically based on your configured expiration period. You can see upcoming expirations and notify customers before their certificates expire.

How It Connects

Gift certificates connect to other parts of your workspace:

• Orders — Redeemed certificates are linked to the orders where they were used as payment.
• Segments — Segment settings can restrict which certificates are available to specific customer groups.
• Actions — Gift certificate creation can trigger automated email notifications.