Gift Cetificates

[Richard Ruda]

Gift Certificates revisited:
According to Cybersource in December 2003 69% of online shoppers purchased
gift cards or certificates online / 8% of ALL online holiday sales. This is
big bucks..
Is anyone successfully using 3rd party gift certificate software with
shopsite?
Thanks
Richard

[Gary]

Let me know if you find anything. You are correct that gift certificates
are an important chunk of business that should not be ignored. Shopsite
should include a tracking and payment system for gift certificates. It
would make keeping track of them much easier and it would be easier for
customers.

Gary


"Richard Ruda" <rruda@shoplite.com> wrote in message
news:cab6ms$5rq$1@support.shopsite.com...

Gift Certificates revisited:
According to Cybersource in December 2003 69% of online shoppers purchased
gift cards or certificates online / 8% of ALL online holiday sales. This
is
big bucks..
Is anyone successfully using 3rd party gift certificate software with
shopsite?
Thanks
Richard

[Jim]

What do you mean by "tracking and payment system"?

Jim

Gary wrote:

Let me know if you find anything. You are correct that gift certificates
are an important chunk of business that should not be ignored. Shopsite
should include a tracking and payment system for gift certificates. It
would make keeping track of them much easier and it would be easier for
customers.

Gary


"Richard Ruda" <rruda@shoplite.com> wrote in message
news:cab6ms$5rq$1@support.shopsite.com...

Gift Certificates revisited:
According to Cybersource in December 2003 69% of online shoppers purchased
gift cards or certificates online / 8% of ALL online holiday sales. This

is

big bucks..
Is anyone successfully using 3rd party gift certificate software with
shopsite?
Thanks
Richard

[Gary]

Jim-

I would like to see a way to generate gift certificates, track them, and
automatically allow a customer to use them. If someone buys a gift
certificate we should be able to go to the store manager and generate a gift
certificate code that is tracked until it expires or is used. A customer
would use it by submitting its code in the coupon box and Shopsite would
determine if the certificate is valid, whether the entire certificate was
used and if not, notify the buyer that they have a remaining credit.

A funtion that allows a report to be generated with gift certificates in the
system would also be excellent. That leaves mailing a electronic version of
the certificate and generating the paper copy of the certificate for
mailing.

I am sure I am leaving off something important, but right now that should
cover it.

Thanks

Gary


"Jim" <jstavast@xmission.com> wrote in message
news:caql92$61p$1@support.shopsite.com...

What do you mean by "tracking and payment system"?

Jim

Gary wrote:

Let me know if you find anything. You are correct that gift
certificates
are an important chunk of business that should not be ignored. Shopsite
should include a tracking and payment system for gift certificates. It
would make keeping track of them much easier and it would be easier for
customers.

Gary


"Richard Ruda" <rruda@shoplite.com> wrote in message
news:cab6ms$5rq$1@support.shopsite.com...

Gift Certificates revisited:
According to Cybersource in December 2003 69% of online shoppers
purchased
gift cards or certificates online / 8% of ALL online holiday sales. This

is

big bucks..
Is anyone successfully using 3rd party gift certificate software with
shopsite?
Thanks
Richard

[Norman]

This would require some manual work but you could use the coupon function
for gift certificates as well as coupons. Just generate a coupon with a
dollar amount and long expiration date (supposely a coupon can be good until
2038). Give it an alternate name as a gift certificate. If a customer uses a
partial gift certificate, just edit the amount to the remaining amount. Keep
track of everything in your accounting program.

Norman
1 Ocean Boulevard
http://www.web8.com/ocean

"Gary" <glb2@poboxes.com> wrote in message
news:casvp0$j4b$1@support.shopsite.com...

Jim-

I would like to see a way to generate gift certificates, track them, and
automatically allow a customer to use them. If someone buys a gift
certificate we should be able to go to the store manager and generate a
gift
certificate code that is tracked until it expires or is used. A customer
would use it by submitting its code in the coupon box and Shopsite would
determine if the certificate is valid, whether the entire certificate was
used and if not, notify the buyer that they have a remaining credit.

