"Fine Print" Gift Certificate Lingo!

[Jennifer Rhodes Framer]

Hi all-
I'm looking for a generic gift certificate lingo - specifically for the fine print/legal info. that you put at the bottom of the certificate to protect my company.

I know you can put an expiration date on the certificate but technically you can't (and wouldn't!) want to hold the client to it but I understand it's good motivation to get them to use it quicker.

Any advice would be most appreciated!

Cheers,
Jennifer Rhodes
On Display Custom Framing
San Diego, CA

 

[Dave]

Another reason to put an expiration date on the GC is so that it doesn't come back 20 years later when you may no longer have records of the certificate or even possibly own the business. Gift Certificates should be accounted for as a liability of the business. If you put an expiration date on them then that liability can be written of after they expire.

You may also want to put that the Gift Certificate has no cash value or that their are no refunds of any balance left. The permissibility of a refund is optional. Generally if a GC has less than a $ 5.00 value I refund the difference if asked to get it off my books.

 

[nikfrz]

I always put at the bottom that the certificate cannot be used in conjunction with any other promotions or offers, and no cash back.

 

[RoboFramer]

Stick one in your shop window, esp if it faces Southerly.

Print, (in blue) "If you can still read this on the one in our window - it's valid!"

 

[mayos]

Ditto on what Dave said. Gift certificates can be an valuable marketing tool. We don't have any "fine print" on our gift certificates, but we do have written store policy. Gift certificates cannot be redeemed for cash, they have an expiration date 1 year from the date of purchase on the certificate (although we don't enforce that), we give the cash back when there's a balance of $5 or less. They can be used on any purchase in our store and they cannot be transferred to any other person.

 

[Mike Labbe]

Gift certificates here cannot have an expiration, per the law. They are the same as cash, and can be combined with a promotion. We don't have or need any small print, because the laws are pretty straightforward about it.

We keep a log of all gift certificate/liability sales, with the date, name, amount, when they were redeemed, etc. The POS also reports them with a special notation.

Most of them never seem to get redeemed! We love to exchange money for gift certificates!

 

[Julie Walsh]

Gift Certificates are just like putting money on account until redeemed. Mine state "cannot be converted to cash" at the bottom; and are only valid if they contain the certificate # issued by my POS and have my authorization.

I keep blank ones (they have a pen/watercolour image of my storefront) in clear card envelopes that can be filled in. At times, I will print special ones that are more personalized or specifically for art commissions or art lessons where the giver doesn't want the receiver know the amount.

I print them on photo stock....less likely to be copied.