1. Definitions: Gift Cards and Store Credit
The differences between Giftnote gift cards and store credit, how each is issued, and which is easier to share.
Written By Giftnote Admin
Last updated 44 minutes ago
Giftnote Offers Gift Cards and Store Credit
Giftnote offers both gift cards and store credit within its app. These items are similar in functionality but have some minor differences. This guide will go over some features of each and how Giftnote issues them.
Gift cards
Giftnote offers gift cards directly via the gift card product. Gift cards are directly sent to Giftnote gift card product recipients. A gift card will consist of a set amount and a code to use the gift card in purchases.
Gift cards can be accessed and used by anyone who has access to the gift card code.
Gift cards support multiple currencies. They are issued in the currency the customer checks out in, for the price of the selected variant. Set fixed gift card prices for each market in Shopify Markets. Otherwise Shopify converts the price and the issued amount can be an uneven exchange-rate value. See "Do Giftnote gift cards work with Shopify Markets?" for setup and a display limitation to plan around.
Store credit
Giftnote provides store credit directly within the app. Store credit is issued to an email address or, on the create form, a Shopify customer ID. There are no requirements for the email but typically this will be an existing customer email. Store credit isn't something you share as a code. It will automatically be applied when that email makes their next purchase.
Store credit is closely tied to the email it is issued to. This makes it more difficult to share compared to a gift code.
Does store credit work in other currencies?
Yes, if you issue it through Shopify Flow. Store credit issued from the Giftnote app is issued in your store's base currency. Store credit campaigns run through Shopify Flow issue credit in the customer's own currency.
Direct comparison
The most important difference between store credit and gift cards is their flexibility to be shared.
Store credit is harder to share and, as a result, is more suited for customer service usage such as exchanges or compensation.
Gift cards are far more easily shared and can be transferred between customers as needed. This makes it more suitable to be given out for promotions or offers where the risk of the code being shared is less important.