Features

Works in single or multiple locations
Cannot be activated until the payment for the card is finalized
Fully customizable
Use as stored-value gift cards, house accounts, or corporate meal cards
Set expiration dates (if applicable)
Comprehensive reporting, customer tracking

How-to Guide

How to sell, activate, reload, check the balance and redeem gift cards in MicroSale (using the internal, self-hosted gift card program).

Creating a gift card payment option (tender button) to redeem a gift card

A gift card tender must be created in order to redeem a gift card that was purchased.

Managers Menu > Register Setup > Terminal Configuration > Tenders-Job Codes-Paid Out-etc
Go to Tender Setup
Under Tender Name, type in Gift Card, or another descriptive name such as Gift Card Redemption, Gift Card Redeem, etc.)
Tick the option, House Account
Save

Creating a gift card menu button (to sell a gift card)

Managers Menu > Menu Maintenance > Menu Items and Pricing

Type in a menu item name such as Gift Card
Link it to the proper category such as "Retail"
Link it to the Gift Certificate department (important!)
Enter a price or tick the checkbox, "Make Menu Item Open Price", to prompt a price box
Un-check the option "Menu Item is Taxable" to remove the sales tax. The sale of Gift Cards are not taxed.
Save

Go to the button layout (Menu Maintenance > Button Layout) and select the assigned category from the left side of the screen

Select the "Gift Card" menu item in the unassigned buttons area
Select the button at the bottom of the screen
Hold a right click to drag the button to the screen
Save when completed

How to sell a gift card

*you can resell/reload a used gift card once all funds are depleted from the active card*

Login to the order screen and select the appropriate category
Select Gift Card
Type in the price and tap Done
Select Pay
If you are adding a gift card to a table’s check, you’ll have a Done and Close Check button. If you are ready to cash the table out, close the order regularly (by printing the check then selecting Close Check). If the table is staying open, go ahead and select “Done” to close the check at a later time.
Tender payment (this is how the customer is paying for the gift card; cash, credit card, etc. - do not choose the gift card tender! This is for redeeming payment on a gift card)
After the payment has been accepted, you are prompted to swipe the gift card or to manually type in a gift card to activate the card
After you see data in the account field, select Process
The gift card is now loaded and can be handed to the customer

Redeeming a gift card

Once the order is completed, Select Pay Order or select Print Check followed by Close Order, depending on your register settings
On the payment screen, select Gift Card; This will process the entire check amount – if the customer only wants to put a specific amount from the gift card on the check, enter the amount using the number pad before selecting Gift Card
Swipe the gift card when prompted
The transaction is now complete.

How to check a gift card balance

From the order screen select Gift Card Balance
Swipe the gift card. If the card does not read, you can select Enter Acct. No and enter the number when prompted.

If you do not have a gift card balance function button, please follow these steps:

Managers Menu > Register Setup > Terminal Configuration > Edit Order Screen Buttons > Select Gift Card Balance and add it to a button (function buttons deploy to all terminals)

If you do not have a blank button, you can replace a function by double-clicking an occupied button.

Can you transfer the gift card balance to a different card?

Go to: Managers Menu > Gift Certificate House Account Menu > Utilities > Edit Account Balance

Select the gift card account number that needs to be transferred
Type in the amount and then Deduct Credit > Save
Select the new gift card account number that needs to accept the additional amount
Type in the amount and then Add Credit > Save

Modifying or editing the balance of a gift card

Go to: Managers Menu > Gift Certificate House Account Menu > Utilities > Edit Account Balance

To prevent possible fraud, only Administrator access can edit account balances.

Select the gift card account that needs to be edited
Type in the amount and then Deduct Credit or Add Credit > Save
Type in the amount and then Add Credit > Save

Disabling Administrator only access for editing account balances

By default it requires an administrator set up in MicroSale, to bypass this setting, go to:

Managers Menu > Register Setup > Terminal Configuration > Register Options > Email-Export-INI > Misc Functions > Edit Account Data > set to Enabled > "Add Line" to Save.

If the line for “Edit Account Data” is not listed, you can manually type it in.

Setting up gift cards to be used as Promotions

Scenario; you may want to give away a $10.00 gift card for a promotional event. For accounting purposes and theft control, you still have to activate the gift card. However, you can discount/comp the card prior to activation. The card will still activate for the full amount that was entered for the card.

Select the Gift Card button on the order screen and enter in the amount for the card (for example, $10.00).
Select Discount and choose the appropriate discount name (such as Gift Card Comp). The discount comps the check balance while the $10.00 remains on the rang in gift card.
Select Pay Order or (select Print Check followed by Close Order, depending on your register settings).
On the payment screen, select Cash to close the order; as soon as a payment type is selected, the Issue Gift Card window prompts. Swipe

Exporting Gift Card Balances

To export gift card account numbers and gift card balances go to Managers Menu > Gift Certification House Account
Select Utilities (on toolbar) > Create Export File
Exit out of the MicroSale program and go to C:// > Program Files (x86) > Micro$ale > Account Export > HouseAccount.TXT

Exporting gift card balances (video)

Bookkeeping: How are gift card sales accounted for?

If a gift card is sold today, how does it affect the sales/credit card sales/batch/balance sheet?

When you sell a gift card (you take payment at the time of the gift card sale), it counts as "Non-sales revenue". Non-sales revenue is money collected today for the future sale of goods. When the gift card is redeemed, the gift card payment media shows as a "non-cash tender" along with other non-cash tender types such as Visa, Amex, House Account, etc.

By default, gift cards remain active indefinitely, as long as funds are on the card/account. Please check with your local laws before setting expiration dates on gift cards.

Changing expiry dates based on date of gift card activation/ date sold:

You can set gift cards to expire after a specific amount of time based on the date the gift card is sold.

Managers Menu > Menu Maintenance > Menu Items and Pricing > select "Gift Card"
Enter number of days until expiration
Save

When the gift card is sold and before the card is activated (by swiping the card and selecting Process), the Expiration Date appears in the lower left corner of the Issue Gift Card window.

If needed, you can change the expiration date here before selecting "Process". To Change Gift Card Account:

Manager Menu -> Gift Certificate House Account -> Select "Gift Card" from drop down as Account Type -> Select "Name" from drop down under Customer Information -> Select "Edit Account Balance" from Utilities option on tool bar at top of page -> Enter your Administrator Account information -> enter Dollar Amount - Select Deduct Credit -> Save Adjustment