Selling gift vouchers online
- Thread starter Jinny
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Ruth Mills
Well-Known Member
I think Paypal provides you options for setting up a simple shopping cart setup - so you could probably set one of those up with vouchers in various amounts as necessary.
Would you be posting gift vouchers to people, or emailing them to people for them to print out themselves? Either way, you would probably want for each gift voucher to have a unique reference number, so that you could take a note of the reference number when the voucher was redeemed to avoid people trying to use the same voucher twice...
Would you be posting gift vouchers to people, or emailing them to people for them to print out themselves? Either way, you would probably want for each gift voucher to have a unique reference number, so that you could take a note of the reference number when the voucher was redeemed to avoid people trying to use the same voucher twice...
Thanks for that. Yeah each gift voucher has a code on it but the vouchers I have just now are not monetary amounts, I just fill in the treatment value or if the purchaser wants a value then I put £15 or £20etc. Any ideas on how I go about selling both types? I know some people dont mind revealing the monetary value of the voucher but some people want the voucher to just state the treatment.
totalbirdbrain
Well-Known Member
Hi, I have an online webstore for gift vouchers, we do monetary value and treatment value. The set up was ok to do, took a bit of time to type it all in, the webstore came part and package through the site we set up through although you can also set it up through paypal but I wasnt quite up to speed on the terminology used and got rather confused!
Ruth Mills
Well-Known Member
Yep, it would certainly be possible to set up with most shopping cart packages, I would think.
Hi
We have been doing them for a year and a half and it has been really successful. They can choose either a treatment or a set amount. We use Google. We post them and charge p & p to cover costs. We sometimes just email them a voucher to forward onto the recipient. If you do this remember to save it as a PDF before you attach it to your email so they can't amend the voucher.
Good Luck
Sarah xx
We have been doing them for a year and a half and it has been really successful. They can choose either a treatment or a set amount. We use Google. We post them and charge p & p to cover costs. We sometimes just email them a voucher to forward onto the recipient. If you do this remember to save it as a PDF before you attach it to your email so they can't amend the voucher.
Good Luck
Sarah xx
Hi Sarah,
Please be careful, I know for a fact that a .pdf can easily be altered
Ruth Mills
Well-Known Member
Blue Rose
Well-Known Member
My website is all set up to accept payment for vouchers through paypal as a monetry value.
Not all buyers have a paypal account though or they want it for a different amount than that shown on my website. In this instance I just get them to do a bank transfer into my account. (or send a cheque)
Once I receive payment I send vouchers out by 1st class post.
We've been really busy with the sale of vouchers this week with the run up to Mother's Day :green:
Not all buyers have a paypal account though or they want it for a different amount than that shown on my website. In this instance I just get them to do a bank transfer into my account. (or send a cheque)
Once I receive payment I send vouchers out by 1st class post.
We've been really busy with the sale of vouchers this week with the run up to Mother's Day :green:
tanninglass
Member
Hi,
We sell gift vouchers online for usage in the shop only... its not caused us an issue yet but we are looking at adding the capability to use the codes online .... however the codes are driven by the till software and they are quite random codes so integration isn't so easy...
Andy is considering how to integrate and in talks with the software guys about developing a web-connection (an API???) to allow this to work smoothly ... then license the connection created to othe users of the software ... ok not much money in it and alot of hard work for andy but in the long run its worth him doing this even if its just for our site right?
people do want to use the vouchers online on other sites i guess? or is this wrong and gift vouchers are mainly used in shops?
help!
We sell gift vouchers online for usage in the shop only... its not caused us an issue yet but we are looking at adding the capability to use the codes online .... however the codes are driven by the till software and they are quite random codes so integration isn't so easy...
Andy is considering how to integrate and in talks with the software guys about developing a web-connection (an API???) to allow this to work smoothly ... then license the connection created to othe users of the software ... ok not much money in it and alot of hard work for andy but in the long run its worth him doing this even if its just for our site right?
people do want to use the vouchers online on other sites i guess? or is this wrong and gift vouchers are mainly used in shops?
help!
EMMA AT ELITE
Well-Known Member
This is a fantastic idea!
Instead of paypal account would it work with having your bank details so they can tranfere the money directly, as I image more people do internet banking than those having a paypal account.
Would you have a separate page on your website "on line gift vouchers"?
How much extra do therapist charge on top for p&p?
Do you offer options of delivery methods?
Great idea - definatly something I will think about! :hug:
Ruth Mills
Well-Known Member
I think it's safest to stick to a payment method like PayPal or Google Checkout for online purchases, e.g. gift vouchers; both these are relatively quick and easy to set up, and you don't have the expense of setting up and paying for a dedicated payment gateway system like SagePay, for example. The only down side with both is that they will charge a transaction fee, usually less than 5%, for each payment made to you using them.
I'd be particularly concerned about publishing my bank details on a publicly accessible website too (e.g. for people paying by bank transfer) - it could pose a serious security and identity fraud risk - so definitely best avoided.
Hi,
You don't have to have a Paypal account to pay through Paypal.... https://www.paypal.com/uk/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=xpt/cps/general/OptionalAccount-outside
You don't have to have a Paypal account to pay through Paypal.... https://www.paypal.com/uk/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=xpt/cps/general/OptionalAccount-outside
TheBack&Beyond
Well-Known Member
One of the best pieces of security advice anyone ever gave me was "Never upload any image or detail to the internet that you wouldn't nail to your front door!"
For money transactions - I'd always stick with a third party ie Google Checkout or Paypal and accept their fees. By paying a third party it usually means that they are liable if things go wrong - rather than you.
Oh - and for the UK - ensure you comply with Distance Selling Regulations. Other countries might have different regs.
hth? Jason.
p.s. online Gift Vouchers are on my list for later this year.
EMMA AT ELITE
Well-Known Member
Oh my god!
I didnt even think of online fraud, thanks for pointing that out Ruth. - That would be a definate no-no then!
Do both paypal & google checkout both charge the same transaction fee or is one cheaper?
Is on more recommended that the other?
Would you cover the fee your end or add that price into the p&p?
Love Emma x:hug:x
Ruth Mills
Well-Known Member
I think Paypal is the more widely used payment method, but both let you pay with a credit card.
Not sure which is cheaper for the transaction fee off the top of my head.
Blue Rose
Well-Known Member
I would never publish my bank details on my website but I've found some people really do object to paying with paypal, which is why I've found bank transfers work really well.
In this instance the buyer phones me & I give them basic info which is very difficult to do anything with.
The other advantage of a bank transfer is that there's no fee to pay :green:.
If somebody is going to defraud you, they will do it anyway, regardless of how secure & good you think you are being!
In this instance the buyer phones me & I give them basic info which is very difficult to do anything with.
The other advantage of a bank transfer is that there's no fee to pay :green:.
If somebody is going to defraud you, they will do it anyway, regardless of how secure & good you think you are being!
Ruth Mills
Well-Known Member
I know what you mean; I definitely prefer bank transfers for my business as I object to being stung by paypal fees!
totalbirdbrain
Well-Known Member
What basic info do you give them? We currently use paypal but I agree with Ruth about the fees, if there is a way round that then great....at least we could give clients the option I guess, we do have people buying vouchers on line when we are shut...which...when I get the notification through still makes me very very happy!
