Gift cards are digital payment codes customers can use to purchase products from your online store. Here are essential details about how gift cards work and their limitations.

Key Features:

• Gift cards are digital-only (no physical cards available)
• Never expire
• Cover taxes and shipping costs
• Can be used for physical products, services, and downloads
• Cannot be used for subscription products

Purchase and Redemption:

• Customers go directly to checkout when buying gift cards
• Recipients receive codes via email
• Multiple gift cards can be used per order
• Customers can combine gift cards with other payment methods
• Balance checks are available during checkout

Taxes and Pricing:

• Gift card purchases are not taxable
• Regular tax rules apply to purchases made with gift cards
• Sale prices and discounts don't apply to gift card purchases
• Discounts work on orders paid with gift cards

Refunds and Balances:

• Unused gift cards can be refunded
• Partially used gift cards cannot be refunded
• Refunded purchases return balance to gift card
• Value cannot be added to existing gift cards

Limitations:

• Gift codes cannot be customized
• Cards work only on the issuing site
• Cannot be used for point of sale purchases
• Currency cannot be changed after selling gift cards
• Custom amounts cannot be set by customers

Lost Codes and Support:

• Merchants can resend gift notifications via Orders panel
• Gift cards remain valid if site expires
• Recommend refunding unused balances before downgrading plans
• Cannot transfer or accept gift cards from other platforms

Recipients can check their balance through the initial email or during checkout. For lost codes, merchants can resend the gift notification through the Orders panel.

Consider offering multiple gift card amounts to provide customers with more options. While physical cards aren't available, customers can forward the digital code or PDF to recipients at their preferred time.

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