Activity Messenger Help Center
Gift cards
A virtual gift card in Activity Messenger is a method of payment. It works just like regular gift cards in chain stores. It contains a unique 14-character code used at checkouts that accept gift cards. A gift card holds a balance. It can be used multiple times until the balance reaches 0. A gift card is not a coupon; single-use coupons are described in Loyalty, coupons and punch cards.
- Method of payment: A gift card is a method of payment that can be used for purchases in the issuing organization when gift-card payment is allowed.
- Refund and credit to an account: A gift card can be given to hold store credit when you refund a client.
- Prepaid gift cards: You may sell prepaid gift cards allowing customer to purchase classes, memberships or products later.
Gift cards are only usable in the organization from which they were created. If you manage multiple organizations in Activity Messenger, please be aware of this limitation.
Creating a gift card for online sales
Creating the Gift Card
To get started, go to the E-commerce tab and select Products.
To add a new item, click the blue "+" button and fill in the required information, such as the name and price of the gift card.
For pricing, you have the option to allow your customers to select an amount within a predefined range, setting a minimum and maximum value.
Don't forget to enable the "Gift Card" option to ensure this item is listed as a gift card in your store.
Finally, to personalize your gift card, feel free to add a logo and write an appealing description before saving your changes.
Gift Card sale
Online Store: Give your customers the option to purchase gift cards directly from your website. It's simple and convenient!
Customers can select their desired amount (e.g., $200), add the gift card to their cart, and complete their purchase using a credit card.
🔔 Please note that the online store option currently does not allow customers to gift a gift card to someone else. To offer this feature, you need to select the option to sell the gift card through a form.
- Custom Form: To enhance the user experience, we recommend creating a specific form for selling gift cards. Simply select the "Gift Card Sale" option when creating a new form.
🔔 This feature allows customers to easily gift their gift card to someone else.
Customize the form according to your preferences.
If the customer wants to gift the card to someone else, they can select the corresponding option.
By filling out the form, if the customer chooses the option to gift the card, they can select the delivery date for the gift card and personalize their message according to their preferences.
On their invoice, the customer will be able to see the date and time the gift card was sent to the recipient.
Once the form is created, share it via email or a QR code, allowing your customers to access it quickly. You can also integrate it into your website or micro-site.
Managing gift cards
Click on the menu E-Commerce and choose option Gift cards. You will land on the table of all gift cards in your organization.
You may find a gift card by typing in the client name, email or mobile number. You may archive gift cards with a balance of 0.
Open a gift card to access it. Click on the gift card to reveal the code. Click on the code to copy it to the clipboard.
The gift card window has four buttons: Transfer sends the card to someone else, Merge gift cards combines the client's other cards into this one, Recharge gift card adds funds (an invoice is created and the amount is added once it is paid) and Refund gift card returns the balance to a payment method of your choice. The balance cannot be edited directly.
Activity Messenger keeps a transaction log so you can easily trace the historical activity of the gift card.
Consulting, creating and editing gift cards requires the Account owner or Administrator permission.
Creating a new gift card from scratch
To create a new gift card from scratch, click on the (+) button. Give it a name. You may assign the gift card to an existing client, a new client or keep it unassigned. A new gift card starts with a balance of zero; open it and click Recharge gift card to add funds.
Refund and credit to an account
A gift card can be given to hold store credit when you refund a client.
From any paid invoice, click on either "Cancel and refund" or on "Refund". Choose which invoice items to refund and toggle the option "Refund to a gift card". The refund steps are in Refunds, credits and cancellations; choose Gift card (Activity Messenger) in Refund to.
The gift card will be added on the 2nd page of the receipt PDF sent to the client by email, along with the instructions on how to use the gift card on a future purchase.
Prepaid gift cards
You may sell prepaid gift cards allowing customer to purchase classes, memberships or products later.
Click on the Forms menu, and choose option Create. Select the sample form "Sell a prepaid gift card" and click on Create. This will create a new Payment form with a Products question. Activity Messenger will automatically create a new product called "Gift card" for you.
To modify the gift card product, edit the Products question and then click on the gift card and edit. The product popup will allow you to change the price (the amount on the card), add a sku, set a ledger code and even track inventory. Consult the help docs for selling products and tracking inventory to find out more about products.
Click on the Gift card tab to configure settings. You can allow clients to modify the gift card amount within a minimum and maximum range.
Paying with a gift card
At checkout your client can choose to pay with a gift card. They can type in the 14-character code to apply the gift card as payment. If the gift card balance is less than the total of the invoice, they can pay the remaining amount due with another gift card, or with their credit card.
