Frequently asked questions about our Gift Card Shopping Cart & Instant
Gift Certificates
We realize that online sales can be confusing
to understand and for some, downright frightening. However,
that is exactly why we developed this easy to use shopping cart
system specifically designed to sell gift
cards or gift certificates online. We can
assure you that our system will be the easiest and most cost
effective way to drive additional gift card or certificate sales
revenue through your website.
We have listed some frequently asked questions to help you understand
more about our service:
- How do I know if I should be offering my gift cards or certificates
for sale online?
If you currently offer gift cards or certificates for sale in
your physical store and you already have a website then you should
be offering those same gift cards or certificates for sale online.
In 2007 online gift card and certificate
sales exceeded $17 billion dollars. You want to be part of that! With our No
Risk Free Setup Plan it won't cost you anything to find out
if your site can deliver additional sales for your business.
- Does your system allow me to sell Virtual or Instant
Gift Certificates?
Yes. Our system allows you to offer both your physical gift card/certificates
or Instant Printable Gift Certificates to your customers online.
You can choose to offer one or both and let your
customers decide. We also provide a tracking system to maintain
redeemed balances of your Instant Gift Certificates and the ability
to print or email updated balances at the click of a button.
This is perfect for merchants that don't currently have a system
in place for physical gift cards or certificates or for merchants
that want to offer both.
- How do I track if a printable instant gift certificate has
been redeemed?
Your printable instant gift certificates are marked
with a unique Gift ID #. When presented with the printed
gift certificate at any of your locations, you just need to login
to TheGiftCardCafe.com Merchant Login to look up the Gift ID
# and check that it's a valid Gift ID #. If the gift certificate
is used in full you can mark that gift certificate in the merchant
login as REDEEMED or if it was partially used enter the amount
used and our system will track the remaining balance. You can
also print an updated gift certificate with the remaining
balance or email it to the customer with the click of a button.
Also, check the How
it Works Videos.
- I already have a page on my website telling people
we offer gift cards or certificates, so why should I do this?
Having a page on your website just telling people to call your
store to place an order is NOT the same as offering actual online
sales where the order & payment is collected online! Some
people may call, but you are missing out on the millions of core
online shoppers that expect the convenience of ordering & paying
online. If that person makes it to your website and they have
to call to order, they will simply click to another website...and
you have lost that sale. Our shopping cart system can be easily
added to that page of your site in 5 minutes which will allow
secure online sales.
- I am new to online sales, what about support and do I need
to know about online security?
Don't worry we got you covered! You don't need to know anything
about online security because everything is handled via our system.
We take care of security for you and monitor all transactions
for fraud and potential errors. If you have questions our support
is included with our service and we are available via our toll
free # 1-800-410-8103 7 days a week and 24/7 via email.
- How is your shopping cart system different from Paypal or Google
checkout?
There are many differences, but the most important is that both
Paypal & Google checkout does not allow your customers to
freely make a purchase without being prompted to create an account
on their system. This is a HUGE obstacle that turns many people
away! While lots of people have these accounts the vast majority
of online consumers do not.
Our system
is considered a "professional" shopping cart which
allows for easy checkout and does not put hurdles in front of
the purchase process. Our clients have found that our shopping
cart converts 3 times higher than when they were using services
like Paypal or Google checkout.
We also offer Instant Printable Gift Certificate features not
offered by these other services.
- I added your shopping cart to my site but how does
the customer get the gift card or certificate when an order
is placed?
For physical gift cards/certificates:
When an order is placed you will instantly receive an email with
all the order details [ View
sample email ]. This is your order receipt and you must ship
the gift card or certificate to the shipping address listed on
the receipt. Also, all order details & history can be accessed
by logging into your secure account online. Also, check the How
it Works Videos.
For Instant Gift Certificates:
When an order is placed for you will instantly receive an email
with all the order details and the Instant Gift Certificate is
automatically sent to the recipient [ View
Instant Gift Certificate Sample ]. The gift recipient will
print the Instant Certificate and present it at your store just
like a physical gift certificate or card. You can validate and
manage instant gift certificate balances via our secure merchant
login. Also, check the How
it Works Videos.
- I am getting online orders but how do I get the money for these
orders?
If you are using our No
Risk Free Setup Plan then we are securely processing the
customer's credit card and collecting the payment. We then issue
you a check twice a month for all sales up to the 15th of the
month and the last day of the month less our per order fee. You
should ship orders as soon as you get the email order receipt
because that guarantees the customer has paid. Also, you can
check payout status and history by logging into your secure
merchant login online. Also, check the How
it Works Videos.
If you are using our Upgrade Plan then
our system securely transmits payment through your online merchant
account and the funds go directly into your account. You
can ship that order as soon as you get the email order receipt
because that guarantees the customer has paid.
- How much do I charge for shipping?
The best thing about selling gift cards or certificates is the
ease of shipping. Most merchants that sell gift cards online
charge a nominal $1 for shipping to simply cover postage.
- I offer special packages, can I offer gift card or certificates
for those special package amounts?
Yes, you offer gifts by dollar amount or by package value. We
provide easy to use control for you to add details and pricing
for all your packages [ View
sample packages in our shopping cart ]. This is a great feature
because it allows you to make changes to package pricing and
descriptions at any time. You can add special holiday packages
and special promotion packages. Also, check the How
it Works Videos.
- Do you supply the gift cards or certificates?
Yes, if you use our Instant Gift Certificate option. Otherwise,
you need to use your existing gift card or gift certificate system
that you already have in place.
- What type of payment does your shopping cart accept?
Our system accepts Visa, MasterCard, American Express, and Discover.
- What happens if my customer wants a refund or loses the gift
card or certificate?
Once a valid purchase has been completed online you are then
responsible for resolving customer complaints for lost or stolen
cards and refunds due to customers dissatisfied with your services.
We recommend posting your gift card policies on your website. If
there is an error during an online transaction that requires
a refund we take care of that right away, usually before you
know about it. If you need to report a transaction error we are
available via our toll free # 1-800-410-8103 7 days a week and
24/7 via email.
For Instant Gift Certificates you can login into the Merchant Login
and email or re-print an Instant GiftCertificate with just the
click of a button.
|