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Gift Certificates

Menu Location: Settings > Gift Certificates (admin-edit.php?table=gift_certificates)

Last Updated: 2026-07-26

Overview

The Gift Certificates page lists every gift certificate that has been purchased through your storefront or created by an admin. Each certificate is a fixed dollar amount that a customer redeems, once, as a discount code at checkout.

Primary Functions:

  • View every gift certificate on file (purchaser, recipient, amount, delivery method, and send status)
  • Filter the list to a purchase date range and export it to CSV
  • Open a certificate to review or edit the purchaser/recipient info, amount, message, and delivery settings
  • Force-send an "Email to Recipient" certificate immediately, ahead of its scheduled send date
  • Jump to Gift Card Settings (page images, default amounts, min/max) or Gift Card Promotions

This page does not create certificates. Customers create them by purchasing one on the storefront; admins create them manually from the Discount Codes page (see Creating Gift Certificates below).

Page Layout

Filter and Export

  • From / To date pickers: filter the list to certificates purchased in that date range (defaults to the last 3 weeks through today)
  • Search button: reloads the list for the selected date range
  • CSV button: downloads a CSV of certificates in that date range

There is no keyword search box on this page (no search by code, name, or email) and no status filter, amount filter, or "Create" button here, the "Add New" control that most list pages show is specifically turned off for this table.

Main Content Area

Table of gift certificates with these columns:

  • Date (purchase timestamp)
  • Customer (linked customer account, if the purchaser had one, links to their customer record)
  • Recipient Name
  • Recipient Email
  • Delivery Method ("Download and print your gift card" or "Email to recipient")
  • Amount
  • Scheduled Send Date (for "Email to Recipient" certificates)
  • Sent Date

Two buttons sit above the table: Gift Card Settings, which opens gift-card-images.php to change page images and set default/min/max amounts, and Promotions, which opens gift-card-promotions.php to create percent-off or money-back deals.

Creating Gift Certificates

Automatic Creation

A certificate is created automatically whenever a customer buys one through the storefront gift card purchase flow. At purchase the customer chooses either:

  • Download and print your gift card, or
  • Email to recipient (optionally scheduled for a future date)

Manual Creation

Admins create a certificate from the Discount Codes page (admin_discount_codes.php), using its "Create Gift Certificate(s)" panel, not from this Gift Certificates page. That form captures:

  • Purchaser name and email
  • Recipient name and email
  • Message
  • Amount (required, must be greater than $0)
  • Quantity

Quantity generates that many separate certificates in one submission, each with the same amount, recipient, and message, but its own unique code and link. Admin-created certificates are marked as already paid and are not automatically emailed to anyone. After saving, each certificate's code and a link to it are shown on screen so you can send it to the customer yourself.

Gift Certificate Codes

Code Format

  • 4 uppercase letters (I, L, and O are excluded to avoid confusion with 1 and 0) followed by 3 digits
  • Example: TXQK482
  • Randomly generated, stored as a discount code (discount_codes table) and linked to the certificate

Code Use

  • Each code is redeemable once, at its full face value
  • Once a customer redeems it, the code is marked as used by that customer and cannot be redeemed again
  • By default a certificate does not expire. On the certificate's edit screen, the Expiration Date field shows a suggested date (December 31st, two years out) if none has been set, but nothing expires until you enter and save a date

Redemption Process

How Customers Redeem

  1. Customer enters the certificate's code as a discount/promo code in the cart or at checkout
  2. The system validates the code and applies its full amount as a discount
  3. The code is marked redeemed to that customer's account and cannot be used again

There is no partial-balance tracking on a certificate, once a code is redeemed it is used up; it does not carry a remaining balance forward.

Managing Gift Certificates

Viewing Certificate Details

Open a certificate (click into its row) to see:

  • Purchaser name and email
  • Linked customer account (if any), recipient name and email
  • Amount, message, delivery method, payment method, payment complete flag, and payment ID
  • The linked discount code (a link to look it up on the Discount Codes page) and its Expiration Date
  • Purchase date (timestamp)
  • Two links: the buyer's web link (/gift?g=...) and a recipient-friendly link (/gift?r=...)
  • Scheduled Send Date and Sent Date
  • A Cancel at Zero Dollars toggle

For "Email to Recipient" certificates, a Delivery Status box shows Sent (with the date), Scheduled (with the date), or Ready to Send.

Editing Certificate

All of the fields listed above are editable from the certificate's edit screen, including the amount and purchaser/recipient info. The one thing you cannot edit is the certificate code itself; only its linked discount code's Expiration Date can be changed here.

Force-Sending a Scheduled Certificate Email

For an "Email to Recipient" certificate that hasn't gone out yet (Sent Date is empty), the edit screen shows a Force Send to Recipient Now button that emails the recipient immediately instead of waiting for the scheduled date. Once a certificate shows Sent, the button is gone, there is no resend action. "Download and print your gift card" certificates are never emailed by the system in the first place, since the buyer downloads it directly at purchase.

Search & Filtering

The only filter on this page is the purchase date range (From / To), used by both the Search and CSV buttons. There is no search by code, customer name, or email, and no status or amount filter on this page.

Reporting & Analytics

The CSV export (Filter and Export section above) contains one row per certificate purchased in the selected date range, with these columns:

  • Gift Certificate Amount
  • Date Purchased
  • Redeemed (yes/no, based on whether the linked discount code has been used)
  • Redemption Date
  • Customer Account Attached to (the redeeming customer's ID)

Note: the Redemption Date column is the redeeming customer's account-created date, not necessarily the date the certificate was actually used, keep that in mind when reading the export.

