> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.bellabooking.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Gift Card Settings

> Enable gift cards, configure denominations, custom amounts, and expiry periods for your location

The **Gift card settings** page lets you enable digital gift cards for your location and configure how they work. Gift cards can be sold by your team from the Gift cards screen (**Sales** → **Gift cards** → **Sell gift card**) or purchased by clients through your online booking portal. An **online** purchase emails the recipient their code, unless the gift card email is switched off in Automated messages. At the **till** the email is on by default and can be switched off so you hand the code over yourself. Either way, the code is redeemed at checkout.

![Gift card settings with Active/Paused status row, custom design uploader, and online payments configuration warning](https://mintcdn.com/bellabooking/SHCP3YJ5oUsmTxdY/images/settings-gift-cards.webp?fit=max\&auto=format\&n=SHCP3YJ5oUsmTxdY\&q=85\&s=59e09cebaf6e45466febf434260472c8)

**Prerequisite for online purchases:** online payments (Stripe or Square) must be connected for online gift card purchases. Selling gift cards from the business dashboard does **not** need them - your team settles the sale via cash, manual card, or other, so you can configure and sell gift cards at the till without connecting online payments. See [Payments](https://docs.bellabooking.com/sales/payments.md) to connect them and also offer online purchases.

***

## Accessing Gift Card Settings

1. Go to **Settings** in the sidebar
2. Click **Gift cards**

***

## Enabling Gift Cards

1. In the **Gift cards** row, click to change the status from **Paused** to **Active**
2. Click **Apply** in the bar at the bottom of the screen

When enabled, your team can sell gift cards from the business dashboard, and clients can purchase them through your online booking portal.

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## Pausing Gift Cards

Pause gift cards to stop selling new cards and to stop clients paying with a gift card when they book online. Cards already sold keep their balance, and your team can still redeem them at checkout.

1. In the **Gift cards** row, click to change the status from **Active** to **Paused**
2. Click **Apply** in the bar at the bottom of the screen

The following table shows what changes while gift cards are paused.

| Action | Online booking portal | Business dashboard |
| - | - | - |
| Sell a new gift card | Off | Off |
| Redeem a gift card | Off. The gift card code box is removed from the booking page. | On, at checkout and when recording a deposit. |
| See gift cards and balances | Off. **My Gift cards** is hidden. | On, on the **Gift cards** screen. |

***

## Configuring Denominations

Denominations are preset amounts shown to clients during purchase - for example, $25, $50, $100, and $250.

### Adding a denomination

1. Click **Add denomination**
2. Enter the amount
3. Click **Apply** in the bar at the bottom of the screen

You can add up to 20 denominations.

### Removing a denomination

Click the remove icon next to a denomination, then click **Apply** in the bar at the bottom of the screen.

**Tip:** Choose amounts that reflect common service prices at your business - for example, the cost of a haircut, colour treatment, or massage.

***

## Allowing Custom Amounts

By default, clients can only select from your preset denominations. You can optionally allow clients to enter any amount they choose.

1. Set **Custom amount** to **Allowed**
2. Optionally set:
   * **Minimum amount**: The lowest amount a client can enter (e.g., \$10)
   * **Maximum amount**: The highest amount a client can enter (e.g., \$500)
3. Click **Apply** in the bar at the bottom of the screen

Choose **No minimum** or **No maximum** to remove that restriction.

**Example:** With a minimum of $20 and a maximum of $500, clients can enter any amount between $20 and $500.

***

## Service and Bundle Gift Cards

As well as Amount cards (a balance to spend), you can offer gift cards tied to a specific **service** or a whole **bundle**. Each type has its own setting, and you choose exactly which services and bundles are eligible - so you can feature your most giftable treatments and packages without exposing your entire menu. Service and bundle gift cards can be sold from the business dashboard (**Sales** → **Gift cards** → **Sell gift card**) or purchased online by clients through your online booking portal.

### Allow service gift cards

1. Set **Service gift cards** to **Yes**
2. Choose the **eligible services** - only the services you select can be sold as a gift card
3. Click **Apply** in the bar at the bottom of the screen

A service gift card is priced automatically at the chosen service's price at the time of sale, and the service name appears in the recipient's delivery email. When it's redeemed it pays for that service in full and is then used up. See [Gift card types](https://docs.bellabooking.com/gift-cards.md#gift-card-types).

