WooCommerce gift cards are not part of WooCommerce core, so you need an extension or plugin to sell them, while Shopify includes gift cards as a built-in product type on most plans. Both can deliver digital gift cards by email, let customers redeem them at checkout and check balances, but WooCommerce gives you more control over how they work and Shopify gives you less to set up. If you want to sell gift cards for Christmas, the sooner you set them up the better, because last-minute shoppers buy them right up to 24 December.
How gift cards work on each platform
Shopify
On Shopify, a gift card is a special product type. You create a gift card product with denominations (for example 25, 50 and 100 in your store currency), the customer buys it, and Shopify generates a unique code and sends it by email. The code can then be applied at checkout like a payment method, and any remaining balance stays on the card. You can also issue gift cards manually from the admin, which is useful for refunds and customer service.
Gift card availability and some features depend on your Shopify plan and region, so check your plan in Settings and the current Shopify help docs before you promise anything in your marketing.
WooCommerce
WooCommerce core supports coupons but not gift cards. A coupon is a discount, a gift card is stored value with a balance, and that difference matters for accounting and for how partial use works. To sell real gift cards you add an extension: there is an official Gift Cards extension on the WooCommerce marketplace, and several third-party plugins. Features differ, so compare them against the list below rather than picking the first one.
Some stores use coupons as a stand-in for gift cards. It works for simple promotions, but coupons do not track a running balance in the same way, and they show up as discounts in your reports rather than as payments.
Built in vs needs an extension
| Feature | Shopify | WooCommerce |
|---|---|---|
| Sell gift cards as products | Built in (check your plan) | Extension or plugin |
| Email delivery of the code | Built in | Extension or plugin |
| Send to a recipient on a chosen date | Check your plan or use an app | Depends on the extension |
| Custom amounts chosen by the buyer | Usually needs an app or workaround | Depends on the extension |
| Physical gift cards | Check your plan, POS setup or apps | Depends on the extension |
| Partial redemption and balance | Built in | Extension or plugin |
Where the table says “depends”, read the extension or app documentation before buying. Features worth checking for are scheduled delivery to the recipient, a personal message, and a branded email.
Digital delivery
Most holiday gift cards are bought late and sent digitally, so the delivery email is the product. Get these right:
- Recipient fields: collect recipient name, email and an optional message on the product page, not in an order note.
- Delivery date: if your setup supports it, let buyers pick 25 December so the card arrives on the day, not when they buy it.
- Branded email: the gift card email should show your logo, the amount, the code, how to redeem it and the expiry rules, if any. Test it on Gmail, Outlook and a phone.
- Deliverability: gift card emails that land in spam generate support tickets. On WooCommerce, send store email through a proper SMTP or transactional email service rather than the server’s default mail function.
- Printable version: some buyers want to print the card and put it in an envelope. A PDF or printable page helps.
Tax and accounting, in general terms
This is general information, not tax advice. In many places, selling a gift card is treated as taking a payment in advance, not as a sale of goods. The money is usually recorded as a liability until the card is redeemed, and sales tax or VAT treatment depends on your country and on what the card can be spent on. In the UK and EU, for example, vouchers that can only buy one type of goods may be treated differently from vouchers that can buy anything in your shop.
Practical steps:
- On Shopify, check how your tax settings treat gift card products and confirm with your accountant.
- On WooCommerce, mark gift card products as virtual and check what tax class the extension applies to them.
- Make sure your reports separate gift card sales from product sales, and gift card redemptions from discounts. Ask your accountant how they want this exported.
- Check local rules on expiry dates before you set one. Some jurisdictions restrict them.
Redemption, balance checks and fraud basics
Redemption and balance
Customers should be able to enter the code at checkout, see the amount applied and see what is left. Add a simple balance check page or link it from the gift card email, and from your footer during December. On WooCommerce, check whether the extension also lets customers redeem the code into their account, so they do not need to type it each time. If you sell in store and online, confirm the same card works in both places.
Fraud basics
Gift cards are attractive to fraudsters because they turn a stolen card into spendable value quickly.
- Review high-value or bulk gift card orders before the code is sent, especially new customers buying several cards.
- Use your payment provider’s fraud analysis and hold orders flagged as high risk.
- Do not let gift cards be used to buy other gift cards.
- Rate-limit balance check pages and code entry so codes cannot be guessed by brute force. On WooCommerce, ask your developer or host about this.
- Never show full codes in admin screenshots or support emails.
Designing the gift card product page
- Put the denominations as clear buttons, not a dropdown.
- Show recipient fields directly under the price, with the delivery date next to them.
- Show a preview of what the recipient will receive.
- State the rules in plain words: expiry (or no expiry), where the card can be used, and that it cannot be exchanged for cash if that is your policy.
- Add the gift card to your menu, cart page and shipping cut-off banner, so late shoppers see it when physical delivery is no longer possible.
- Exclude gift cards from sale discounts unless you intend to discount them.
Timeline for the holiday season
- This week (from 26 October): choose the extension or confirm your Shopify plan supports gift cards. Set up products and test emails.
- Before Black Friday (27 November): run test purchases, partial redemptions and a refund. Decide whether gift cards are excluded from Black Friday and Cyber Monday (30 November) offers.
- Early December: add the gift card to menus and banners as carrier cut-off dates approach.
- Christmas Day (25 December) and Boxing Day (26 December): expect redemptions. Check that checkout accepts codes without errors.
If you need a gift card extension installed, configured and tested properly, I take on that kind of work as a freelance WooCommerce developer. I have built stores such as a wine WooCommerce website and a probiotic drinks WooCommerce store. If you are on Shopify instead, see my Shopify development services.
Frequently asked questions
Does WooCommerce have gift cards built in?
No. WooCommerce core has coupons, not gift cards with a balance. You need the official Gift Cards extension or a third-party plugin.
Can I use WooCommerce coupons as gift cards?
For simple cases, yes, but coupons are discounts. They do not track a remaining balance in the same way and they appear as discounts in your reports, which can confuse your accounts.
Are Shopify gift cards available on every plan?
Not always. Availability and features depend on your plan and region, so check your plan settings and Shopify’s help docs.
Should gift cards be included in Black Friday discounts?
Usually not, because a discounted gift card is a discount on everything later. If you do include them, set it up deliberately and check how it affects your margins.
If you want a quick check of your gift card setup before the Christmas rush, send me your store URL and what you sell.