You cannot use a gift card to purchase a gift card. If you are purchasing a gift card, the option to pay with a gift card will not be available.
Client account
Your client can access their gift cards by going to their Client account. The Gift card tab will list all available and used gift cards. Your client can also consult each gift card history by clicking on the Log button.
The client can click (or tap) on a card to flip it and reveal the code. By clicking (or tapping) on the code, it will get copied to their clipboard. They can then paste to use it at checkout.
Although gift cards are assigned to a client email, anyone can use it so as long they have access to the 14-character code. As such, make sure to keep gift card codes secret.
Settings reference
| Setting | Where | Default | Effect |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gift card (Yes / No) | E-Commerce › Products › product › Gift card tab (shown when gift cards are enabled) | No | When on, buying the product creates a gift card; the card and instructions appear on the purchase receipt. |
| Allow client to set amount | Product › Gift card tab | Off | Lets the buyer type an amount between a Minimum and a Maximum. The minimum is 5 dollars, and the maximum field warns above 1,000 dollars. |
| Search | E-Commerce › Gift cards | Empty | Finds a card by its number, any part of its code or name, or the client's name. |
| Filter | E-Commerce › Gift cards | None | None, Balance > 0 or Archived. |
| Create (+) › Name | E-Commerce › Gift cards | Empty (required) | A name for the card. A new card starts with a zero balance; add funds with Recharge gift card. |
| Create (+) › Client | E-Commerce › Gift cards | Assign to an existing client | Assign to no one, Assign to an existing client, Assign to an existing participant or Assign to a new client (first name, last name and email required). |
| Send the gift card by email | Create window | On | Emails the card to the client it is assigned to. |
| Recharge gift card | Open a gift card | Not applicable | Creates an invoice for the Amount with a Ledger code; the amount is added to the card once the invoice is paid. |
| Gift card settings › Default recharge ledger code | E-Commerce › Gift cards, cog button (requires permission to configure ledger codes) | None | The ledger code preselected when recharging. Administrators can change it before creating the invoice. |
| Refund gift card | Open a gift card; shown when the balance is above zero to the account owner and to users allowed to refund | Not applicable | Creates a refund invoice to a Refund payment method you choose, with an Admin note, an Admin note to client and Send receipt to client by email. |
| Transfer | Open a gift card; the screen states it is only available to users with administrator or account owner permission | Not applicable | Sends the card to another person with an optional custom message. The transfer can only be reversed by an administrator. |
| Merge gift cards | Open a gift card; the screen states it is only available to users with administrator or account owner permission | Not applicable | Merges the client's other cards into this one. The merged cards are erased and can no longer be used. |
| Archive / Restore | Open a gift card | Active | Archive is available only when the balance is 0; an archived card cannot be used. An archived card must be restored before it can be edited, transferred, merged, recharged or refunded. |
| Log | Open a gift card | Not applicable | The transaction history of the card. |
| Prevent payment at checkout with a gift card | Payment options window of a form | Off | Blocks gift cards on that form. See Payment methods. |
| Allow client to pay the balance of their invoice with a gift card | Payment options window of a form | On | Lets clients use a gift card on the pay-balance page. |
Common questions
Is a gift card the same as a coupon? No. A gift card holds a balance and is a method of payment that can be used several times until the balance reaches zero. A coupon is a single-use discount, covered in Loyalty, coupons and punch cards. See the start of this guide.
Can I add money to an existing gift card? Yes, with Recharge gift card. It creates an invoice for the amount you enter, and the balance increases only once that invoice is paid. See Managing gift cards.
Can I edit the balance directly? No. The balance changes through payments and refunds: use Recharge gift card to add funds and Refund gift card to return them. The card's Log records every operation. See Managing gift cards.
How do I refund money onto a gift card? On a paid invoice, choose Refund or Cancel and refund, select the items and turn on Refund to gift card. See Refund and credit to an account and Refunds, credits and cancellations.
Can a gift card pay for another gift card? No. The option to pay with a gift card is not available when you buy a gift card. See Paying with a gift card.
Why can't I archive a gift card? A card can be archived only when its balance is 0, and an archived card can no longer be used. Use Refund gift card or Transfer to deal with a remaining balance first. See Managing gift cards.
Who can use a gift card? Anyone who has its 14-character code, even though the card is assigned to a client's email. Ask clients to keep codes private. See Client account.
Can a gift card be used in another organization I manage? No. Gift cards can only be used in the organization that created them. See the note near the top of this guide.