### Allow bundle gift cards

1. Set **Bundle gift cards** to **Yes**
2. Choose the **eligible bundles** - only the bundles you select can be sold as a gift card
3. Click **Apply** in the bar at the bottom of the screen

A bundle gift card is priced automatically at the bundle's fixed total - or, for a bundle priced from its component services, its **"from"** price - at the time of sale, and the bundle name appears in the recipient's delivery email. When it's redeemed it pays for that bundle in full and is then used up.

**Note:** When a type is switched on but no services or bundles are selected as eligible, that type won't be offered until you add at least one. A bundle with no price can't be offered as a gift card.

***

## Expiry Period

Set how long gift cards remain valid after purchase.

1. In the **Expiry** row, choose **12 months**, **24 months** or **36 months**, or enter your own (1 to 120 months)
2. Click **Apply** in the bar at the bottom of the screen

The expiry date is calculated from the date of purchase and is shown to recipients in their gift card delivery email.

**Note:** Changing the expiry period only affects newly purchased gift cards. Gift cards already issued keep their original expiry date.

***

## Custom designs and built-in designs

Upload up to 30 custom design images so clients can choose branded gift cards online. Bella also ships six built-in designs (Classic, Birthday, Thank You, Congrats, Holiday, Floral).

Once you have at least one custom design uploaded, the **Built-in designs** row appears under **Custom designs** (same Visible / Hidden control as **Prices** in booking policies):

1. Set **Built-in designs** to **Hidden** if you only want clients to see your custom uploads
2. Leave it **Visible** (the default) to show built-ins alongside your customs
3. Click **Apply** in the bar at the bottom of the screen

Hiding built-in designs requires at least one custom upload. Removing your last custom design automatically shows the built-ins again.

### Deleting a custom design

Select the bin icon on a design and confirm **Permanently delete this design?**. The design is deleted straight away (there is no Save step) and it can't be undone. Gift cards already sold with that design will no longer show it, so keep a design while cards sold with it are still in use.

***

## FAQs

**Q: Can I pause gift cards after selling some?**
A: Yes. Cards already sold keep their balance, and your team can still redeem them at checkout. Clients can't use them when booking online while gift cards are paused. See [Pausing gift cards](#pausing-gift-cards).

**Q: What happens if I remove a denomination?**
A: Removing a denomination only affects future purchases. Previously issued gift cards are not affected.

**Q: Do I need Stripe to use gift cards?**
A: Only for **online** gift card purchases, and Square works too: clients pay through the payment provider you have connected. Selling a gift card **from the business dashboard** doesn't need online payments: your team settles the sale through cash, manual card, or other. See [Payments](https://docs.bellabooking.com/sales/payments.md) if you want the online path too.

**Q: Can I offer gift cards in different currencies?**
A: Gift cards are issued in your location's configured currency.

**Q: Can I sell a gift card for a specific service or a whole bundle?**
A: Yes. Switch on **Service gift cards** and/or **Bundle gift cards** and choose which services and bundles are eligible. A service card is priced automatically at that service's price; a bundle card at the bundle's fixed total, or its "from" price for a component-priced bundle. When it's redeemed it pays for that service or bundle in full, and it can't be spent on anything else, unless a team member [changes its service](https://docs.bellabooking.com/gift-cards.md#changing-a-cards-service). Service and bundle gift cards can be sold from the business dashboard or purchased online by clients through your online booking portal.

**Q: Can I use the barcode on our physical gift cards?**
A: Yes. When selling from the dashboard, enter or scan that code in **Card code** (a USB or Bluetooth scanner that types like a keyboard works in that field). Clients can then redeem it at checkout or when booking online. Online purchases still receive a Bella-generated code.

**Q: Do I need a recipient name when selling at the till?**
A: Only when you email the gift card. Turn **Email gift card to recipient** off and you can leave the name blank - useful for physical cards sold at reception when you don't know who will receive them. Online purchases still need a recipient name.

**Q: Where do I put the terms and conditions for my gift cards?**
A: In the gift card email. Go to **Settings** → **Automated messages**, open **Gift card delivery**, add your terms to the email template and save. Every gift card Bella emails then carries them, whether it was bought online or sold at the till. Templates are saved per location, so if you have more than one, add your terms at each. The expiry date is already in the email, so your terms only need what else applies, such as whether the card can be exchanged for cash. See [Automated messages](https://docs.bellabooking.com/messages/automated-messages.md).

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To learn how clients purchase gift cards and how your team manages and redeems them, see [Gift cards](https://docs.bellabooking.com/gift-cards/index.md).

To configure the automated delivery email sent to recipients, see [Automated messages](https://docs.bellabooking.com/messages/automated-messages.md).


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