A funtion that allows a report to be generated with gift certificates in
the
system would also be excellent. That leaves mailing a electronic version
of
the certificate and generating the paper copy of the certificate for
mailing.

I am sure I am leaving off something important, but right now that should
cover it.

Thanks

Gary


"Jim" <jstavast@xmission.com> wrote in message
news:caql92$61p$1@support.shopsite.com...
What do you mean by "tracking and payment system"?

Jim

Gary wrote:

Let me know if you find anything. You are correct that gift
certificates
are an important chunk of business that should not be ignored.
Shopsite
should include a tracking and payment system for gift certificates.
It
would make keeping track of them much easier and it would be easier
for
customers.

Gary


"Richard Ruda" <rruda@shoplite.com> wrote in message
news:cab6ms$5rq$1@support.shopsite.com...

Gift Certificates revisited:
According to Cybersource in December 2003 69% of online shoppers
purchased
gift cards or certificates online / 8% of ALL online holiday sales.
This

is

big bucks..
Is anyone successfully using 3rd party gift certificate software with
shopsite?
Thanks
Richard

[Gary]

Norman-

Thanks for the suggestion. It would work, but it's not as good as having a
gift certificate module. The idea of what to do if they use less than the
amount of the "gift Certificate" doesn't really work. I couldn't get the
shopping cart to apply a coupon unless the purchase amount was greater than
the certificate amount. I suppose they could be forced to call if they
wanted to use less than 100% of the value. Lastly, since coupons don't
apply to shipping (unless there is a setting I am unaware of), the person
would always be stuck paying for shipping, which a gift certificate holder
shouldn't have to do if the certificate is enough to cover shipping.

Gary

"Norman" <Shop@web8.com> wrote in message
news:cbiodc$mk7$1@support.shopsite.com...

This would require some manual work but you could use the coupon function
for gift certificates as well as coupons. Just generate a coupon with a
dollar amount and long expiration date (supposely a coupon can be good
until
2038). Give it an alternate name as a gift certificate. If a customer uses
a
partial gift certificate, just edit the amount to the remaining amount.
Keep
track of everything in your accounting program.

Norman
1 Ocean Boulevard
http://www.web8.com/ocean

"Gary" <glb2@poboxes.com> wrote in message
news:casvp0$j4b$1@support.shopsite.com...
Jim-

I would like to see a way to generate gift certificates, track them, and
automatically allow a customer to use them. If someone buys a gift
certificate we should be able to go to the store manager and generate a
gift
certificate code that is tracked until it expires or is used. A
customer
would use it by submitting its code in the coupon box and Shopsite would
determine if the certificate is valid, whether the entire certificate
was
used and if not, notify the buyer that they have a remaining credit.

A funtion that allows a report to be generated with gift certificates in
the
system would also be excellent. That leaves mailing a electronic
version
of
the certificate and generating the paper copy of the certificate for
mailing.

I am sure I am leaving off something important, but right now that
should
cover it.

Thanks

Gary


"Jim" <jstavast@xmission.com> wrote in message
news:caql92$61p$1@support.shopsite.com...
What do you mean by "tracking and payment system"?

Jim

Gary wrote:

Let me know if you find anything. You are correct that gift
certificates
are an important chunk of business that should not be ignored.
Shopsite
should include a tracking and payment system for gift certificates.
It
would make keeping track of them much easier and it would be easier
for
customers.

Gary


"Richard Ruda" <rruda@shoplite.com> wrote in message
news:cab6ms$5rq$1@support.shopsite.com...

Gift Certificates revisited:
According to Cybersource in December 2003 69% of online shoppers
purchased
gift cards or certificates online / 8% of ALL online holiday sales.
This

is

big bucks..
Is anyone successfully using 3rd party gift certificate software
with
shopsite?
Thanks
Richard