Gift Vouchers - Selling and Redeeming

15 minutes

Tutorial 8.3: Gift Vouchers - Selling and Redeeming

Introduction

Gift vouchers are a brilliant way to attract new customers and increase revenue. Luminate's voucher system handles selling vouchers through the Quick POS, generating unique codes, redeeming vouchers as payment, and tracking balances. This tutorial covers everything from configuring voucher settings to selling, redemption, and reporting.

Who this is for: All staff who process sales and payments.

What you'll learn:

Configuring gift voucher settings
Selling vouchers through Quick POS
Entering recipient details
Viewing voucher details and redemption history
Redeeming vouchers as payment method
Handling partial redemptions
Checking voucher balances
Voiding vouchers
Using the Gift Voucher report

Time to complete: 15 minutes

Prerequisites

Before you begin:

Complete Tutorial 8.1 (Understanding Transactions and Payment Status)
Familiarity with creating transactions via Quick POS
Admin or Owner access for configuring gift voucher settings

Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1: Understanding Gift Vouchers in Luminate

A gift voucher represents prepaid credit that can be redeemed against future purchases.

Voucher properties:

Property	Description	Example
Code	Unique identifier	GVAB12CD34
Initial Value	Original voucher amount	£50.00
Current Balance	Remaining credit	£50.00 (or less after use)
Status	Active, Redeemed, Expired, Voided	Active
Recipient	Who can use it	Emma Wilson
Issued Date	When sold	10 Dec 2024
Expiry Date	When it expires (if set)	10 Dec 2025

Voucher lifecycle:

Created (sold)
    ↓
Active (can be used)
    ↓
Redeemed (fully used) OR Expired (past expiry date) OR Voided (cancelled)

Step 2: Configuring Gift Voucher Settings

Before selling vouchers, an Admin or Owner should configure gift voucher settings for the salon.

Navigate to Salon Settings
Select the Gift Vouchers tab
Configure the following settings:

Voucher Values:

Minimum Value — the lowest amount a voucher can be sold for (default: £10.00)
Maximum Value — the highest amount a voucher can be sold for (default: £500.00)

Expiry Settings:

Default Expiry Period — how many months from purchase until vouchers expire (1–60 months, default: 12)

Code Format:

Code Prefix — letters only, up to 10 characters (default: GV). This appears at the start of every voucher code
Random Code Length — between 4 and 20 characters (default: 8). A preview of the code format is shown below the fields

Redemption Options:

Allow Partial Redemption — when enabled, customers can use part of their voucher balance and save the rest for later. When disabled, remaining balance is forfeited after use
Require Customer Details — when enabled, a customer must be selected when purchasing a gift voucher, and recipient name and email become mandatory fields

Click Save to apply your settings

Step 3: Selling a Gift Voucher

Scenario: Customer wants to buy a £50 voucher as a gift.

Click New Sale to open the Quick Sale page
Select the customer making the purchase (or leave as Walk-in)
Click the Gift Vouchers tab in the item selection area
Choose a preset amount or custom:
- Preset amounts: £25, £50, £100, £150, £200, £250 (only amounts within your salon's min/max range are shown)
- Custom Amount: Click to enter any value within the allowed range
The Sell Gift Voucher dialog appears:
- Amount: The voucher value (pre-filled if you clicked a preset)
- Name: Who will receive the voucher (optional unless required by settings)
- Email: Where to send voucher details (optional unless required by settings)
- Phone: Contact number (optional)
Click Add to Cart
The gift voucher appears in the cart
Process payment as normal (Cash, Card, etc.)
Once paid, transaction auto-completes
A Gift Voucher Purchased dialog appears automatically

Post-Purchase Dialog: After completing a transaction containing gift vouchers, a dialog appears showing:

Each voucher code displayed in large monospace font for easy reading
A Copy button next to each code — use this to copy the code for sharing with the customer
The voucher value and recipient name (if provided) shown as a badge
An info note directing you to the Gift Vouchers report to find codes later
Click Continue to dismiss the dialog

What happens automatically:

Unique voucher code generated using your salon's configured prefix and code length
Voucher created with "Active" status
Expiry date set based on the configured expiry period
Voucher code shown on receipt and in the post-purchase dialog

Step 4: Recipient Details

When selling a voucher, you can capture recipient information:

Field	Required	Description
Name	Depends on settings	Who the voucher is for
Email	Depends on settings	Email to send voucher details
Phone	Optional	Contact number

Note: If your salon has Require Customer Details enabled in gift voucher settings, name and email become mandatory fields. A warning banner is shown in the dialog when this is the case.

