If you’ve ever been unsure about what to give someone for their birthday, chances are high you’ve opted for a last-minute gift card. Gift cards are the go-to gift for anyone stumped on what to purchase for loved ones on a special occasion. Physical gift cards make great stocking stuffers, and a digital gift card is perfect for sending to long-distance friends or when you need something for your family instantly.
For retailers, gift cards are an opportunity to make money from both gift-givers and new customers. In 61% of cases, customers using gift cards spend past their gift amount, averaging $31.75 over the card’s value. If your ecommerce brand hopes to bring in more customers and revenue, gift card apps may be a solution.
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What are gift card apps?
Gift card apps are third-party apps businesses use to issue and manage physical or digital gift cards, in-store or online credit, and customer loyalty programs. These apps save business owners time and provide customers with a way to pay beyond using a major credit card.
Many gift card apps offer additional features to improve the customer experience. Depending on the app, your customers may be able to customize their gift card with a personal message, choose or create a unique gift card design, and schedule delivery of multiple gift cards in advance.
It’s possible some of your favorite brands already use this technology. Some well-known brands that use a gift card app include Skims, Good American, Milk Bar, and Allbirds.
Top gift card apps for ecommerce
- Shopify
- Govalo Gift Card Suite
- Vify Professional Gift Cards
- GV: Gift Cards Loyalty Rewards
- Gift Card Factory
Here are some of the best gift card apps store owners can use to create, manage, and distribute gift cards:
Shopify
You can create gift cards for your ecommerce store directly within the Shopify app. Simply log in to your admin and navigate to Products > Gift cards > Create gift card. You’ll need to create pre-set dollar amounts for gift cards you list publicly on your store. Gift cards are available to Shopify store owners at all plan tiers.
Govalo Gift Card Suite
With Govalo, you can offer customizable digital gift cards, corporate gift cards, subscriptions, and store credit to customers, as well as offer customers a tool to track balances. Enterprise users get additional features, including API access, white-glove service, monthly insight reporting, a negotiable volume rate, and an annual billing option.
Pricing: For the free tier, a 2.9% fee is taken from each gift card’s value. The Premium subscription is $79 per month with a 2.25% fee, and the Enterprise subscription is $399 per month with a 1.5% fee.
Vify Professional Gift Cards
Vify Professional Gift Cards is an app that manages gift cards and gift vouchers. It offers a free account with basic features: email configuration, gift card management, custom product pages, and a custom redemption page. Other features include the option to create plastic gift cards, reminders for expiring gifts, a page where customers can review their balance, and a bulk gift card upload option.
Pricing: Free plan available, plus three paid subscriptions ranging from $9.99 to $29.99 per month, offering advanced gift card options. All paid plans include a 14-day free trial.
GV: Gift Cards Loyalty Rewards
The GV: Gift Cards Loyalty Rewards app allows for the following card types: branded, bulk, digital, physical, reloadable, and store credit. It allows customers to choose custom dollar amounts, and you can upload your own designs, create check-balance pages, and add the option for gift messages, expiry dates, and reminders.
Pricing: Free plan available.
Gift Card Factory
With Gift Card Factory, ecommerce stores can offer their customers digital or reloadable cards or store credit. Customization features include custom emails, balance pages, gift messages, expiry dates, and reminders. There’s also a gift card import functionality.
Pricing: Four subscriptions range from $19.99 to $199.99 per month, with varying numbers of gift cards included. All plans offer a 14-day free trial.
Gift card app FAQ
Can you do gift cards through Shopify?
You can create gift cards for your ecommerce business directly in Shopify or through a third-party app. Either option makes it possible to track and manage your gift cards. To create a gift card directly in the Shopify app, log into your admin and select “Products,” then “Gift cards,” then “Create gift card.”
How do you add gift cards as a payment on Shopify?
You can add gift cards as a payment option alongside major credit cards and PayPal by implementing a third-party app. First, install a gift card app like Rise.ai, Gift Card Factory, or Vify from the Shopify AppStore. From there, the app will guide you through the process of initiating a subscription and managing gift cards for your business.
Why should you use gift card apps on Shopify?
Gift card apps can help your ecommerce business improve your customer acquisition, conversion, and retention rates. Many Shopify merchants opt for gift card apps because they are convenient, save time, and provide customization features aimed at elevating the customer’s gifting experience.
