How BigCommerce Gift Certificates Work — And How to Use Them to Boost Your Store Revenue - Rusted Certificate Solutions for Education, Training & Business

Gift certificates are one of the most underrated revenue tools available to online store owners. Yet most BigCommerce merchants either set them up once and forget about them — or never use them at all. That’s a significant missed opportunity. According to the National Retail Federation, gift cards and gift certificates are the most-requested gift item for 16 consecutive years, with consumers spending over $29 billion annually on them in the United States alone.

If you’re running a BigCommerce store and haven’t tapped into the full potential of BigCommerce gift certificates, this post will change that. From setup to strategy, from design to redemption, you’ll walk away knowing exactly how to turn gift certificates into a meaningful revenue stream for your eCommerce business.

Table of Contents

What Are BigCommerce Gift Certificates?

BigCommerce gift certificates are digital vouchers that store owners can sell to customers, who can then use them as payment — either in full or in part — on future purchases. Think of them as a prepaid store credit with a unique redemption code. When a customer buys a gift certificate, they (or the recipient) receive a code that can be entered at checkout to apply the value toward any qualifying purchase.

Unlike discount codes, which reduce the price for everyone who has access to them, gift certificates in BigCommerce represent actual monetary value that has already been paid for. This means your revenue is captured upfront, and the customer still needs to come back to spend it — giving you another touchpoint to deliver an exceptional shopping experience.

BigCommerce has built gift certificate functionality directly into its core platform. You don’t need a third-party app or plugin. Everything from setting the certificate value to customizing the email design to tracking redemptions is handled natively within your BigCommerce admin dashboard. This makes the feature both powerful and surprisingly simple to manage.

BigCommerce gift certificates can be:

Fixed-value (e.g., $25, $50, $100)
Open-value (customer chooses the amount within a set range)
Sent instantly via email to the recipient
Redeemed partially or fully depending on the purchase amount
Tracked in your admin panel with detailed reporting

“Gift cards represent pure incremental revenue. The customer has already paid. Every redemption is a second chance to impress them.” — BigCommerce Commerce Insights Report, 2024

Why BigCommerce Gift Certificates Matter for Your Business

Before diving into the how-to, it’s worth understanding why BigCommerce gift certificates deserve a prime spot in your eCommerce growth strategy. The business case is stronger than most merchants realize.

1. Upfront Revenue With Deferred Fulfillment

When a customer buys a gift certificate, you collect the money immediately — but you don’t fulfill a product right away. This positive cash flow situation is particularly valuable for small and mid-size businesses managing inventory and operating costs. The money is in your account before any product ships.

2. Unredeemed Balances (Breakage)

Industry data shows that approximately 10–19% of gift card and certificate value is never redeemed, a phenomenon known as breakage. While you should never count on it, this represents revenue you’ve collected without delivering a product or service in return.

3. Encouraging Higher Average Order Values

Research by First Data found that gift card recipients spend an average of 38% more than the face value of the certificate. A customer redeeming a $50 BigCommerce gift certificate often ends up spending $65–$80 at checkout. Your gift certificate becomes a floor for the transaction, not a ceiling.

4. Customer Acquisition Through Recipients

When someone gives a BigCommerce gift certificate to a friend or family member, they’re essentially marketing your store to a brand-new customer. The recipient may have never heard of your store. Now they have a financial reason to visit and buy.

5. Reducing Return Friction

When a customer wants to return an item but you’re unable to accept physical returns easily, offering store credit via a gift certificate is a clean alternative that keeps the revenue inside your store ecosystem.

How to Set Up BigCommerce Gift Certificates: Step-by-Step

Setting up gift certificates in BigCommerce is straightforward. Here’s a clear walkthrough of every step involved, from enabling the feature to customizing the experience.

Step 1: Enable Gift Certificates in Your BigCommerce Store

Log in to your BigCommerce admin panel. Navigate to Store Setup → Gift Certificates. If you’ve never activated this feature, you’ll see an option to enable it. Toggle it on. Once enabled, gift certificates will automatically appear as a purchasable item in your storefront.

