Documentation

Gift Cards & Store Credit

Sell gift cards, schedule their delivery, give store credit and manage balances.

Gift Cards & Store Credit lets you sell gift cards, give store credit, and accept both at checkout. Every card has a code and a balance; customers enter the code in the cart or at checkout and the balance pays for the order.

Requirements

  • WordPress 6.8 or newer
  • WooCommerce 10.0 or newer
  • PHP 7.4 or newer
  • Works with the Cart and Checkout blocks, the classic pages, and High-Performance Order Storage.

Installation

  1. Download gift-cards-store-credit.zip from My account > Downloads.
  2. In WordPress, go to Plugins > Add New Plugin > Upload Plugin, choose the zip file and click Install Now.
  3. Click Activate. Settings are under WooCommerce > Settings > Products > Gift cards, and cards under WooCommerce > Gift cards.

Quick start: sell a gift card

  1. Add a new product and tick Gift card next to Virtual and Downloadable.
  2. For any amount: tick Customer chooses amount, then set the Lowest amount and Highest amount. The regular price is the amount filled in for customers.
  3. For fixed amounts: make it a variable product with an Amount attribute, such as $25, $50 and $100, and give each variation its price.
  4. Publish. The product page now asks for the amount, the recipient, a message and the delivery date.
The Gift card option and the amount fields on the product screen.
The Gift card option and the amount fields on the product screen.
What customers fill in on the product page.
What customers fill in on the product page.

Delivery

A card is created for each gift card bought when the order is paid (Processing or Completed). It is emailed to the recipient straight away, or at 8:00 in your store’s time zone on the delivery date the customer chose. Without a recipient email, it goes to the buyer, who can print it and hand it over.

The gift card email. Change its subject and text under WooCommerce > Settings > Emails > Gift card.
The gift card email. Change its subject and text under WooCommerce > Settings > Emails > Gift card.

The email links to a printable card with your logo. If an order is cancelled or refunded before the card is used, the card is disabled and a scheduled email isn’t sent.

Paying with a gift card

Customers enter their code under Add a gift card or store credit in the cart or at checkout. The card pays for the order total after tax, like a payment: prices and tax stay the same, and the order shows a line for each card. Customers can use several cards, and spend a card over several orders.

A gift card in the Cart block, with the balance left after this order.
A gift card in the Cart block, with the balance left after this order.

If an order paid partly with a gift card is cancelled, fails or is refunded, the amount goes back on the card.

Store credit

Store credit works like a gift card, without being bought. To give a customer credit for an order, for example instead of a refund, open the order and click Issue store credit in the Gift cards box. The form is filled in with the customer and what they paid; change the amount if needed and click Issue card.

Issuing store credit for an order.
Issuing store credit for an order.

Managing cards

Go to WooCommerce > Gift cards to see the unspent balance of all active cards, and every card with its balance, recipient, order, expiry and status. Search by code or email. Click a code to change the balance or expiry date, disable the card, email it again or print it. Every change is kept in the card’s activity log with your name and note.

The Gift cards screen.
The Gift cards screen.

Settings

SettingWhat it does
Code prefixLetters before every new code, such as your store’s initials.
Valid forMonths until new cards expire. 0 means they never expire. Check the rules where you sell: many places require at least 12 months.
Delivery dateLets customers choose the day the card is emailed.
Gift card fieldShows the code field in the cart, at checkout, or both.
Buying gift cards with gift cardsAllows paying for gift cards with a gift card or store credit. Off by default.

Balance check and My Account

Add the Gift card balance block to any page, or use the shortcode [gcsc_balance], so customers can check a code. Logged-in customers also see their cards under My Account > Gift cards.

The Gift card balance block.
The Gift card balance block.

For developers

HookUse
gcsc_card_createdRuns after a card is created.
gcsc_balance_changedRuns after a balance changes.
gcsc_posted_detailsFilters the details from the product page before they go in the cart.
gcsc_admin_capabilityThe capability needed to manage cards.

Copy any file from public/templates/ to yourtheme/gift-cards-store-credit/ to change the product fields, the printable card, the balance form or the My Account page.

Frequently asked questions

Do gift cards change the tax on an order?

No. A gift card is a way to pay, so it reduces the amount due after tax.

Can a customer use a scheduled card before its delivery date?

Yes. Whoever has the code can spend it; the date only decides when the email is sent.

Does it work with invoices?

Yes. PDF Invoices & E-Invoicing shows gift cards as payments, not discounts, so the tax on the invoice stays right.

Changelog

1.0.0 · October 5, 2026

  • Gift card products with fixed amounts or an amount the customer chooses.
  • Recipient, message and delivery date, with scheduled emails and a printable card.
  • Store credit issued from an order or from WooCommerce > Gift cards.
  • Gift card field in the classic cart and checkout and in the Cart and Checkout blocks.
  • Gift cards screen with the unspent balance, search, balance changes and an activity log.
  • Balance check block and shortcode, and a Gift cards page in My Account.