Why collect recipient details:

Email voucher code directly to recipient
Track who vouchers were intended for
Customer service if code is lost

Step 5: Viewing the Voucher Detail Page

Each voucher has a detail page showing its full history and status.

To access a voucher's detail page:

Click a voucher code from the Gift Voucher report, or
Click the voucher link from a transaction

The detail page shows:

Header:

Voucher code as the page title
Status badge: Active, Redeemed, Expired, or Voided

Value Breakdown Card:

Initial Value — the original voucher amount
Current Balance — remaining credit (shown in green if greater than zero)
Redeemed — total amount used across all redemptions
Forfeited — total amount lost due to partial redemption being disabled (if applicable)

Redemption History Table:

Each redemption shows the date, a link to the transaction, amount redeemed, balance after redemption, and which staff member processed it
If any forfeiture occurred, a forfeited column also appears

Sidebar Details:

Voucher code, issue date, and expiry date
Who purchased the voucher (with link to customer profile, or "Walk-in Customer")
Link to the purchase transaction
Recipient details (name and email, if provided)
Void details (if voided): date, reason, and who voided it

Step 6: Redeeming a Voucher as Payment

Scenario: Customer presents voucher code at checkout.

Create transaction as normal (services/products in cart)
When ready to pay, click Voucher payment button
The Voucher Payment dialog appears
Enter the voucher code and click Check to validate
System checks voucher:
- Does code exist?
- Is voucher active (not redeemed/expired/voided)?
- Does voucher have balance?
Voucher details display:
- Current balance
- Expiry date (if set)
Confirm the amount to apply (pre-filled with the maximum usable amount)
Click Complete Payment
Payment recorded against the transaction

If voucher balance covers the full amount:

Transaction is fully paid
Voucher balance reduced accordingly
Voucher becomes "Redeemed" if fully used

If voucher balance is less than transaction total:

Voucher balance applied as payment
Remaining balance shown
Add another payment method for the rest (Cash, Card, etc.)

Step 7: Handling Partial Voucher Redemptions

Scenario: Voucher balance is more than transaction total.

Example:

Voucher balance: £50.00
Transaction total: £30.00

What happens:

Enter voucher code and validate
Balance shows: £50.00
Amount to apply: £30.00 (uses only what's needed)
Voucher balance after: £20.00
Customer keeps remaining £20.00 for next visit

Using same code again:

Customer can use the same voucher code
System shows remaining balance
Use until balance reaches £0.00 or voucher expires

Partial redemption settings: Your salon may have partial redemption disabled. In this case:

The full voucher balance is applied and cannot be adjusted
If balance exceeds the transaction total, remaining balance is permanently forfeited
A Balance Will Be Forfeited warning is displayed showing the exact amount that will be lost, so you can confirm before proceeding

Step 8: Checking Voucher Balances

Customer asks: "How much is left on my voucher?"

During payment:

Click Voucher payment button
Enter voucher code
Click Check
Balance displayed without needing to use it
Cancel if just checking balance

Key information shown:

Current balance
Expiry date (if set)
Whether voucher is usable

Step 9: Voiding a Voucher

If a voucher needs to be cancelled (for example, a fraudulent purchase or customer refund), an authorised user can void it from the voucher detail page.

Navigate to the voucher's detail page (via the Gift Voucher report)
Click the Void Voucher button (only available on active vouchers)
A confirmation dialog appears explaining this action cannot be undone
Enter a reason for voiding in the text field (required)
Click Void Voucher to confirm
The voucher status changes to Voided and can no longer be redeemed

After voiding:

The status badge updates to show "Voided"
The void details (date, reason, and who voided it) appear in the sidebar
The void button is no longer shown

Step 10: Gift Voucher Report

The Gift Voucher report gives you an overview of all vouchers issued by your salon.

