Gift cards are one of the highest-margin products a WooCommerce store can offer – customers pay full price today for something that may never be fully redeemed, and gift card recipients are often new customers who spend more than the gift card value. Adding gift cards to WooCommerce requires a plugin because WooCommerce does not include gift card functionality natively. This guide covers the setup process and the specific configuration decisions that matter for a functional gift card system.
Choosing a Gift Card Plugin
Several plugins handle WooCommerce gift cards. The most widely used options are:
- Gift Cards for WooCommerce by Acowebs – free with premium version. Covers physical and digital gift cards, custom amounts, balance tracking.
- Advanced Coupons Gift Cards – included in Advanced Coupons Premium. Good if you already use Advanced Coupons for other promotional functionality.
- YITH WooCommerce Gift Cards – feature-rich premium option with a visual gift card designer.
For most stores, the free Gift Cards for WooCommerce or Advanced Coupons gift cards cover the requirements. YITH’s gift card designer is worth the premium cost for stores where the gift card presentation quality matters.
Step 1: Create a Gift Card Product
After installing your chosen plugin, create a new WooCommerce product and set its type to Gift Card (the plugin adds this product type). Configure:
- Fixed amounts – specific gift card values ($25, $50, $100). Customers select from these options.
- Variable amount – customers enter any amount within a min/max range. More flexible but less common.
- Delivery method – digital (sent by email) or physical (shipped).
For digital gift cards: configure the email delivery with the gift card code, the store logo, a personalised message field (letting the buyer write a message to the recipient), and the expiry date.
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Step 2: Gift Card Code Generation
When a gift card is purchased, the plugin generates a unique code. Configure the code format in plugin settings – typically an alphanumeric code 8-16 characters long. The code is emailed to the buyer or directly to the recipient depending on your configuration. The code is stored in the WordPress database linked to the gift card’s remaining balance.
For physical gift cards, the code needs to be printed on or included with the physical card. Some plugins generate a printable PDF with the gift card design and code; others require you to print codes separately.
Step 3: Redemption Configuration
Customers enter the gift card code at checkout. Most gift card plugins add a dedicated field on the checkout page alongside WooCommerce’s coupon field. Configure:
- Partial redemption – when the cart total is less than the gift card balance, the remaining balance stays on the card for future use. This is standard and expected behaviour.
- Split payment – whether customers can use a gift card plus another payment method when the cart total exceeds the card balance.
- Expiry – many jurisdictions have laws about gift card expiry. Research your local regulations before setting expiry dates. In the UK, EU, and many US states, gift cards cannot expire for at least a year and may have specific requirements about how expiry is communicated.
Step 4: Balance Management
Gift card balances decrease with each use. Customers should be able to check their remaining balance. Configure a balance check page or form on your store where customers enter their code to see the remaining value. This reduces support contacts from customers asking “how much is left on my card.”
In the admin, gift card codes and their current balances are visible in the gift card management section. Issue refunds to gift cards (adding balance back) when customers return products purchased with a gift card. Refunding to the original payment method when the original payment was a gift card credit creates accounting complications – most stores refund to store credit or gift card balance for gift card purchases.