Step 2: Configure Gift Certificate Settings

After enabling the feature, configure the following settings:

Setting	Description	Recommended Option
Minimum Value	The lowest denomination a customer can purchase	$10 or $25
Maximum Value	The highest denomination available	$500 or $1,000
Expiry Date	Whether certificates expire and after how long	No expiry (check local laws)
Sender/Recipient Fields	Collect names and messages	Yes — enables personalization
Email Notification	Auto-send certificate to recipient	Yes — enables instant delivery

Pro tip: Always check your state or country’s laws around gift certificate expiry. Many jurisdictions prohibit expiration dates or require a minimum validity period (commonly 5 years in the United States under the Credit CARD Act of 2009).

Step 3: Customize the Gift Certificate Email Template

BigCommerce lets you customize the email that gets sent to the certificate recipient. Navigate to Marketing → Email Templates within your admin. Find the Gift Certificate template and modify:

Store logo and branding colors
Headline and body copy
The redemption code display format
A personalized message field (filled in by the buyer)
A direct link to your store for easy redemption

This email is often the first touchpoint a new customer has with your brand. Treat it like a landing page — make it visually impressive, warmly worded, and crystal clear about how to redeem the certificate.

Step 4: Set Up Gift Certificate Themes (Optional)

BigCommerce allows you to create multiple gift certificate themes for different occasions — holidays, birthdays, weddings, thank-you gestures, and more. Each theme can have a unique visual design displayed on the email. To add themes:

Go to Store Setup → Gift Certificates → Themes
Click Add a Theme
Upload a custom image (recommended size: 600px × 200px)
Name the theme (e.g., “Holiday,” “Birthday,” “Thank You”)

Having occasion-specific themes significantly increases the emotional resonance of the certificate for the buyer and the recipient. A generic design says “this was an afterthought.” A beautifully branded birthday theme says “we care about your customers as much as you do.”

Step 5: Make Gift Certificates Discoverable on Your Storefront

Here’s where many merchants drop the ball. They set up BigCommerce gift certificates but bury them where no one can find them. Make them easy to discover by:

Adding a “Gift Certificates” link in your main navigation
Creating a dedicated gift certificate landing page
Adding a gift certificate promotion to your homepage banner
Including gift certificates in your checkout upsell flow
Promoting them in your email campaigns, especially around holidays

The gift certificate product page on your storefront should have clear instructions on how it works, what denominations are available, and how the recipient redeems it.

How BigCommerce Gift Certificate Redemption Works

Understanding how BigCommerce gift certificate redemption works is essential both for setting up your store correctly and for training your customer support team.

When a customer has a gift certificate code, they can redeem it during checkout. Here’s what happens:

Customer adds products to the cart and proceeds to checkout
On the payment step, a field labeled “Gift Certificate Code” appears
Customer enters the unique code
The system verifies the code and deducts the available balance from the order total
If the order total exceeds the certificate value, the customer pays the difference via another payment method
If the order total is less than the certificate value, the remaining balance stays on the certificate and can be used on future orders

This partial redemption capability is one of the things that makes BigCommerce gift certificates particularly flexible and customer-friendly. Customers never feel pressured to spend more than they want just to “use up” a certificate.

Checking Gift Certificate Balances

Customers can check their gift certificate balance by navigating to your store’s Gift Certificate balance page, typically located at:

yourstorename.com/giftcertificates/balance

They enter their code and see the remaining balance instantly. You can link to this page from your checkout area, your FAQ, or your order confirmation emails to proactively reduce support tickets.

Managing BigCommerce Gift Certificates in Your Admin

Your BigCommerce admin gives you full visibility and control over all gift certificates in your store. Here’s what you can manage:

Viewing All Gift Certificates

Navigate to Orders → Gift Certificates to see a full list of all certificates issued by your store. For each certificate, you can see:

Certificate code
Original value and remaining balance
Status (Active, Disabled, Expired, Redeemed)
Purchaser name and email
Recipient name and email
Date purchased
Expiry date (if set)

Manually Creating Gift Certificates

You can create gift certificates manually without a purchase transaction. This is useful for:

Compensating unhappy customers (instead of a refund)
Rewarding loyal customers or influencers
Running promotions or contests
Correcting order issues without processing returns

To create one manually, go to Orders → Gift Certificates → Create a Gift Certificate and fill in the recipient details, value, and expiry.

Disabling or Voiding Certificates

If fraud is suspected or a certificate was issued in error, you can disable any certificate from the admin. The status immediately changes to Disabled and the code becomes invalid at checkout.

