Short answer: start selling them in November, offer two or three fixed amounts (or a specific service, such as "a haircut" or "dinner for two"), put them on display at the counter and on your social media, set out in writing how they're redeemed and process the sale like any other. A gift card gets you paid before the customer comes in and brings in people who didn't know you.
At Christmas, people look for gifts that can't go wrong while also wanting to support their local shops. A gift card solves both: the giver doesn't have to guess the other person's taste, and the recipient gets to choose.
For you, it also means selling in advance and meeting a new customer. Here's how to approach it in a bar, a café, a barbershop or a beauty salon.
Gift cards for customers: two ways to use them
When a business thinks about "gift cards for customers" it usually has one of these two things in mind, and it's best not to mix them up:
- Selling them so your customers can give them as gifts. Someone pays €20 and gives it to another person, who comes in to spend it. This is the Christmas and Mother's Day campaign that most of this article is about.
- Giving them to your customers yourself. A treat for a loyal customer, a birthday present, compensation if something went wrong or a prize from a campaign. Here you don't charge anything: the card is a reward, so it's better as a specific product or discount ("a coffee", "10% off your next visit") than a euro balance.
If what you want is to reward people who come back, rather than a one-off gift card you're better off with a digital stamp card or a points card, which reward every visit without you having to remember.
Why it's worth it
- You get paid before providing the service. The money comes in at the time of year when people spend most, and the service comes later.
- You bring in new customers. The person who receives the card is often someone who didn't know you or had never been. It's your chance to win them over and get them onto your loyalty card.
- It makes gifting easy. The giver doesn't choose for the other person. A Booksy guide on gift cards for beauty businesses sums it up: the recipient chooses the service, so the giver doesn't risk getting it wrong (Booksy, 2021).
- It's advertising that pays for itself. Every card that leaves your shop takes your name into someone else's home.
What to offer
Less is more. Two or three options are enough:
- A fixed amount: €10, €20 or €50. It's the most flexible and the most popular gift.
- A specific service or experience: "a haircut and beard trim", "breakfast for two", "a facial". It feels more like a gift.
- A pack with a perk: for example, "a €50 card plus a free coffee for the buyer". It's a one-off promotion you can withdraw when the campaign ends, without touching your prices.
Don't confuse the gift card with a session pack. A gift card has credit to spend on whatever the recipient wants; a pack is a bundle of sessions for a specific service paid in advance, and it's useful for beauty salons and barbershops (see the digital prepaid pass card).
When to sell them: a realistic calendar
- November: announce you have them. It's when people start thinking about gifts.
- First weeks of December: peak sales. Be clear about the last day you can deliver them for Christmas Eve.
- Epiphany (6 January, a big gift day in Spain): a short post-Christmas campaign for late shoppers.
- Valentine's Day (14 February).
- Mother's Day (Sunday 2 May 2027 in Spain; check the date where you are): start two weeks before.
Where and how to offer them
- At the counter, with a clear sign: "Give [your business] as a gift. Ask us about gift cards". People buy what they see.
- On social media and WhatsApp, with a simple photo and one line: "Give a morning of coffee and toast. Cards from €10".
- To your regulars, who buy them most because they already know you. You can send that message to anyone who already has your card.
- With a digital card: Rondafy includes a gift card with credit in Apple Wallet and Google Wallet, so the recipient keeps it on their phone and it doesn't get lost like a piece of paper. The giver doesn't have to fiddle with a paper card. You take payment for the sale the same way as the rest of your sales.
Paper or digital gift card
| Paper or plastic | Digital on the phone | |
|---|---|---|
| How it's handed over | In person, at the venue | On the phone; the buyer can send it with a link |
| If it's lost | The balance is lost | It's in the phone's Wallet |
| Balance tracking | By hand, in a notebook or at the till | It's deducted when scanned and the customer sees what's left |
| Copies and fraud | Easy to copy if they're not numbered | Each card has its own number and history |
| Cost | Printing (and plastic, if you want it high quality) | Included in your loyalty tool |
| The upside | It can be wrapped and given in person | It can be bought and given at the last minute, without going anywhere |
Many businesses combine the two: digital for everyday use and an envelope or small printed card with the QR code for people who want something to wrap.
How Rondafy's digital gift card works
- The customer scans the QR code on your counter and saves an empty gift card in Apple Wallet or Google Wallet, with its own number.
- You take payment at your till as usual, and from the scanner you load it with one tap: a euro balance, a percentage discount or a product ("a haircut", "breakfast for two").
- If you like, you set an expiry date. If not, it doesn't expire.
- The buyer can give it away by sending a link (for example, on WhatsApp): the other person saves it on their phone and the original card is marked as given.
- To use it, you scan it and deduct the amount (any balance left stays for another visit), apply the discount or hand over the product.
The gift card is included in both Rondafy plans and is switched on from Settings → Extra features. You'll find the rest of the features in customer loyalty app.
Clear rules before you start
Gift cards raise more questions than you'd think. Decide and write down, in one short sentence:
- Expiry. Does it expire or not? Some businesses set a deadline and others don't. Think it through with your accountant and say so when you sell it.
- It's spent as credit, not refunded in cash. That's the norm, but write it down.
- Partial balance. Can it be used over several visits? Yes is the most convenient for the customer.
- Tax. How a gift card is accounted for (VAT, invoicing) depends on the type of card and your situation. Check with your accountant before the campaign; don't leave it until January.
- Who can use it. Anyone who has it, or only the person it was given to. Make your policy clear.
After the gift: make them stay
A gift card that's spent once and forgotten has only done half its job. When the person comes in to redeem it, that's the perfect moment to offer your stamp card, with a welcome stamp. That way, a customer who arrived through a gift becomes a regular.
See how the digital stamp card works and what each plan includes in plans and pricing: Standard €24.99/month or €249.90/year; Pro €39.99/month or €399.90/year, excluding VAT, with a 14-day free trial.
Common mistakes
- Starting late. If you offer them on 20 December, you've already lost half the sales.
- Overcomplicating it. Lots of amounts, conditions and exceptions put buyers off.
- Forgetting the rules. Without a policy on expiry and balance, a misunderstanding with a customer costs you more than the sale.
- Not telling your regulars. Your regular customer is the first to buy one.
Frequently asked questions
When should I start selling gift cards for Christmas?
In November. Sales peak in the first weeks of December.
Is a gift card the same as a session pack?
No. A gift card has credit to spend on whatever the recipient wants; a pack is a bundle of sessions for a service, paid in advance.
Does a gift card have to expire?
It's up to you, but make it clear when you sell it and check with your accountant, because it can have tax and legal implications.
Can I give a gift card to my customers?
Yes. It works well as a treat for a loyal customer, for their birthday or as compensation. In that case, a specific product or discount is better than a euro balance.
How do you send a digital gift card?
With Rondafy, the buyer can give it away by sending a link; the other person saves it in Apple Wallet or Google Wallet and the original card is marked as given.
Can the balance be spent over several visits?
On a balance card, yes: each time it's used the amount is deducted and the rest stays for next time.
Sources (checked on 29 October 2026)
- Booksy, "¡Ofrece tarjetas regalo a tus clientes esta Navidad!" (2021, in Spanish): https://biz.booksy.com/es-es/blog/ofrece-tarjetas-regalo-a-tus-clientes-esta-navidad
- The amounts in the examples are indicative and don't come from any study. For tax treatment and expiry terms, check with your accountant.
