Using Gift Cards
This walkthrough goes from a fresh install to a sold and redeemed gift card, covering what the buyer, the recipient and the store see at each step.
1. Set up codes and the email
Section titled “1. Set up codes and the email”Open WooCommerce → Gift Cards and tune the basics: a code prefix so cards are recognisable, the checkout discount label (using {code} if you want the card shown on the total), and the recipient email subject and body. Use the live preview to check the email reads well before you go live.
2. Create a gift-card product
Section titled “2. Create a gift-card product”Add a product for each value you want to sell — for example a $25, $50 and $100 card. For each one, set the price to the card value and tick Gift card on the General tab. Save. That product now sells a card worth its price.
3. Sell the card
Section titled “3. Sell the card”A shopper buys the gift-card product like any other. If they want to gift it directly, an optional per-line recipient email sends the code straight to that person; otherwise it goes to the order’s billing email so it is always deliverable. Buying a quantity of two issues two codes.
4. Deliver the code
Section titled “4. Deliver the code”When the order completes, the plugin generates a unique code per unit and emails it to the recipient using your subject and body. If Show issued codes to the buyer is on, the codes also appear on the order-confirmation page and in the buyer’s order emails.
5. Redeem at checkout
Section titled “5. Redeem at checkout”The recipient enters their code in the redeem field at checkout. The card’s balance is applied as a discount on the order total, shown with your checkout label. If the balance is larger than the order, the remainder carries over for a future order — partial redemption is automatic.
A worked example
Section titled “A worked example”A customer buys a $50 card and has it emailed to a friend. The friend later spends $30 of it: the order is discounted by $30, the card’s stored balance drops to $20, and that $20 is available the next time they shop. Nothing is lost on a partial spend.
When to reach for Pro
Section titled “When to reach for Pro”The free edition covers selling cards, the emailed code, redemption at checkout and a stored balance with partial redemption. Gift Cards Pro adds custom amounts (buyer-chosen values), scheduled delivery, the [giftcards_balance] balance-check shortcode, admin redemption history, custom card email designs and bulk CSV generation; PDF attachments are planned. See Gift Cards Pro.