BigCommerce Gift Certificates: Marketing Strategies That Work

Setting up BigCommerce gift certificates is the technical part. The real value comes from how you market them. Here are proven strategies that top BigCommerce merchants use.

Holiday Push Campaigns

The Q4 holiday season (November–December) accounts for a disproportionate share of annual gift certificate sales. Start promoting your BigCommerce gift certificates in early November — before Black Friday. Create a dedicated holiday gift certificate campaign with:

A themed email sequence (3–5 emails over the season)
A homepage banner with a holiday design
Social media posts emphasizing last-minute gifting convenience
Paid ads targeting gift-buyers (“Not sure what to get them?”)

Case Study — Outdoor Apparel Brand: A mid-size outdoor apparel BigCommerce merchant ran a 3-week holiday gift certificate campaign in December, promoting their certificates via email, Instagram, and Facebook ads with the message “The perfect gift for the adventurer in your life.” Gift certificate sales accounted for 22% of December revenue, up from 6% the prior year. More than half of the redemptions came from customers who had never purchased from the store before.

Post-Holiday “Redeem Your Gift” Campaign

January is when gift certificates get redeemed. Run a campaign in early January specifically targeting people who received gift certificates over the holidays. Use messaging like:

“Ready to spend your gift? Here’s what’s new.”
“Your gift certificate is waiting — here are our best-sellers.”
“New year, new favorites. Use your gift certificate today.”

This campaign capitalizes on high purchase intent — these people already have credit with you. You just need to get them back to your store.

Birthday and Gifting Occasions Year-Round

Don’t limit gift certificate promotions to the holidays. Market them around:

Valentine’s Day — “Give the gift of choice”
Mother’s Day / Father’s Day — Promoted 2 weeks prior
Back-to-School season — For educational or lifestyle brands
Weddings and baby showers — Gifting from a registry alternative

Bundle Gift Certificates with Physical Products

Create a “Gift Bundle” product on your BigCommerce store that pairs a physical item with a digital gift certificate. For example, a skincare brand might offer a “Pamper Pack” — a small product bundle plus a $25 gift certificate toward a future purchase. This increases the average order value while seeding a repeat purchase.

BigCommerce Gift Certificates vs. Discount Codes: Key Differences

Many merchants confuse BigCommerce gift certificates with discount codes. They serve different purposes and function differently. Here’s a clear comparison:

Feature	Gift Certificates	Discount Codes
Payment Required?	Yes — customer pays upfront	No — reduces price at checkout
Revenue Captured When?	At time of purchase	At time of product purchase
Who Can Use It?	Specific recipient (has the code)	Anyone with the code
Reusable?	Yes, until balance is $0	Depends on settings
Tracks Recipient?	Yes	No
Represents Store Credit?	Yes	No
Used for Promotions?	Sometimes	Primarily yes
Used as a Gift?	Primarily yes	Rarely

The most important distinction: gift certificates are revenue. Discount codes are a cost. When a customer buys a $50 gift certificate, $50 enters your bank account. When a customer uses a $50 discount code, $50 exits your potential revenue. This is a fundamental difference in how they affect your business financially.

Common Issues With BigCommerce Gift Certificates (And How to Fix Them)

Even with a well-configured system, issues arise. Here are the most common problems merchants encounter with BigCommerce gift certificates and how to resolve them.

Issue 1: Customer Says Their Code Isn’t Working

Likely causes:

The certificate has been fully redeemed
The certificate was disabled by an admin
The customer is entering the code incorrectly (letter O vs. number 0, etc.)
The certificate has expired (if expiry was set)

Solution: Direct the customer to the balance check page first. If balance is $0, explain it has been fully used. If the code is disabled, look up the reason in your admin. If expired, use your discretion about whether to reissue a new one.

Issue 2: Gift Certificate Email Not Received

Likely causes:

The buyer entered the recipient’s email address incorrectly
The email landed in spam
There was a delay in sending (rare with BigCommerce)

Solution: In your admin, locate the gift certificate, verify the recipient email, and re-send the certificate from the admin panel. Also advise recipients to check their spam/junk folder.

Issue 3: Certificate Balance Not Applying at Checkout

Likely cause: In some cases, browser caching issues or checkout session problems can interfere. This is rare.

