Gift cards are one of the few tools that help a salon on both sides of the ledger. They bring cash in today for services delivered later, and they pull in brand-new clients — the friend or partner who redeems a card has never visited you before. Around festivals and weddings, they can become a meaningful revenue line on their own.
Why gift cards are worth the setup
- Cash upfront improves your working capital during slow weeks
- New client acquisition — recipients often become regulars
- Higher spend — redeemers frequently top up beyond the card value
- Festival and wedding-season sales you would otherwise miss
Step 1 — Create your gift cards
In Settings → Gift Cards, create the cards you want to sell. You can offer fixed denominations (₹1,000, ₹2,500, ₹5,000) which are easy for buyers to choose, or allow a custom amount for flexibility. Give each card a clear name and, if you like, an expiry so balances do not sit open forever.
Step 2 — Sell them at checkout
Sell gift cards through POS just like any other item — during a normal checkout or as a standalone sale. The buyer pays, the card is issued with its balance, and the sale is recorded in your reports alongside services and retail.
Step 3 — Redeem and track balances
When a client redeems a card, apply it as a payment method at checkout and the remaining balance updates automatically — tracked to the rupee. This is where manual gift-card schemes fall apart: a spreadsheet or notebook cannot reliably tell you what is left on a card issued four months ago, but a proper system can.
A few rules that keep it clean
- Decide upfront whether cards can be partially redeemed across visits (most should)
- Set a sensible expiry and print it on the card so there are no disputes
- Keep gift-card liability visible in reports — outstanding balances are money you still owe in services
A gift card is a promise on your calendar. Track the balance and the promise keeps its value.
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