Gift cards are an amazing way to promote your e-commerce store and attract new customers.
According to a survey on “Average gift card spend in the United States during the holiday season in 2022 and 2023, by generation”, millennial shoppers planned to spend over 450 U.S. dollars on gift cards during the holiday season.
This article (sponsored by BixGrow) will show you the best Shopify gift card apps that benefit both the business and customers.
Can you set up Shopify gift cards without an app?
Can Shopify merchants set up gift cards without a third-party app? Yes, you can. You can create a gift card directly from the admin dashboard with a set amount greater than zero and up to a maximum of $2000 USD (or equivalent in your local currency).
However, setting up gift cards without using Shopify gift card apps has some downsides and limitations such as:
- Limited design option: Shopify’s built-in gift card feature offers minimal customization for the design and layout of gift cards, you can’t fully match your branding or customize unique designs without apps.
- Hard to promote and market: The basic built-in feature in Shopify does not support promotions like buy-one-get-one or bonus gift cards; it also does not offer targeted discounts or other marketing strategies.
- Can not schedule gift cards: Without Shopify Gift Card apps you can’t schedule the delivery of gift cards for future dates
- No automated notifications: There are no built-in features for sending automated reminders to customers about unused balances, and how to check the balance of the gift card or expiring ones.
While Shopify has built-in features for creating gift cards, it’s hard to manage and utilize. In order to use a gift card promotional strategy, you can consider using Shopify apps to gain access to advanced useful features.
What do Shopify gift card apps do?
Shopify gift card apps can significantly improve the functionality and management of gift cards in your e-commerce store. These apps offer a variety of advanced features and tools that go beyond the basic capabilities provided by Shopify’s built-in functionality
- Customizable and personalized gift cards: Free gift app lets you create custom gift card designs that match your store’s branding and appeal to different occasions; and allows recipients to add personalized messages.
- Advanced promotional tools: The apps offer many promotional tools such as BOGO (buy-one-get-one), percentage discounts, bonus gift cards, or store credit to boost sales.
- Allow future sending: Enable merchants to schedule the delivery of gift cards for specific dates, making it convenient for gifting on birthdays, holidays, or other special occasions.
- Monitor balance of gift cards: Allow customers to check their gift card balances online, reducing the need for customer support.
- Reports and analytics: Help merchants track how and when gift cards are used, providing insights into customer behavior and the effectiveness of your gift card promotions
- Easily integrate with other apps and platforms: Connect with your customer relationship management and marketing automation tools or other popular platforms.
The redeem Shopify gift card add-on gives merchants a variety of useful tools to boost sales and enhance the overall customer experience. Let’s find out what the best Shopify gift card apps on the market are.
1. Gift Card Pro: Gift Card Suite – Make Gift Cards Easy To Gift
Gift Card Pro now makes it possible to send digital gift cards to up to 1,000 email addresses or phones in a single order.
User Feedback on Gift Card Pro: 5.0 stars from 87 reviews
Key Features:
- Schedule send gift cards via Email or Text Message
- Automated notifications about gift card’s balance
- Customizable gift card design and messages
Pricing
- Basic: $9.99/month
- Standard: $29.99/month
- Business: $89.99/month
- Enterprise: $499.99/month
When customers purchase a gift card from your store, they can select from various card designs, choose a preset or custom monetary value, add a written message, record a video message, and specify a delivery date and time. Gift Card Pro lets you customize these options, creating a unique and personalized experience for your customers.
The app can automatically installed and lets you set up our apps in minutes without any coding skill needed.
2. Rise.ai: Gift Cards & Loyalty – Boost revenue with Shopify e gift cards
Surprise your customers with store credit, gift cards, and cashback – all in one place with Rise.ai: Gift Cards & Loyalty.
User Feedback on Rise.ai: 4.8 stars from 1077 reviews
Key Features:
- Automatically trigger and create store credit rewards based on customer actions
- Proactive loyalty program
- Bulk Gift Cards
Pricing
- Starter: $19.99/month
- Small-Business: $59.99/month
- Pro: $199.99/month
- Premium: $599.99/month
Rise.ai is well-known to be the e-commerce market leader for gift cards; reports say 1 out of 5 top Shopify brands such as Skims, Good American, Krogers, etc, all choose Rise.ai for gift cards and cashback. With a 92% new user redemption rate and 70% upsell value on gift card purchases, the app promised users a smooth and efficient marketing plan.
