ArySomeone wants to buy a gift card from your salon, massage studio or med spa. Your website tells them to call. If you are with a client, they have to wait or try somewhere else. Selling online gives them a way to buy when they are ready. Before you promote it, check the payment, delivery and booking steps.
Are gift cards worth it for a service business?
They can help a regular client introduce someone new to your business. In its January 2026 article, Zenoti cites its 2025 benchmark: almost one in four salon and spa gift-card redeemers were new customers. That describes the businesses in the benchmark. It does not promise the same result for yours.
Before offering a card, check your own numbers. Can you deliver the service profitably after payment fees? Can a recipient find an appointment? Is the amount enough for a useful service, or will they need to pay extra? Explain that before the buyer pays.
A recipient may be meeting your business for the first time. Give them the same clear information you would give any new client: what you offer, how to book and what happens when they arrive.
How do you sell gift cards online?
Use what you already have first. If your booking system supports gift cards, check whether it tracks balances and accepts them at checkout. Square eGift cards are another option where Square is available. A payment link and PDF need a secure code, a balance record and a way to prevent the same value being redeemed twice.
Here's how the three common paths compare:
| Option | Setup | Cost | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gift cards in your booking system | Usually a setting to turn on | Depends on your plan | Salons, spas and studios already booking online |
| Square eGift cards | Free to set up | Up to 2.5% load fee, plus processing. Confirm your plan’s rate. | Businesses without gift cards built in |
| Payment link + PDF card | Manual setup and balance tracking | Your normal card fees | A short holiday test, not long-term |
Square’s US pages currently disagree on the online processing rate: its gift-card page lists 2.9% + 30¢, while its support fee guide lists 3.3% + 30¢ for online eGift orders. Confirm the rate for your plan and country before launch. Both describe a separate load fee, and the gift-card page says there is no extra redemption fee. Give buyers one Gift cards page linked from your menu and bio. The Linktree comparison can help you decide where that page belongs.
What should happen after someone buys a gift card?
Check four separate steps: the buyer’s receipt, delivery to the recipient, booking instructions and any follow-up you have permission to send. A successful payment alone does not prove the card arrived or can be redeemed.
Here's the flow I'd set up:
- To the buyer, right away: a confirmation with the amount, who it's for, and when it will arrive. Buyers worry it didn't go through.
- To the recipient, on the day they choose: the card, plus one line on how to book and a link straight to your booking page.
- To the recipient, a few weeks later if they haven't booked: a useful reminder, only where you have permission to send it.
- After the first visit: a thank-you and an easy way to book again. Give them a useful way to return, using the same planning as salon client reactivation, just earlier.
Use recipient details only for the delivery and communications you are allowed to send. A buyer entering someone else’s email is not automatic permission to add that person to marketing. Check the rules that apply to your business and stop reminders after redemption.
When should you start, and what does January look like?
If you want to promote holiday gift cards in November, aim to finish the setup and testing before then. Leave time to check scheduled delivery, a partial redemption, the remaining balance and a refund. Choose your promotion date around what you can actually deliver.
Plan for bookings as well as sales. Recipients may book soon after receiving a card or much later. Check your January availability, service prices and capacity. Make any service restrictions clear before purchase and check that they comply with the rules that apply.
A busy January also means more calls you can't pick up mid-appointment. If that's you, the missed call text back post covers the simplest fix.
Before you share your gift-card link
Use this short checklist with the person managing your setup. Agree any test order and email delivery before running them.
- Confirm the offer, currency, available services and terms on the buying page.
- Check how the buyer chooses a recipient and delivery date, if your setup offers those choices.
- Confirm what the buyer and recipient each receive.
- Check where the remaining balance is recorded and how staff apply it at redemption.
- Check how the recipient can book and whom they can contact for help.
Keep the results with your setup notes so the same checks can be repeated when the offer changes.
What I'd be careful about
Expiration dates have rules. For gift cards covered by US federal rules, funds generally cannot expire sooner than five years after issue or the last load. Inactivity fees need at least a year without use, advance disclosure and no more than one such fee per month. States may give stronger protection. These are US rules, not a worldwide policy. Confirm the rules for where you sell before writing the terms.
Keep bonus cards separate. If you offer a bonus with a paid card, identify the paid value and promotional value separately. Promotional cards may have different legal requirements. Have the terms checked before advertising an expiry date or other restriction.
Ask your bookkeeper how to record sales. Receiving the money does not mean you have delivered the service. Accounting and tax treatment can differ. Track outstanding balances and confirm how to record sales, redemptions and refunds for your business.
Don't run two balance systems. If your booking system has gift cards and you also sell PDFs through a payment link, someone will eventually try to use a card at the front desk that the system has never heard of. Pick one home for balances.
FAQ
Are gift cards worth it for a small service business?
They can be useful when your clients want to give your service as a gift. Check the fees, available appointments and redemption process first. Zenoti’s benchmark describes new-customer redemptions at participating salons and spas, not a guaranteed result for your business.
What's the easiest way to sell gift cards online?
Check the booking or payment system you already use. A built-in gift-card option can keep balances and redemption together. Confirm that it supports your country, services and checkout before choosing it.
How much does Square charge for eGift cards?
Square’s US gift-card page says eGift setup is free and lists a load fee of up to 2.5%, plus processing. Its pages currently give different online processing rates: 2.9% + 30¢ on the gift-card page and 3.3% + 30¢ in the support guide. Confirm your account’s rate. The gift-card page says there is no extra redemption fee.
Can my gift cards have an expiration date?
For cards covered by US federal rules, funds generally have a minimum five-year life from issue or the last load. Inactivity fees have separate conditions, and states may provide stronger protection. Confirm the rules for your card type and jurisdiction before setting any expiry or fees.
When should I start promoting holiday gift cards?
If you want a November promotion, aim to finish setup and testing beforehand. Check payment, scheduled delivery, partial redemption, refunds and available appointments before advertising. Recipients can book at different times, so plan capacity beyond December.
Can Bloomwired set up gift cards and the follow-up for me?
We can set up the parts around the card: the page people buy from, the confirmation to the buyer, the reminder to the recipient to book, and the follow-up after their first visit. If your booking system already sells gift cards, we work with it instead of replacing it. The Setup Check is the first step.
A quick last word
Start with a card you can sell, deliver, track and redeem reliably. Then make the first appointment easy for someone who has never booked with you before.
If you want a second pair of eyes on how that works for you today, start with the Setup Check.
References
5 sources- Federal Reserve
US gift-card expiration and inactivity-fee conditions
Sources checked October 20, 2026. Square’s US pages show conflicting online processing rates, so confirm the quote in your own account. The Zenoti figure is a vendor benchmark. The legal summary concerns covered US gift cards and does not replace checking your local requirements.
