options when sending gift cards

Retail & Point of Sale
1

How can I customize the expanse theme to allow customers to send a gift card directly to the recipient instead of having to forward the email they receive with the gift card? I don’t want to pay for this option, but the option for that is not showing up. this is such a common practice nowadays that it seems crazy I can’t include that option for customers. any help would be so much appreciated! thank you!!

2

Hi @primebutcher

I’ve gone through all the details you’ve shared, and it seems the main issue is that Shopify’s default gift card system sends the email only to the purchaser, rather than directly to the recipient. This means customers have to manually forward the email, which isn’t ideal. Unfortunately, Shopify doesn’t currently have a built-in way to send the gift card directly to someone else without using third-party apps. But don’t worry—there’s still a way to make this work without paying for an app.

Solution: Modify the Gift Card Purchase Flow

Since the Expanse theme itself doesn’t control how gift cards are delivered, the best way to handle this is by adding a custom recipient field to the gift card product page. Here’s how you can do it:

1. Add a Custom Recipient Field to the Gift Card Product Page- Go to Online Store > Themes and click Edit Code on your active theme (Expanse).

  • Find the product.liquid file or main-product.liquid (depending on your theme’s version).

Add a new input field to let customers enter the recipient’s email when purchasing the gift card.
Example code to add:

Recipient’s Email:

  • This ensures the recipient’s email gets stored with the order under “Additional Details” in the admin.

2. Modify Order Confirmation Email to Include Gift Card Details

Since Shopify won’t automatically send the gift card to the recipient, you can tweak the order confirmation email to display the gift card code and notify the recipient.

  • Go to Settings > Notifications > Order Confirmation and click Edit Code.

Add this inside the email template:

{% if line_item.product.gift_card? %}

Here is your gift card:

Code: {{ line_item.gift_card.code }}

Value: {{ line_item.gift_card.initial_value | money }}

{% endif %}

  • This way, if a customer enters a recipient’s email at checkout, the confirmation email (which includes the gift card code) can be sent directly to them.

3. Manually Send the Gift Card to the Recipient (Optional Workaround)

If you don’t want to modify Shopify’s notification system, another approach is:

  • Ask customers to provide the recipient’s email in a form field at checkout.
  • When a gift card order is placed, you (as the store owner) can manually copy the code and email it to the recipient.

This is not fully automated but avoids extra costs while ensuring a better experience for your customers.

I get why this is frustrating—sending a gift card directly should be a default option, and Shopify really should make this process easier. If you ever decide to use an app later, Gift Card Hero and Rise.ai allow this functionality automatically. But if you want a free workaround, the steps above should help.

If you need any other assistance, feel free to reply and I will try my best to help.

Best regards,
Daisy