Gift Cards

Gift cards in Pointa are handled as a special sales item and payment type. Do not create a normal product called Gift Card. When gift cards are enabled, Pointa creates the correct system item and Gift Card payment type automatically.

Gift Card Setup

Gift card settings are managed from:

Settings > Sales > Gift Cards

Options include:

• Enable selling gift cards

• Allow gift cards to expire

• Expires in

• Prefix

• Terms and Conditions

If gift cards are disabled, you can no longer issue new gift cards. Existing gift cards can still be redeemed until they expire.

The Prefix appears before the gift card number. For example, a prefix of GC may create codes like GC-001.

The expiry setting only affects new gift cards created after the setting is changed. Existing gift cards keep their existing expiry date unless you manually extend them.

The terms and conditions appear on the downloaded gift card PDF. The gift card PDF also uses the business logo if one has been uploaded.

Types of Gift Card

Pointa supports two types of gift card.

Value gift cards have a dollar value, such as $50 or $100. They can be used as payment against a future sale until the balance is used.

Item gift cards are linked to one or more specific products, services, or packages. They can only be redeemed when the matching item is in the sale.

Most businesses will use Value gift cards most of the time. Item gift cards are useful where the voucher is specifically for something like a treatment, package, or service rather than a dollar amount.

Selling a Gift Card

Best practice is to sell gift cards through the Point of Sale.

Go to: Sales > Sell

Then:

1. Open or select the correct register.

2. Select Gift Card from the item/category area.

3. Choose the gift card type: Value or Item.

4. Enter the value, or select the items included on the gift card.

5. Enter sender details if required.

6. Enter recipient details if required.

7. Tick whether to email a copy to the sender and/or recipient.

8. Add a gift message if required.

9. Review the gift card preview.

10. Select Add gift card.

11. Take payment for the sale.

12. Click Complete Sale.

The gift card is not active until the sale is completed. This is important. If the gift card is added to the cart but the sale is parked, abandoned, or not completed, the gift card remains inactive and cannot be redeemed.

Emailing a Gift Card

When selling the gift card, you can choose to email a copy to:

- the sender

- the recipient

If either option is ticked, the relevant name and email address are required.

Gift cards can also be emailed later from the gift card record, provided the card is active and not expired.

Go to: Sales > Gift Cards

Open the gift card, then select Email.

Downloading or Printing a Gift Card

Gift cards can be downloaded as a PDF.

Go to: Sales > Gift Cards

Open the gift card, then select Download.

The PDF includes the gift card code, business details, recipient details, message, included items if applicable, expiry date if applicable, and terms and conditions.

Checking a Gift Card

Gift cards can be checked from:

Sales > Gift Cards

You can search and filter by status or type.

Gift cards can also be checked from the POS using the gift card/check icon. This is useful when a customer presents a gift card at checkout and staff need to confirm the balance or status.

Gift card statuses include:

• Inactive: created but not yet activated by a completed sale

• Active: available to redeem

• Complete: fully used

• Expired: past expiry date

• Void: cancelled and no longer usable

Redeeming a Gift Card

Gift cards are redeemed as a payment method in POS.

Go to: Sales > Sell

Then:

1. Add the customer’s products, services, or booking items to the sale.

2. Go to payment.

3. Select the Gift Card payment type.

4. Search for or enter the gift card code.

5. Select Use gift card.

6. Complete any remaining payment if the gift card does not cover the full sale.

7. Click Complete Sale.

For a Value gift card, Pointa applies the gift card balance as payment.

For an Item gift card, the matching item must be in the sale. If the sale does not contain an item included on the gift card, Pointa will not allow the card to be used for that sale.

Editing a Gift Card

Inactive gift cards can still be edited before the sale is completed.

Once a gift card has been activated, the value and included items cannot be changed. You can still update details such as sender, recipient, email details, message, and expiry where applicable.

This protects the transaction history once money has been taken.

Extending an Expiry Date

If gift card expiry is enabled, an active or expired gift card can be opened and the expiry date can be updated.

Go to: Sales > Gift Cards > Open gift card > More menu > Extend

If an expired gift card is extended to a future date, it can become active again.

Voiding a Gift Card

To cancel a gift card:

Sales > Gift Cards > Open gift card > More menu > Void

Pointa will ask for a reason. Enter a clear reason, such as Issued in error, Duplicate, or Refunded sale.

Voiding a gift card prevents it from being used.

Refunding a Gift Card Sale

If a gift card sale is returned before the gift card has been used, Pointa can void the gift card as part of the return.

If the gift card has already been used, Pointa will not allow the original gift card sale to be returned in the normal way. This prevents a business from refunding money for a voucher that has already been redeemed.

See the Point of Sale and Sales History sections for more detail on returns.

Locating a Lost Customer Gift Card

To locate a lost gift card, ask the customer to provide as many of the following details as possible:

• Purchasing customer

• Approximate purchase date

• Gift card value

If the customer is unable to provide enough information to verify ownership, take care before disclosing the gift card number. Only provide gift card details when you are satisfied the customer is the legitimate purchaser or recipient.

You can locate a gift card in several ways:

• Sales > Gift Cards
  Displays all gift cards and allows you to search or filter the list.

• Customer Sales History
  Open the purchasing customer's sales history. The gift card will be linked to the original sale.

Once you've located the gift card, you can provide it to the customer again by opening the gift card (Sales > Gift Cards > Open Gift Card) and selecting either:

• Mail to email the gift card.

• Download to generate a PDF copy.

Best Practice

Always complete the sale after issuing a gift card. An incomplete sale leaves the gift card inactive.

Use value gift cards for simple dollar-value vouchers. Use item gift cards only when the voucher is specifically for selected services, packages, or products.

Keep expiry rules and terms and conditions clear. Gift card rules can have legal and customer-service implications, so businesses should make sure their expiry terms are appropriate for their location and business policy.