Gift certificates
Menu Our items → gift certificates (gift cards).
A gift certificate is a voucher bought today, usable later on an invoice (or on the site depending on config) — for yourself or as a gift.
Certificate types
| Type | How it works |
|---|---|
| Open amount | Value in money (e.g. $50) to spend freely until the balance is used up |
| By service | Right to use a specific sub-service (depending on the certificate model) |
| By product | Right to use a specific product / variant |
Taxes at purchase (Canada financial rule)
| Type at purchase | Taxes |
|---|---|
| Open amount | No tax added at purchase — it is a monetary credit / prepayment (Canadian tax practice for this type of voucher) |
| By service or By product | The buyer pays taxes (GST/QST depending on the store) at the time of purchase of the certificate |
Validity period
A gift certificate has a validation date (validity period).
| Rule | Detail |
|---|---|
| Within the period | The code can be used (depending on remaining balance / occurrences) |
| Outside validity | The certificate is no longer accepted, even if balance or occurrences remain |
Always check Start / End (or expiry date) on the model and on the issued certificate.
Display on the showcase site
A certificate can be offered for purchase on the store website only if:
- the certificate (model) is configured to be visible / sellable online, and
- the store has set up a payment system on its showcase (e.g. Stripe, PayPal — store payment settings).
Without an active payment gateway on the site, online gift certificate sales are not available — purchase remains possible at the till / admin invoice depending on your processes.
See: Online payment · Settings Website.
Code and email send
At purchase (till or site):
- A unique code is generated for the certificate.
- The buyer generally receives an email with the invoice and the certificate PDF(s) / the code.
Who can use it?
The buyer can:
- use it themselves on a later visit / invoice, or
- give it to someone else (by passing on the code / PDF).
Redemption uses the code, without requiring that the customer on the usage invoice be the original buyer.
Use until depletion
Certificate by amount
| Rule | Detail |
|---|---|
| Balance | Remaining amount decreases with each use |
| Multiple times | Yes — it can be used several times until the balance is used up |
| Balance at 0 | The certificate is no longer usable |
Certificate by service or product
| Rule | Detail |
|---|---|
| Occurrences | Counts how many times the covered service / product can still be “consumed” |
| On invoice | Each time the related item is added and covered by the certificate, one occurrence is consumed |
| Depletion | When all occurrences are used, the certificate is finished |
In other words: amount = multi-use monetary balance; service / product = number of item uses until depletion.
On an invoice
When used, the certificate appears as a payment / coverage method depending on type (amount on the total, or coverage of the planned service/product line).
Gift certificate purchase lines remain distinct from simple catalogue lines.
See also: Invoices.
Success criteria
- The certificate has a validity period respected at use.
- Online sale appears only if showcase payment (Stripe/PayPal…) is configured.
- I buy an open amount certificate: no taxes on that purchase.
- I buy a by service / product certificate: taxes paid at purchase.
- I receive (or the customer receives) the code / PDF by email.
- An open amount is used several times until balance 0.
- A service/product certificate depletes according to occurrences used on invoices.
- Another person can use the gifted code.