To access: Navigate to Reports > Gift Vouchers

Summary Cards: The report shows five summary cards at the top:

Total Issued — number of vouchers and their combined value
Active — number of currently active vouchers
Outstanding Balance — total remaining balance across all active vouchers
Redeemed Value — total amount redeemed across all vouchers
Forfeited Value — total amount forfeited across all vouchers

Filters:

Date range — filter by issue date (defaults to All Time, showing all vouchers)
Status — filter by All Statuses, Active, Redeemed, Expired, or Voided
Voucher code search — search for a specific voucher by code

Table columns: Code, Status, Customer, Recipient, Initial Value, Balance, Forfeited, Issued date, Expires date, and a View action link to the voucher detail page. Most columns are sortable.

Export: Use the export button to download the filtered report data.

Step 11: Voucher Payment Flow Summary

Selling a voucher:

Quick Sale → Gift Vouchers tab → Select amount
    → Enter recipient details → Add to Cart
    → Process payment → Voucher code generated
    → Post-purchase dialog shows codes with Copy buttons

Redeeming a voucher:

Quick Sale → Add items → Click Voucher payment
    → Enter code → Check balance
    → Confirm amount → Payment applied

Common Pitfalls

"Voucher code not working"

Check:

Code entered correctly (check for similar characters like 0/O, 1/I)
Voucher status (may be expired, voided, or fully redeemed)
Remove any spaces from the code

"Customer used wrong email for recipient"

Contact an Admin or Owner to update voucher details if needed.

"Voucher shows zero balance"

The voucher has been fully redeemed on previous purchases. Check the redemption history on the voucher detail page.

"Customer wants to buy voucher but doesn't know recipient email"

Recipient details are typically optional (unless your salon requires them):

Leave email blank
Voucher code printed on receipt and shown in the post-purchase dialog
Customer can share code manually

"Remaining balance too small to use"

Small balances can be combined with another payment method. Add the voucher for the remaining balance, then pay the rest by card or cash.

"Preset amount buttons are missing"

Preset amounts only appear if they fall within your salon's configured minimum and maximum voucher values. Check your gift voucher settings if expected amounts are not shown.

Tips and Best Practices

Promote vouchers during holidays — Gift voucher sales peak around Christmas, Valentine's Day, and Mother's Day.
Display voucher options — "Gift Vouchers Available" signage increases sales.
Collect recipient email when possible — Makes delivery easier and creates a record.
Validate code before processing — Always check the balance first to avoid surprises.
Explain remaining balance — Tell customers how much is left on their voucher after use.
Use vouchers for complaint resolution — "Here's a £20 voucher for your next visit" maintains relationships.
Review your settings — Periodically check your gift voucher settings to ensure the min/max values, expiry period, and partial redemption policy suit your salon.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can vouchers be used for products and services?

Yes. Vouchers are treated as a payment method — they can pay for any transaction.

What if transaction total is less than voucher balance?

The voucher is partially redeemed. Remaining balance stays on the voucher for future use (unless partial redemption is disabled in settings, in which case the remaining balance is forfeited).

Can customers combine multiple vouchers?

Yes. Add multiple voucher payments to a single transaction. Each is validated separately.

Can vouchers be refunded?

Contact an Admin or Owner. If the voucher needs to be voided and the purchase refunded, they can handle this.

How do I check all active vouchers?

Open the Gift Vouchers report from the Reports section. It shows all vouchers by default (no date range required) and can be filtered by status or voucher code.

Can a customer transfer a voucher to someone else?

Vouchers are bearer instruments — whoever has the code can use it. If a customer wants to gift their voucher, they share the code.

What about VAT/tax on voucher sales?

Voucher sales are not taxed at point of sale. Tax is applied when the voucher is redeemed (on the services/products purchased).

Where can I configure voucher settings?

Navigate to Salon Settings → Services → Gift Vouchers. See Step 2 of this tutorial for details.

Last Updated: April 2026