You can easily create bulk gift card codes for customer segments, and enhance marketing campaigns and loyalty programs with Rise.ai
3. GiftKart: Cashback & Gift Card – Build customer loyalty with Shopify gift card app
CapitalOne reports that the U.S. gift card market will generate $324.5 billion in revenue in 2024 and grow 17.7% annually. GiftKart helps you issue gift cards to Shopify and guarantee 5x ROI.
User Feedback on GiftKart: 5.0 stars from 131 reviews
Key Features:
- Personalized & branded digital gift card
- Automated gift card campaigns
- Flexible gift card design
Pricing
- Starter: $39/month
- Plus: $89.99/month
- Enterprise: $199/month
GiftKart helps merchants attract new customers with branded digital gift cards, re-engage past shoppers through automated campaigns, and incentivize bigger buys with bonus gift card offers.
You can entice bigger buys with discounted gift cards, and encourage past shoppers to revisit and spend with automated bulk campaigns.
4. iziGift ‑ Gift Cards & Rewards – Boost Sales & Retain Loyal Customers
IziGift lets Shopify merchants send gift cards to recipients, allows businesses to use gift cards & store credit to grow their store, improve their AOV, and have better cash flow management
User Feedback on iziGift: 5.0 stars from 22 reviews
Key Features:
- Personalized custom digital gift cards
- Gift Card Balance Checker Page
- Flexible gift card design
Pricing
- Standard: $10/month
- Pro: $50/month
- Enterprise: $200/month
You can customize your gift cards to match your brand and allow customers to send gift cards directly to friends and family. iziGift helps track your gift card sales in one dashboard and creates unique automation to improve your business metrics.
5. Go Gift Cards – a simple solution to build relationships with customers
Gift cards give both the givers and receivers the freedom to do shopping when the timing is right. Go Gift Cards is a simple but impressive app with all the essential features.
User Feedback on Go Gift Cards: 5.0 stars from 14 reviews
Key Features:
- Send Shopify gift card via email
- Write a customized personal message to the recipient
- Customizable app to match the store’s branding
Pricing
- Basic: $4.99/month
- Pro: $9.99/month
Go gift cards let you write a personal message to make your gift extra special then send it directly to your friends and family via email. The setup is straightforward, just install the app and configure your gift card denominations.
Go Gift Cards app is fairly new but their customer support team is already being praised for its effective and quick response.
6. Shopkeeper Gift Card Scheduler – Gift card compatible Shopify plan
Offer an immersive gift card experience and take Shopify’s built-in gift card functionality to the next level with ShopKeeper Gift Card Scheduler
User Feedback on Gift Card Scheduler: 4.7 stars from 8 reviews
Key Features:
- Schedule the gift card to be delivered automatically
- Customers don’t have to forward gift card notifications to recipients
- 300+ gift card designs
Pricing
- Monthly: $14.99/month
ShopKeeper ensures that your customers can find the perfect gift card design for every occasion with 27 design categories and over 300 templates. Furthermore, the app lets you make branded gift cards to enhance your store’s reputation. You can send ShopKeeper your logos, images, and colors; then their professional designers will create a custom design that matches your brand and vision.
7. Giftnote Gift Messages & Cards – Motivate your customers with irresistible gifts
The report shows that 93% of consumers prefer receiving a gift card instead of an item of similar value. Giftnote Gift Messages & Cards app enables your customers to send gift cards to capture more seasonal sales, improve cash flow, and increase the number of returning customers.
User Feedback on Giftnote Gift Messages & Cards: 5.0 stars from 72 reviews
Key Features:
- Customized on-site and message
- Send gift cards directly to recipients via Email/SMS,
- Integrations available for Klaviyo, Rebuy, Loop, Okendo, Yotpo, and more
Pricing
- Free to install and $1 USD per Giftnote
Giftnote integrates smoothly with all Shopify stores and can be installed in seconds, no coding skills needed. The app allows your customers to customize, schedule & send gift vouchers with a personalized message that matches your brand and experience. Giftnote also allows physical gift cards Shopify, gives your customers the flexibility with gift vouchers or paperless gift messages for physical gifts.
Wanna see more related best apps list?
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Conclusion
With the growing number of occasions and the increasing popularity of the gifting culture, the demand for gift cards has risen significantly over recent years. Brand gift cards are a creative way to promote your store and boost sales, don’t miss out on the best Shopify gift card app to enhance your online business.
Dan Muller
I have been working in marketing for four years, passionate about creative writing and copy writing. Love to be alone at watersides, sip coffee, play games or read anything that is thought provoking.