Software Solutions for Gift Card and Voucher Sellers
A gift card is stored value, so it needs a code, a balance and a record of every use. It can be sent by email or message, printed and posted, and used in part. Sellers also need controls against abuse and a view of the value still outstanding. This page covers how card sellers operate online.
Issue each card with a code and a balance, and let the buyer give it on the day.
Gift cards are the one gift with nothing to pack. What the buyer pays for is a promise, and the system holds that promise as a balance.
Retailers with their own cards
A shop issues cards that are used in its own store and on its own site.
Multi-brand voucher sellers
A seller issues vouchers from several brands, each with its own terms.
The workflow for gift cards.
- 1
Choose amount and recipient
The buyer picks a card amount and design and enters the recipient’s details and a send date.
- 2
Pay and generate
After payment a unique code is created and linked to the card amount.
- 3
Deliver on the day
The card is sent by email or message at the chosen time, or a printed card goes by post.
- 4
Redeem part or all
The recipient enters the code, the balance falls by the amount used and the remainder stays.
- 5
Control and reconcile
Staff block a lost card, reissue it and match cards issued with the balance still held.
The challenges, and what they cost.
What is specific to this trade.
These are requirements we would confirm in discovery. They describe what the solution may need to handle. They are not features that already exist.
- Unique codes with limits on repeated attempts
- A balance visible to the holder
- A ledger of value issued and outstanding
What we would build for gift cards.
Chosen from the commerce capabilities this business needs, not a list of everything.
Who works in the system, and what each can do.
What it would connect to.
An integration is confirmed only after its API, access and scope are checked. A connection that updates on a schedule is described as scheduled, not real-time.
- Advance and balance recording alongside the gateway, with refund handling tested before launch
- The shop till, only where it can accept a code and report the use
- GST invoices and credit notes passed to accounts, with ledger names agreed beforehand
How the work runs, and what we need from you.
What you provide
- Your card amounts, designs and terms
- How cards are used in shops today
- Your finance team’s needs for the ledger
Card rules first
We set amounts, terms and limits before delivery is built.
Redemption second
Online use goes first, and the shop link follows if the till allows.
What you receive.
- Card issue and delivery flows
- A redemption flow with balances
- A ledger and outstanding report
How progress is judged.
Measures are agreed against your own baseline. We do not promise a result in advance.
- Cards redeemed in part
- Failed code attempts flagged
Selling at home and abroad.
Rules on stored value, expiry and unclaimed balances vary between countries, and your adviser sets them for each market. Cards sold in another currency are a display choice unless your payment provider supports settlement in it.
The wider requirements for gifts & personalised products are on the Gifts & Personalised Products page.
Related subcategories.
Gift Card and Voucher E-commerce Software
Configured implementation
Stored-value cards are set up on commerce software picked during discovery, since many platforms support them. What the chosen platform lacks, such as a shop-side redemption link, is scoped separately.
Read about the softwareExisting GullySystem products that apply
Related services
Selling in a shop as well?
Questions about gift cards e-commerce.
Can a gift card be used in our shop as well?
Only if the counter system can accept the code and report the use. That is checked in discovery before a link is promised.
Can recipients check the balance?
Yes. A page asks for the code and shows the balance, with limits on repeated attempts.
Who decides expiry and terms?
You do, with your adviser. The system applies the terms you enter. It does not decide what rules apply to your business.
Talk through your commerce requirement.
Describe what you sell, where you sell it and what is slowing you down. An engineer will reply within one business day.
- No obligation
- A reply within one business day
- Your details stay private