Before you continue, make sure you've read About Gift Cards and Vouchers to make sure that this is the kind of method you with to use for your gift cards.
A "manual" gift card has to be first created in the backend. This is ideal for businesses that wish to have their gift cards to be physical cards available at the counter. They have to be scanned at the counter when they are bought in order to be activated.
In this article:
Creating the Gift Card
Selling the Gift Card
Paying with the Gift Card
Important notes for HQ accounts
Printing QR codes on receipts
Creating the Gift Card
In order to create a gift card, you must first create a product that will be linked to the gift card/voucher, eg. "$50 Gift Card".
Go to POS > Products > Add Product
2. Enter the Product Name and Price.
Note: do not set a printer location for your gift card.
3. Under Price, tick Is Voucher.
4. Click Save, then Close.
5. Go to iPad Menu > POS Menu and add the product to the menu. Click Publish.
6. Go to the Loyalty Marketing module and then to Vouchers and Gift Cards > Vouchers and Gift Cards.
7. Click New Voucher. A new listing with a generated Code will appear in the table below.
Note: If you want to create multiple gift cards with the same information (eg. one hundred $20 Gift Cards), click Generate Vouchers at the top of the page.
Please remember to adhere to the laws of your country regarding gift cards. In Australia, "the cards must be redeemable for at least three years after the date of purchase." (ACCC). Keep this in mind when creating multiple gift cards that you intend to sell over time.
8. To configure a gift card:
Select the Product created earlier.
Enter the Amount. This will be automatically copied into the Balance, which will decrease as the gift card is used.
Set an Expiry date.
Set the Voucher Type to Gift Card.
Leave the Used field; this only applies to single-use vouchers.
Leave the Active field as "No"; it will automatically update when the card is activated through purchase. A gift card must be purchased in order to be activated.
9. Find the QR code for each gift card code. You can find this when you click the Code in the table.
10. Save the QR code shown by right-clicking the image.
11. Either print or e-mail the QR code as a gift card. There can only be one gift card per QR code. If you wish to create one hundred $50 gift cards, they will each need an individual QR code.
Note: You can always export your gift cards as a CSV file and give the Codes to a third party to convert to QR Codes.
Selling the Gift Card
On the POS, sync the menu.
2. In the Point of Sale screen, tap the gift card that the customer wishes to purchase.
3. Present the QR Code of the gift card to the iPad camera to scan.
Note: You will need to have granted the Abacus POS application access to the iPad's camera. Alternatively, you can use a scanner connected to the iPad that supports 2D scanning; press the barcode symbol (between the sync icon and the menu icon) and scan the code.
4. The gift card's details will be loaded up.
As you have already created the gift card on the backend, you won't be able to change the expiry date, so you need to have preset an expiry date far enough in the future.
Note: You can also have the option to print a copy of the gift card's QR code at the end of the receipt (see Printing QR Codes on the receipt).
5. The gift card, with its code, will be attached to the order.
6. Complete the transaction as usual. Once the customer has made a full payment to this order, the gift card will be activated and can be used.
Until a gift card has been purchased, it cannot be used.
Paying with the Gift Card
Before attempting payment with a gift card, ensure that Scan for Voucher Mode has been enabled in Settings.
Add your items to the order, then press PAY as per normal.
2. Press the GIFT CARD button.
(If you have instead created vouchers, press the VOUCHER button.)
3. You will be prompted to scan the QR code of the gift card. Hold the QR Code (printed or on mobile) in front of the iPad camera.
4. Once the QR code has been scanned, the gift card information will appear, including the gift card number, the card balance before the purchase, the card amount being spent, and the card balance after purchase. It will also specify the expiry date.
Note: Untick Maximum if your customer wishes to spend less than the available amount on the gift card, i.e. if the current purchase is $50, and the gift card has $50, the customer can choose only to spend $30 of that $50 with the gift card, and use the remaining $20 some other time.
5. Settle any leftover payment as per normal.
Note: A gift card and a voucher can be combined to make a payment, but a gift card cannot be combined with a gift card, and a voucher cannot be combined with a voucher.
Important notes for HQ accounts
If you are using a HQ account, i.e. you have a multi-site business, you will need to make sure that:
Your gift cards are created in HQ (Vouchers and Gift Cards page)
Your gift cards appear on the POS Menu of all your child sites
Printing QR Codes on receipts
As you are manually creating gift cards, you don't need to print gift card QR codes on the receipt at the point of purchase. However, if you do want to support this:
Go to POS > Print Settings > Printing Templates.
2. Click the Edit (pencil) button in the Invoice Receipt listing.
3. Add the voucher placeholder [have_voucher] at the bottom of the template.
4. Click Save.
5. On the POS, go to Settings > Sync and Sync Receipt Templates.
When you've scanned the gift card to purchase, you'll be able to toggle on/off the "Print copy" option.