Child money credit, customer credit and vouchers in Shoporama

Many store owners ask us how to give a customer "credit" in Shoporama. This covers several completely different requests. Some want to give a child or grandmother a fixed amount to shop for (child money credit). Others want to let a B2B customer pay upon receipt. And some just want to reserve the money on the customer's card, but only withdraw it later.

The two solutions in a nutshell

• Fixed-amount gift cards are used when the customer needs a certain amount of money to spend and you don't want money out of your own pocket. It's the solution for child money credit, post return vouchers, compensation and corporate accounts.
• Product credit (deferred capture) is used when the customer needs to be able to pay by card, but you don't want to withdraw the money until a certain date or after a number of days. The money is reserved on the card at the time of purchase, but not withdrawn until later.

Solution 1: Gift cards with a fixed amount

A gift card in Shoporama is a code with an amount attached to it. When the customer redeems the code at checkout, the amount is deducted from the order. This is the easiest way to simulate a credit account with a fixed cap.

1. Go to Marketing and then Gift cards in admin
2. Click Create new gift card
3. Select a code (or let the system generate one)
4. Select Amount in discount as the discount type and enter the credit amount, e.g. 500 kr.
5. Enable Save remaining amount so the customer can use the rest on their next purchase
6. Check Only once per customer if the code can only be used by one specific person
7. Optionally set an expiration date
8. Click Save and send the code to the customer

How the customer uses the gift card

At checkout, the customer enters the code in the gift card or discount code field. The amount is automatically deducted from the total price of the order. If the order is larger than the gift card, the customer pays the difference by card, MobilePay or one of the other payment methods you offer. If the order is smaller than the gift card, the remainder is saved for the next purchase (when Save balance is enabled).

Typical use cases for the gift card solution

• Child allowance or family gift: create a gift card for the amount and give the code to the recipient
• Voucher after return: create a gift card with the balance instead of refunding the card
• Compensation in case of complaint: give the customer a goodwill amount via a code
• Corporate account or monthly budget: create a new gift card each month with the period amount
• Employee discount with fixed cap: give each employee a personal amount per year

Solution 2: Product credit (deferred withdrawal)

A completely different concept of credit in Shoporama is product credit. This means that the money is reserved on the customer's card at the time of purchase, but not withdrawn until later. You set this up per product in the Credit etc. tab on the product edit page (requires the product to be set as a financial product).

You can choose between three types of credit on a product:

• Give credit until the Xth of the month: for example, always withdraw on the 20th (suitable for salary-based payments)
• Give credit for X days: for example, withdraw 10 days after purchase
• Give credit until a specific date: e.g. withdraw on a fixed date regardless of purchase date

Voucher function on a product

In the same place in the admin, you can mark a product as a voucher. When a customer purchases the product, a unique gift card code for the amount you set is automatically generated and sent with the order confirmation. This is the easiest way to sell gift cards as regular products in your shop. Read the details in Gift cards and vouchers.

How to choose the right solution

• Should the customer have a fixed amount to spend? Use gift cards.
• Do you want the customer to pay by card but later? Use product credit.
• Should a B2B customer pay by invoice, e.g. 30 days net? Use invoice payment or read our B2B guide.
• Need to refund an already paid order? See Credit notes and refunds.

Limit what the gift card can be used for

When you create a gift card, you can target it to specific categories (e.g. children's clothing only), specific products, set a minimum order amount or decide if the code can be combined with promotions and offers. For example, you can create a 500 kr. gift card that can only be used on full-price items.

Keep track of many cards

If you're issuing many gift cards at once, e.g. for a promotion or to all employees in a company, you can create them in a single batch. You can also upload a CSV file with codes if the customer has chosen them themselves. Collect them under a batch number so you can easily find them again in the overview.

Frequently asked questions

Can I give my daughter's grandmother 500 DKK to shop for?

Yes, you can. Create a $500 gift card and give her the code. She enters the code at checkout and the amount is deducted from the order. If you only want her to use it, check Only once per customer. Enable Save remaining balance so she can use the rest of the money over multiple orders.

Can I set a balance directly on a customer's profile?

No, you can't. There is no balance or credit field on the customer profile in Shoporama, and the customer can't log in and see a "my credit" page. The closest solution is a personalized gift card with only one activation per customer. In practice, it works the same for the customer and you have full control in the gift card overview.

What if the customer doesn't spend the full amount on one order?

Enable Save balance on gift card to keep the balance for the next purchase. If you leave the option off, the card is used up no matter how small a portion was used.

What does a gift card look like in the accounts?

On the invoice, the gift card appears as a separate discount line with a negative amount. In e-conomic, Dinero and Billy it is automatically synchronized as a discount. Ask your accountant how you account for the actual issuance of gift cards, as the rules depend on whether the customer has paid for the card or received it for free.

Can I create a "company account" where the company just logs in and shops?

The easiest model is to create a personal gift card with the company's monthly amount. However, if the customer needs to be able to pay on receipt without entering codes, invoice payment combined with the B2B features is a better solution.

Where can I find an overview of all the gift cards I have issued?

Go to Marketing and then Gift cards. Here you'll see all gift cards with code, amount, amount spent, remaining amount, expiration date and status. You can filter by batch number if you've created multiple cards at once and export the list as CSV.

What is the difference between a gift card and a discount code?

In Shoporama, it's the same system. When you create a code, you choose whether it gives an amount of discount (gift cards) or a percentage (typically a promotional discount code). Read more in Create a discount code.

Need help or something specific we can solve for you? Write to support@shoporama.dk.