How to Write Gift Certificate Disclaimer

Posted on June 5, 2011 by

Gift Certificate Factory provides gift certificate templates that you can easily edit and print. Check out our gift certificate template gallery.

Make sure to contact an attorney or check your local state website to know what the current laws on gift certificates are. You can also check our article on Gift Certificate Law for more resources.

What is a Gift Certificate Disclaimer?

A gift certificate disclaimer indicates the terms and conditions of use of a gift voucher. It would usually be written in small print on a gift certificate, either at the bottom or at the back of the certificate. If you’re a business owner and you offer gift certificates to your customers, you might be interested in writing such a disclaimer, as it would help protect your business against unintended usages of gift certificates.

What Should You Restrict?

  • no cash value: with this restriction, you make sure people will not go to your store with a gift certificate and ask to be reimbursed for their money. They can only use the certificate to purchase products at your store.
  • no transferability: in some cases, you might want the purchaser of the gift certificate to indicate to which person the certificate is for. In that case, the certificate can not be transferred to someone else to be redeemed.
  • expiry date: in order to avoid having gift certificates out in the open for a few years, you might want to set an expiry date on gift certificates (most likely one year from now). Be sure to check your local laws and regulations however, as expiry dates on gift certificates are not legal in several states/countries (as a way to ensure consumer rights).
  • no replacement: some customers might declare to have lost the certificate and try to get a new one from your shop. To protect yourself against such usage, you might write a mention “not replaced if lost or stolen” on the certificate.

A Few Examples Of Gift Certificate Disclaimers

  • Redeemable at Hupla Restaurant only for goods and services not exceeding the remaining credit balance on this certificate. Treat this certificate as cash- if it is lost, it will not be replaced. Valid for one year from the date of issue. For gift certificate balance, terms and expiration date, present the certificate at Hupla Restaurant. This certificate is property of the issuer.
  • Treat this certificate as cash. It will not be replaced if lost or stolen. This certificate is redeemable for merchandise only. Redeemable at any Hupla Restaurant location nationwide. Valid one year from the date of purchase.
  • Your use of the gift certificate constitutes acceptance of these terms: This gift certificate may be applied toward any purchase made at any Hupla Restaurant location. This gift certificate will not be exchangeable for cash or replaced if lost or stolen. After 18 months of non-use a $1.50 per month dormant account fee will be charged.
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Gift Certificate Law

Posted on May 17, 2011 by

Gift Certificate Factory provides gift certificate templates that you can print and sell to your customers. Check out our gift certificate template gallery.

When it comes to gift certificate law, every country and every state has its own regulations. So it might be that in your state, you’re not allowed to have expiration dates printed on the gift certificate. Or that after a number of years, the gift certificate is considered as “abandoned” by its owner. It could also prohibit any kind of fee, such as dormancy fee, inactivity fee or maintenance fee. As you can see, gift certificate law is pretty reglemented. So, before you go and offer gift certificates for your business, check your local regulations. If you’re based in United States, you might want to check out Gift Cards and Gift Statuses and Recent Legislation – http://www.ncsl.org/default.aspx?tabid=12474 . Even though there is a warning stating that the page is for informational purpose only, it is maintained by the government and provides a good starting point. If you want to be really sure about the current gift certificate law in your state, you should contact the Office of the Attorney General in your state.

Another source of information for gift certificate or gift card law is Scriptsmart. They offer free downloadable gift card law information documents. – http://scripsmart.com/state_gift_card_laws The information on the website itself is also pretty useful, both for merchants and consumers, providing positive and negative points about the local gift certificate law.

Please note that there have been changes in 2011 regarding gift card rules as documented in this Consumer Finance Law Blog Article – http://www.consumerfinancelawblog.com/2010/08/articles/gift-cards/update-new-gift-card-rules-to-take-effect-on-august-22-2010-and-disclosure-requirements-will-now-take-effect-on-january-31-2011/ . This is part of the CARD act – http://www.consumerfinancelawblog.com/2010/02/articles/credit-cards/reminder-new-credit-card-regulations-take-effect-today-gift-and-debit-card-rules-to-follow/ and these new rules restrict fees and expiration dates on various types of gift certificates and cards, and require sellers and issuers to make specific disclosures.

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Creating Gift Certificates: a Beginner’s Guide

Posted on May 10, 2011 by

You’re new to gift certificate templates and you don’t know where to start? This little guide will help you to get up to speed.

Making Custom Gift Certificates

Maybe you want first to know why you should bother about gift certificate templates in the first place. In that case, make sure to read 6 Top Reasons To Use Gift Certificate Templates. You can review our guide titled Custom Gift Certificates in 3 Steps. You might also be interested in reading How To Make Your Own Printable Gift Certificate. If you don’t know which templates we offer, have a look at our 8 Sample Gift Certificates article. If you’re looking for alternative templates, check out 3 ways to find gift certificate templates. And finally, if you are looking for words on your templates, our popular guide to gift certificate wording might be of interest to you.

