When a customer buys a gift card, an automation can reward them in one of two ways. A bonus gift card is a separate promotional gift card, with its own code, emailed to the customer who bought. Bonus credit adds extra value to the gift card they just bought, so a $100 card becomes worth $120. Bonus credit needs no customer email and doesn't count toward your gift card allowance; a bonus gift card needs an email, counts toward your allowance, and can have its own expiry.
You choose between them under Reward when the automation's trigger is Gift card purchased. Order paid and API event automations always issue a bonus gift card.
Side by side
| Bonus gift card | Bonus credit | |
|---|---|---|
| What the customer gets | A new promotional gift card with its own code | Extra value on the gift card they bought |
| Triggers it's available on | Order paid, Gift card purchased, API event | Gift card purchased only |
| Who benefits | The customer who bought (it's sent to the email address on the order) | Whoever holds the purchased card, including a gift recipient |
| Needs a customer with an email address | Yes | No |
| Optional automation email (Email the customer their gift card) | No email | |
| Expiry | Can have its own expiry: on a set date, or a number of days after the order | Can't expire separately; follows the purchased card |
| Counts toward your monthly gift card allowance | Yes | No |
| Marked promotional | Yes, the whole card | No; the purchased card isn't marked promotional |
| In reports | A separate promotional card, and its own entry in the Adjustments report | An adjustment on the purchased card in the Adjustments report |
| Maximum uses limit | Applies | Doesn't apply; use an Ends date |
| In your sales channels | Created as a new gift card in every connected sales channel | The purchased card's balance is updated in every connected sales channel |
How each one reaches the customer
Bonus gift card. Wrapped creates the card and, if the automation's email is turned on, emails it to the email address on the order. For an in-store sale, the customer must be attached to the sale with an email address. The card is also created in your connected sales channels, so it can be redeemed like any other gift card. If the gift card was bought as a gift for someone else, the bonus card still goes to the buyer.
Bonus credit. Wrapped adds the credit to the purchased card when it processes the sale. The customer sees the higher balance when they or your staff check the card. There's no separate email about the bonus. It works for physical cards sold in store with no customer attached.
Which should I choose?
Choose bonus credit when:
- You want the simplest experience: one card, one balance ("$100 card, $120 value").
- Customers often buy gift cards as gifts, and you want the recipient to get the extra value.
- Many sales are in store without a customer email address, or you sell physical cards.
- You don't want the bonus to use up your gift card allowance.
Choose a bonus gift card when:
- You want the promotional value to expire, for example "use your $20 bonus card in January".
- You want the bonus to bring the buyer back for a second visit.
- You want the promotional value kept separate from paid value, for accounting or reporting.
- You're rewarding spend on an ordinary order (Order paid), which only supports bonus gift cards.
Bonus credit sits on the same card as value the customer paid for, so when it's spent you can't tell which part was promotional without looking at the card's adjustments. A bonus gift card keeps promotional value on its own card, marked promotional. Summary reports don't separate promotional from paid value either way; use the Adjustments report for detail. See Promotional gift cards and bonus credit in reports.
Voids and refunds
- Bonus credit: if the sale of the purchased card is voided, the purchased card goes to $0 and is disabled, bonus included.
- Bonus gift card: when the original sale is voided on a connected sales channel, Wrapped also voids the gift cards created for that order, which includes a bonus gift card issued for it. If the customer has already spent part of the bonus card, check its balance and adjust if needed.
Common questions
Can bonus credit expire?
Not separately from the card it's added to. If you want the bonus to expire, use a bonus gift card with an expiry.
Does bonus credit count toward my gift card allowance?
No. No new gift card is created. A bonus gift card does count, like any other new gift card.
A customer bought a gift card as a present. Who gets the bonus?
With bonus credit, the recipient (the extra value is on the card). With a bonus gift card, the buyer (it's sent to the email address on the order).
Can I give bonus credit on an ordinary purchase (not a gift card)?
No. Bonus credit is only available with the Gift card purchased trigger, because it's added to the card that was bought. For spend on other products, use Order paid with a bonus gift card.
Does the customer get an email about bonus credit?
No. The customer sees the higher balance when the card is checked.