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Gift cards for small business are one of the simplest ways to sell more without cutting prices: someone pays today and, usually, someone else comes in later to discover your shop. This guide covers when they sell, whether paper or digital suits you, how to manage balances and top-ups, how to take payment without fees and how to get the word out.
Why gift cards work for a local business
A gift card solves a real problem for the buyer: they want to give something meaningful but don't know the exact size, color or taste. If they like your business, gifting it is easy.
For you, there are three clear benefits:
- You get paid up front. The money comes in today, even if you deliver the service weeks later.
- New customers who arrive already trusting you. The recipient comes recommended by someone they know.
- Frequent extra spend. If the card is €25 and the dish or service they like costs €32, they pay the difference on the spot.
Example: a barber shop sells 20 cards at €30 in December. That's €600 collected in the month with the highest costs. In January and February, when demand usually dips, those 20 people come in to redeem them, and some stay on as regulars.
The dates when they sell most
Plan ahead. Ideally, have your cards ready about three weeks before each date.
| Date | What to offer | For whom |
|---|---|---|
| Christmas and the holidays | Set amounts (€20, €30, €50) | Family, Secret Santa, businesses |
| Valentine's Day (14 February) | Dinner for two, a beauty session | Couples |
| Mother's Day (Mothering Sunday in the UK, May in the US) | A treatment, breakfast, flowers | Children |
| Father's Day (June in the UK and US) | Cut and beard trim, dinner, gourmet products | Children |
| End of the school year | Small amounts | Families thanking teachers |
| Birthdays (all year) | Open amount | Anyone |
Outside these dates, gift cards also work for businesses (gifts for staff or clients) and as prizes in local raffles.
Paper or digital gift card
Both work. Choose based on how your customers buy.
| Paper or cardboard | Digital on the phone | |
|---|---|---|
| As a gift | Can be wrapped and handed over | Handy at the last minute; can come with a greeting card with a QR |
| Cost | Printing and design | No printing |
| Partial balance | You have to note it by hand somewhere | Balance updates automatically |
| Loss | Lose it and the balance is gone | It's on the phone and doesn't get lost |
| Fraud | Easy to copy without controls | Every card is unique |
| Top-ups | Impractical | Simple |
A hybrid that works well: a digital card that lives on the phone, plus a printed envelope or greeting card with the QR for anyone who wants something physical to hand over.
If you use paper for everything today, there's a full comparison in paper punch card vs digital.
Balance, top-ups and expiry
Three decisions to make before you sell the first one.
Balance and partial use
The friendliest option is letting customers spend the balance over several visits. For you, that means tracking how much is left on each card. On paper it's a mess; digitally, the balance drops every time your staff record a purchase and the customer sees it on their phone.
Top-ups
A reloadable card stops being just a gift and becomes a prepaid wallet for regulars. For example, a customer loads €50 at the start of the month and pays for their lunches with it.
Expiry
A clear expiry date avoids balances lingering for years, but don't set one without checking the consumer rules where you trade, which may restrict it. Once you're clear:
- Write the date or period on the card itself and in your terms.
- Remind the customer before it expires: another good excuse for a visit.
- Explain at the till how it works: "You can spend it over several visits and see the balance on your phone."
How to take payment for gift cards with no fees
Many gift card platforms process the payment for you and keep a percentage of every sale. There's a simpler way for a neighborhood business:
- The customer chooses the amount at the counter.
- You take payment at your till like any sale: cash, card or whatever you already use.
- You create the card with that balance in your tool and the person who'll use it saves it to their phone.
- When it's redeemed, your staff scan the card and deduct the amount.
That way you pay no fee per sale, the money goes straight into your account, and the tool only issues the card and tracks the balance.
How to choose the amounts
Amounts affect how much you sell. A few simple guidelines:
- Start from your average ticket. If your typical service is €25, a €25 card covers one full visit and a €50 card covers two.
- Offer two to four fixed amounts. Too many options make buyers hesitate.
- Leave room for an open amount for people who want to give a specific sum.
- Name bundles by what they include, not just the price: "Breakfast for two" is clearer than "€15 card".
Example: an ice cream shop with an average ticket of €5 could offer €10 and €20 cards and a €30 "Summer Club". Someone giving €20 is buying about four visits for another person: plenty of time to discover the place and become a regular.
How to promote your gift cards
A gift card nobody knows about won't sell. What usually works:
- A counter poster with the QR and a direct line: "Stuck for a gift? Give [your business]."
- Your team mentions it in the key weeks: "By the way, we've got gift cards for the holidays."
- A message to your regulars two or three weeks before each date. If they already have your loyalty card on their phone, a lock-screen notification reaches them without relying on social media.
- Round amounts and one highlighted option. For example €20, €40 and €60, with €40 labelled "most popular" only if it really is.
- Bundles that make sense: "Cut + beard trim", "Breakfast for two", "Facial session".
- Local businesses: offer cards to nearby offices and shops for their holiday gifts.
- Social media: post a photo of the gift, not the discount.
Ideas by trade
- Restaurants: dinner for two or a tasting menu.
- Barber shops: cut and beard trim for Father's Day.
- Beauty salons: a treatment for Mother's Day.
- Retail stores: an open amount so the recipient chooses.
Common gift card mistakes
- Launching them on 20 December. Too late: get them ready by late November.
- Unclear terms. Amount, partial use, expiry and where to see the balance.
- Tracking balances from memory. It ends in arguments with customers.
- Ignoring the person who redeems it. Someone with a gift card is a new customer: offer them your loyalty card too so they come back. More ideas in how to get repeat customers.
Gift cards with Stampaz
In Stampaz, the gift card is one of the 6 card types included on every plan: it holds a balance, can be topped up and expiry is optional. Customers save it to Apple Wallet or Google Wallet (or use a web card) without downloading anything, and the balance updates every time your staff scan it from any phone. Stampaz doesn't process payments: you take payment at your till and mark it on your phone, so there are no fees per sale. To compare it with other card types, read points vs stamps vs cashback.
Frequently asked questions
Set fixed amounts or an open amount, take payment at your till like any sale and hand the card over on paper or on the customer's phone. Keep them visible at the counter and mention them around key dates.
Yes. Depending on your tool, it's delivered with a link or a QR printed on a greeting card, and the recipient saves it to their phone. No plastic card needed.
That depends on the consumer rules where you trade, which may restrict expiry dates. Check with your accountant or local consumer protection body before you decide.
Gift cards are often treated differently from a normal sale for accounting and tax. Ask your accountant how to record both the sale and the redemption before you start selling them.
Not necessarily. If you take payment at your own till and only use a tool to issue the card and track the balance, you don't pay that tool a fee per sale.