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Manually Generated Gift Cards

Create multiple-use gift cards to distribute!

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Written by Lucien Hopkinson

Quick answer: A manual gift card is a physical card that's activated by scanning it at the counter when sold. First create a product in Nomni Console (Products > Add Product), tick Is Voucher under Price and add it to your POS menu.

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 Nomni Console. 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".

  1. Go to Nomni Console > Products > Add Product

    Go to Nomni Console > Products > Add Product

  2. Enter the Product Name and Price.

    Nomni POS Console new gift card product with Product Name and Price highlighted

    Note: do not set a printer location for your gift card.

  3. Under Price, tick Is Voucher.

    Nomni POS Console product Price tab with Is Voucher highlighted

  4. Click Save, then Close.

  5. Go to iPad Menu > POS Menu and add the product to the menu. Click Publish.

    Click Publish

  6. Go to the Loyalty Marketing module and then to Vouchers and Gift Cards > Vouchers and Gift Cards.

    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.

    Click New Voucher
    Nomni POS Console Vouchers list with New Voucher and the generated code highlighted

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:

  • Leave the Used field; this only applies to single-use vouchers.

  • Select the Product created earlier.

    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.

    Nomni POS Console voucher settings with Voucher Type set to Gift Card highlighted

  • 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.

Nomni POS Console gift card QR code and voucher code

10. Save the QR code shown by right-clicking the image.

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.

Nomni POS Console Vouchers and Gift Cards list with the export option highlighted

Selling the Gift Card

  1. On the POS, sync the menu.

    Nomni POS app Sync Menu prompt with the OK button highlighted

  2. In the Point of Sale screen, tap the gift card that the customer wishes to purchase.

    Nomni POS app Point of Sale screen with the gift card product highlighted

  3. Present the QR Code of the gift card to the iPad camera to scan.

    Nomni POS app gift card dialog for scanning or entering the gift card code

    Note: You will need to have granted the Nomni 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 Nomni Console, 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).

    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.

    Nomni POS app order with the gift card and its code attached

  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.

Nomni POS app Settings with Scan for Voucher Mode highlighted

  1. 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.)

    Nomni POS app payment keypad with the Gift Card button highlighted

  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.

    n 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.

    Nomni POS app gift card payment dialog showing the scanned card balance

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.

Nomni POS app gift card payment dialog with the Maximum option highlighted

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:

  1. Go to POS > Print Settings > Printing Templates.

    Go to POS > Print Settings > Printing Templates

  2. Click the Edit (pencil) button in the Invoice Receipt listing.

    Click the Edit (pencil) button in the Invoice Receipt listing

  3. Add the voucher placeholder [have_voucher] at the bottom of the template.

    Nomni POS Console receipt template with the [have_voucher] placeholder highlighted

  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.
​

Need help?

Email support@nomni.ai or call 1300 445 483.

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