Physical Gift Cards: More Detailed Documentation

[thefourthplace]

I just made an order for physical gift cards from Shopify, and I am finding the documentation and user interface less than transparent.

Context: I ordered a single design, with the expectation of loading cards at the time of sale with a certain amount (pre to avoid pre-loaded cards that 

Is there some more detailed documentation available that I am not finding, that would help me with the following:

- Issuing gift cards directly from the POS app (without using the desktop site/app)
- Issuing gift cards with custom amounts directly from the POS app (without using the desktop site/app)

- Associating a card/code to the gift card when sold
- Associating an email/customer to the gift card when sold

- Selling physical gift cards as a shippable product

Please no responses suggesting paid or third-party apps. If a fairly technical user can't do this out of the box, the gift card functionality isn't a minimum viable product let alone competitive.

[STGPRS]

Agreed! 

[one1michaela]

Ian, were you able to find an answer? I want to order gift cards too but I am not sure the best route to take. 

[thefourthplace]

I was eventually able to piece most of this together.

Once you have physical gift cards, you can enable them in the settings on the POS App itself, to make them quite easy to sell at the POS. That setting is just a bit buried.

Then to sell one, you use the "Add Gift Card" button, choose Physical, choose the amount (which can be custom), and scan the card. That associates that card code with the value and activates it.

I think to associate the card with an email address, they need to choose an email receipt, and possibly opt-in. I don't see a way to make that a likely flow for the customer.

I have been unable to work out how to sell physical gift cards on my online store as a shippable product. Even with physical cards enabled and selling at the POS, buying a gift card on the online store only sends an email code, and it can't be associated with a physical card.

[one1michaela]

Thank you for your response! Do I have to buy them through Shopify or can I use a 3rd party?