1. Charging Customers for Giftnote (Developer Setup)

You only need this if you're not on Shopify Plus and want to charge customers for adding a gift message. A developer adds a small script to your theme that puts a paid "Gift Message" product in the cart when a shopper adds a message, and takes it out if they remove the message.

On Shopify Plus you don't need a developer. Giftnote has a built-in option: see Upselling and Charging for Giftnote at Checkout on Shopify Plus.

Agency or developer? If you're setting Giftnote up for a client and want a development sandbox to build and test in, email support@giftnote.com and we'll set one up for you.

You'll need a developer. Every Shopify theme handles its cart differently, so there's no one-click version of this outside Shopify Plus. We're happy to answer your developer's questions: chat with us using the chat button in the help centre or in the app.

Examples in the wild

• Godiva: charges $2.50 for gift messaging at cart
• My Creative Box: optional paid gift message
• Sew Heart Felt: gifting as a cart add-on

How to set it up

1. Create a hidden Gift Message product

• In Shopify, create a product called Gift Message and set its price (for example $1.99).
• Hide it from your sales channels, so shoppers can't find or buy it on its own.
• Only your script adds it to the cart.

2. Detect when a gift message is added

Giftnote fires a JavaScript event when a shopper saves or removes a gift message. The event names are in the Giftnote Order Attribute Schema Reference (giftnote_saved and giftnote_removed). You can also set a custom event name in Gift Message Event (Javascript) on the Giftnote Control Panel app embed in your theme editor. If your developer isn't sure which to use, chat with us or email support@giftnote.com.

3. Add the product automatically

When a gift message is saved:

• Use Shopify's Cart API to add the Gift Message product.
• Check first that it isn't already in the cart, so it's never added twice.

4. Remove it if the gift message is removed

• When the shopper removes their gift message, also remove the Gift Message product.

5. Keep the two in step

• Hide the remove button for the Gift Message product in the cart.
• Or, if a shopper removes the product by hand, clear their gift message too.

Why isn't this built in on every plan?

Shopify only lets apps add blocks to checkout on Shopify Plus, and that's how the built-in option adds the fee. On other plans the only place to add a charge is your cart page, and every theme's cart is built differently. That's why this needs your developer, with our help if they want it.

Selling through a Giftnote Multi Gift storefront? Multi Gift storefronts (Professional plan) have their own Message Fee (Charge a message fee), which works without Shopify Plus. It applies to Multi Gift orders only, not your regular cart. Go to Settings > Multi Gifts, select Edit on the storefront, then open Pricing.

Questions? Chat with us using the chat button in the help centre or in the app, or email support@giftnote.com.

Related articles

• Next: Pre-Launch Checklist: Giftnote Surcharge Product (Gift Message Fee)
• Upselling and Charging for Giftnote at Checkout on Shopify Plus
• Giftnote Order Attribute Schema Reference
• Upsell Giftnote at Checkout