Common Use Cases

Use Case 1: Issue a Promotional or Apology Certificate

Goal: Give a customer service credit

Steps:

  1. Go to the Discount Codes page and open "Create Gift Certificate(s)"
  2. Enter the customer's name and email as recipient name/email
  3. Set the amount, e.g. $25.00
  4. Add a message
  5. Leave Quantity at 1
  6. Submit

Result: The page shows the generated code and link. Send that link (or the code) to the customer yourself, e.g. in your reply to their ticket.

Use Case 2: Create Several Certificates at Once

Goal: Issue multiple certificates of the same value in one go

Steps:

  1. Go to the Discount Codes page and open "Create Gift Certificate(s)"
  2. Fill in the amount, message, and recipient info
  3. Set Quantity to the number of certificates you need
  4. Submit

Result: That many separate certificates are created, each with its own unique code and link, all sharing the same amount, recipient, and message you entered. The codes/links for all of them are listed on screen for you to distribute.

Use Case 3: Customer Lost Their Certificate Code

Goal: Help a customer who can't find their certificate email or printout

Steps:

  1. Find the certificate on the Gift Certificates page (filter by its purchase date range, or look it up via the customer's linked account)
  2. Open it
  3. If it's an "Email to Recipient" certificate that hasn't sent yet, click Force Send to Recipient Now
  4. Otherwise, copy the recipient link (/gift?r=...) shown on the edit screen and send it to the customer directly

Troubleshooting

Customer Says Certificate Code Doesn't Work

Check:

  1. Verify the code was entered correctly
  2. Look up the certificate and confirm the linked discount code hasn't already been redeemed, a code only works once
  3. Check the Expiration Date on the certificate's edit screen

Email Not Received (Email to Recipient certificates)

Check:

  1. Open the certificate and check its Delivery Status: Sent, Scheduled, or Ready to Send
  2. Verify the recipient email address on the certificate is correct
  3. If it's Ready to Send and the customer needs it now, use Force Send to Recipient Now

CSV Redemption Date Looks Wrong

The CSV export's Redemption Date column reflects the redeeming customer's account-created date, not the date they actually applied the code. Use the Redeemed column to confirm whether a certificate has been used at all.

Cannot Create a Gift Certificate

Check:

  1. You're on the Discount Codes page, not this Gift Certificates page, certificates are created there
  2. The amount is greater than $0, it's a required field
  • Gift Card Settings (gift-card-images.php) - change gift card page images, set default amounts, and min/max
  • Gift Card Promotions (gift-card-promotions.php) - create percent-off or money-back deals for events like Black Friday or Cyber Monday
  • Discount Codes (admin_discount_codes.php) - where certificates are created manually and where their underlying codes live

Typical Workflow:

  1. Customer buys a certificate online, or an admin creates one from the Discount Codes page
  2. The certificate appears in this list
  3. If it's "Email to Recipient" and not yet sent, it can be force-sent from its edit screen
  4. The customer redeems the code at checkout like any discount code

Best Practices

Creating Certificates

  1. Include a personal message when issuing a promotional certificate
  2. Use a clear purchaser name (e.g. "Customer Service") so the certificate is easy to identify later
  3. Double-check the recipient email before sending the link

Customer Service

  1. Verify identity before sharing a certificate's code or link
  2. Check whether the code has already been redeemed before promising it can still be used
  3. Respond quickly, gift certificates are time-sensitive

Security

  1. Never post codes publicly, share them through email or a direct message only
  2. Verify identity before reading a code out over the phone

Export & Download Options

The only export on this page is the CSV from the Filter and Export date range (see Reporting & Analytics above): Gift Certificate Amount, Date Purchased, Redeemed, Redemption Date, and Customer Account Attached to.

Integration Points

Payment Methods

Certificates purchased on the storefront can be paid by Stripe, Authorize.net, or Bitcoin.

Email Delivery

"Email to Recipient" certificates are sent through the site's standard email system, either automatically on their scheduled date or via Force Send from the edit screen.

Quick Reference Card

Task Action/Location
View all certificates Gift Certificates page
Filter by purchase date Set From/To, click Search
Export the list Set From/To, click CSV
Create a new certificate Discount Codes page > "Create Gift Certificate(s)"
View/edit a certificate Click its row on the Gift Certificates page
Force-send a scheduled email Open certificate > "Force Send to Recipient Now"
Change page images or default amounts "Gift Card Settings" button
Set up a promotion "Promotions" button

FAQs

Do gift certificates expire?

Not by default. A certificate's linked discount code has no expiration until you set one on the certificate's edit screen; the field there suggests December 31st two years out, but nothing expires unless you save a date.

Can a certificate be used more than once, or partially?

No. Each certificate's code is redeemable once, for its full amount. There is no remaining-balance tracking, once redeemed, the code is used up.

Can I transfer a certificate to a different recipient?

Yes. Edit the certificate and update the Recipient Name/Recipient Email fields. The recipient still needs the certificate's original code to redeem it.

How do I handle a bulk order for several certificates?

Use the Quantity field on the Discount Codes page's "Create Gift Certificate(s)" panel to create several certificates in one submission. They'll share the same amount, recipient, and message, but each gets its own code and link.

Can I create a certificate for more than one product?

Gift certificates are a monetary value, not tied to a specific product. Recipients can use the code toward any purchase up to the certificate's amount.

End of Documentation

For additional help, contact your system administrator or Kiva Logic support.