Gift Vouchers - Selling and Redeeming

10 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 selling vouchers to redemption.

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

What you'll learn:

Selling vouchers through Quick POS
Entering recipient details
Redeeming vouchers as payment method
Handling partial redemptions
Checking voucher balances

Time to complete: 10 minutes

Prerequisites

Before you begin:

Complete Tutorial 8.1 (Understanding Transactions and Payment Status)
Familiarity with creating transactions via Quick POS

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: 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
- Custom Amount: Click to enter any value
A dialog appears to enter voucher details:
- Amount: The voucher value (pre-filled if you clicked a preset)
- Name: Who will receive the voucher (optional)
- Email: Where to send voucher details (optional)
- 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

What happens automatically:

Unique voucher code generated
Voucher created with "Active" status
If recipient email provided, voucher email can be sent
Voucher code shown on receipt

Step 3: Recipient Details

When selling a voucher, you can capture recipient information:

Field	Required	Description
Name	Usually optional	Who the voucher is for
Email	Usually optional	Email to send voucher details
Phone	Optional	Contact number

Note: Your salon settings may require recipient details. If so, name and email will be mandatory fields.

Why collect recipient details:

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

Step 4: 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
Enter the voucher code in the dialog
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)
Enter amount to apply (or use suggested 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 may become "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 5: 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:

Full voucher balance is applied
If balance exceeds transaction, remaining balance is forfeited
A warning is displayed before confirming

Step 6: 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 7: 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

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 redemption history if available.

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

Recipient details are typically optional:

Leave email blank
Voucher code printed on receipt
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.

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.

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).

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?

Contact an Admin - they can access voucher management.

Can customer transfer voucher to someone else?

Vouchers are bearer instruments - whoever has the code can use it. If 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).

Last Updated: January 2026