Shopify Gift Cards 2026: Set Up, Sell, and Manage Store Credit

Shopify gift cards have been available on all paid plans since 2021 — no more plan-gating. Whether you run a small boutique or a multi-channel brand, you can sell digital gift cards straight from your admin without installing a single app. Here is everything you need to know in 2026.

Plan Requirements

Since Shopify removed the plan restriction in 2021, every paid tier — Basic, Shopify, Advanced, and Plus — includes native gift card functionality. Starter plan merchants are the exception; they need a third-party workaround.

Setting Up Denominations and Custom Amounts

Create a gift card product under Products → Gift cards in your admin. You can add fixed denominations (£10, £25, £50, £100) or enable a custom amount field so customers choose their own value. Fixed denominations convert better on mobile because there is less friction. Custom amounts suit B2B buyers purchasing in bulk for employee rewards.

Each gift card generates a unique 16-digit code on purchase. Shopify emails it automatically — no fulfilment action needed on your end.

Gift Cards vs Store Credit: The Key Difference

Many merchants conflate the two. A gift card is a product purchased by a customer (or gifted by you) with a fixed monetary value encoded in a unique code. Store credit, introduced natively in Shopify in 2023, is a balance tied directly to a customer account — no code required. Store credit cannot be transferred between accounts; gift cards can.

Use gift cards for gifting occasions and promotional campaigns. Use store credit for refunds and loyalty rewards where you want the balance locked to one customer.

Using Gift Cards for Refunds

When processing a refund, Shopify lets you choose between returning money to the original payment method or issuing a gift card. Issuing a gift card keeps cash inside your business and nudges the customer to return. Research consistently shows gift-card refunds reduce churn versus straight cash refunds — customers often spend more than the original order value when they return.

Comparison: Native vs Third-Party Gift Card Apps

Feature	Shopify Native	Rise.ai	Govalo
Digital delivery	Yes	Yes	Yes
Physical card integration	No	Yes	No
Scheduled delivery	No	Yes	Yes
Branded email templates	Basic	Advanced	Advanced
Bulk gifting (B2B)	Manual	Yes	Limited
Monthly cost	£0	From £29	From £19

For physical gift cards — the kind you rack in a retail outlet — you need an app like Rise.ai paired with a card printer. Shopify POS can redeem physical cards as long as the code is scannable or manually entered.

Gift Cards as a Marketing Tool

Gift cards are one of the most underused acquisition channels. A “send a friend a £10 gift card” referral mechanic costs you only when the recipient converts, making the CAC entirely performance-based. You can also issue gift cards to influencers instead of free product — they spend them authentically and you retain a record of redemption in your admin.

Seasonal gifting windows (Christmas, Diwali, Eid, Valentine’s Day) see significant gift card search volume. Listing your gift card product with proper SEO metadata captures organic intent you would otherwise lose to Amazon or supermarket gift cards.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do Shopify gift cards expire?

By default, Shopify gift cards do not expire. You can set an expiry date when creating the gift card product, but consumer protection law in the UK and EU restricts expiry periods — check local regulations before setting any limit shorter than five years.

Can I issue a partial gift card refund?

Yes. Shopify lets you specify a refund amount when issuing store credit or a new gift card. The customer receives a code worth only the refunded amount, not the full original order value.

Are gift card sales taxable in the UK?

In the UK, selling a gift card is not a taxable supply — VAT is accounted for at the point of redemption, not purchase. Shopify handles this correctly by default. Always confirm with your accountant for your specific jurisdiction.

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