Gift Certificates For Small Businesses

If you’re a small business owner, you should make sure to read 6 Reasons Your Small Business Should Sell Gift Certificates and How To Sell More Gift Certificates. Marketing your gift certificates in an efficient and lucrative manner should be one of your primary focus, so read also Marketing Gift Certificates For a Small Business. It’s important to know that fraud exists and how you can fight it by Tracking Gift Certificates For Your Small Business.

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How To Sell More Gift Certificates

Posted on March 20, 2011 by

THE most important rule: beautiful gift certificate design

A good gift certificate design that is relevant to your business is very important to sell more gift certificates. People would be reluctant to buy a mediocre gift certificate to give to their friends or relatives. So one option would be to shell out a few hundred dollars on a good designer to create attractive gift certificates. If you cannot afford to spend that amount of money, or if you just want to test how well gift certificates would boost your business sales, consider buying some high quality templates from websites providing premium gift certificate templates.

Your gift certificates should be highly visible

Have you noticed how big stores always display gift certificates in premium locations? They’re always located close to checkout, so that each and every customer will notice them, and might be tempted to buy it. You should do the same: choose a prominent location in your store and display your gift certificates there. You need to setup such a location so that customers can not walk in and just pass through them without seeing them. You can experiment with different locations and different positioning and see what works best.
Another trick to make people notice it is to place some signage wherever appropriate: in a corner of your shop, or on your store window, say “We Have Gift Certificates” or “Gift Certificates Available”.

Gift certificate presentation matters

You can also make gift certificates more desirable by providing attractive gift certificate presenters, such as envelopers or gift boxes. You could even go more creative and create custom velvet bags. This will go a long way in convincing customers a gift certificate would make a great gift for their friends or relatives.

Ask people if they need it

A great selling tip is to ask customers if they’d like to buy a gift certificate while you’re processing their purchase. Don’t be afraid to ask for the business. You’ll generate more sales doing it.

Setup a direct mail marketing program

Send out a mailing to your customer base or a list of people who live in a 10 mile area around your business. Include a gift certificate in the mailing. Yes, you will have to offer some of your services for free, but you will get more customers and you will get to sell more gift certificates to them.

Remind people of gift occasions

It’s not only about Christmas and birthdays. Mother’s and Father’s day, Graduation, Wedding, Thank you Gifts are all occasions for which people might be enticed to buy gift certificates. Create flyers for each occasion and do offer different gift certificate themes with appropriate designs: a snowy countryside for Christmas, a wedding theme for wedding gift certificates, a graduation theme for graduation gift certificates etc…

Gift Certificate Factory provides gift certificate templates that you can print and sell to your customers. Check out our gift certificate template gallery.

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6 Reasons Your Small Business Should Sell Gift Certificates

Posted on March 17, 2011 by

There is a growing trend of people wanting to give gift certificates. Last year, businesses sold 23 billions worth of gift cards in the United States alone. What about your business? Have you sold any? If you don’t yet offer gift certificates for your customers, you may be missing out on very profitable sales opportunities.

  1. Opportunity to make more sales

    Big chains make billions of dollars every year by selling gift certificates. The good news is, small businesses can also benefit from selling gift certificates. Indeed, by selling gift certificates, you will add a new sales channel, and this could boost your sales significantly. Massage therapists, spa centers or dance schools would benefit from it. But so would martial art schools, wedding stores, restaurants and countless other businesses.

  2. Getting referred to new potential customers

    The best part of a gift certificate is that, in addition of being a gift to the recipient, it’s also a gift for your business. It allows your business to get referred to by a friend or relative of a potential customer, for free. Actually you are getting paid for it. That means that you could get new customers that you would not have been able to reach otherwise. The person buying the gift certificate is actually vouching for your business, basically stating they trust your business to provide quality products and services.

  3. Helping customers to find a gift

    As you may already have noticed, people are often at a loss to find gifts for their friends and relatives. If you can help your customers in finding a suitable gift, they will be happy that you relieved them of the stress of having to think too much. In that respect, a gift certificate is perfect, as it already says it is intended to be a gift. So the customer doesn’t have to think too much about whether this would make a good gift or not. This is especially true for service businesses, since then people don’t have the hassle to find out whether the person already owns a given product.

  4. Free marketing tool

    A gift certificate program has a powerful marketing power. It allows people that trust your brand to promote it to their friends. This is very beneficial for your branding, generating positive word-of-mouth around town. This is one of the best ways you could use marketing to push your business forward. And as we noted it earlier but it is worth repeating, it is not only free but you’re getting paid for it.

  5. Giving gift certificates to show appreciation to your loyal customers

    In addition of selling gift certificates, you can also use gift certificates to reward loyal customers. By giving gift certificates to loyal customers, you’re telling them that they’re important to you and that you want to show it to them. This will increase their loyalty to your business, making it more likely for them to come back for more, and referring your business to their friends.

  6. Giving gift certificates to fix a mistake

    If you make a mistake in your business towards a customer and you want to say that you’re sorry, you could give a gift certificate to show that you really mean they’re important to you. This will also improve customer loyalty, and people will tell their friends how great and helpful your business is.

Gift Certificate Factory provides gift certificate templates that you can print and sell to your customers.

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