Solution: Ask the customer to clear their browser cache or try a different browser. If the issue persists, escalate to BigCommerce support with the certificate code and order details.

Issue 4: Customers Asking for Cash Refunds on Gift Certificates

The legal reality: In some U.S. states, gift certificates with balances under a certain threshold (commonly $5–$10) must be redeemable for cash upon customer request. Check the laws in your state. For international stores, regulations vary widely.

Best practice: State your gift certificate refund policy clearly on the purchase page and in the certificate email.

BigCommerce Gift Certificates and Tax Considerations

This is an area that trips up many merchants. Here’s what you need to know about the tax treatment of gift certificates in BigCommerce.

At the time of sale: When a customer buys a gift certificate, you generally do not collect sales tax on the certificate itself. You’re selling a financial instrument, not a taxable product.

At the time of redemption: When the recipient uses the certificate to buy a product, sales tax is calculated on the product, not on the certificate. If the product is taxable, tax applies to the full product price — not just the cash portion the customer pays out of pocket.

Example:

Customer buys a $50 BigCommerce gift certificate → No sales tax collected
Recipient uses $50 certificate to buy a $60 taxable jacket → Sales tax applies to $60 (the jacket price)
If tax rate is 8%, tax = $4.80 applied to the remaining balance owed

BigCommerce handles this calculation automatically at checkout, so the tax logic is built in. However, always consult a qualified tax professional or accountant familiar with eCommerce tax law in your operating jurisdiction, as rules can vary significantly by location.

Integrating BigCommerce Gift Certificates With Your Loyalty Program

If you’re running a loyalty or rewards program on your BigCommerce store, gift certificates can function as a redemption reward. Rather than giving customers only discount codes, offer gift certificates as a premium loyalty perk. This approach has a few advantages:

Gift certificates feel more valuable than discount codes, even when the dollar amount is identical
Recipients who earn a certificate through loyalty points are highly motivated to return and spend it
It reinforces the emotional connection between the customer and your brand

Some third-party loyalty apps compatible with BigCommerce — such as Smile.io, LoyaltyLion, and Yotpo Loyalty — can integrate with gift certificate workflows. Check app compatibility in the BigCommerce App Marketplace.

Reporting on BigCommerce Gift Certificates

Tracking performance is critical to knowing whether your BigCommerce gift certificate strategy is working. Here’s what to measure and where to find the data.

Key Metrics to Track

Metric	What It Tells You
Total certificates sold (by period)	Volume of gift certificate purchases
Total value issued	Revenue captured upfront
Total value redeemed	Revenue that has been spent
Outstanding balance (unredeemed)	Liability on your books
Redemption rate	% of issued value that has been redeemed
New vs. returning customers via certificates	Customer acquisition impact
Average order value at redemption	Whether recipients spend beyond the certificate

BigCommerce’s native reporting gives you access to gift certificate transaction data under Analytics → Orders. For more granular analysis, export the data to a spreadsheet tool or connect to a business intelligence platform like Google Looker Studio or Klaviyo Analytics (if using Klaviyo for email).

Benchmark: A healthy redemption rate for BigCommerce gift certificates typically falls between 70–85% within 12 months of issuance. If your rate is significantly lower, it may indicate that your gift certificate experience is too friction-heavy, or that recipients aren’t being reminded to use their certificates.

BigCommerce Gift Certificates for B2B and Wholesale Stores

BigCommerce gift certificates aren’t just for consumer (B2C) stores. B2B merchants and wholesale operations can use them creatively as well. Here are several B2B applications:

Employee gifting programs — Corporate buyers can purchase bulk gift certificates for employee rewards or recognition programs
Client appreciation — Send gift certificates to top clients as a relationship-building gesture
Vendor incentives — Reward suppliers or partners who hit milestones
Event giveaways — Use gift certificates as digital prizes at trade shows or virtual events

For B2B use cases, consider creating a bulk gift certificate purchase option — either through a custom product listing or by working with your BigCommerce account manager to configure a solution for high-volume certificate buyers.

How Third-Party Apps Extend BigCommerce Gift Certificate Functionality

While BigCommerce’s native gift certificate feature is robust, some merchants need extended functionality. The BigCommerce App Marketplace offers several third-party tools that build on top of the native feature.

Popular extensions include:

GiftUp! — Enables more sophisticated gift card designs, physical gift card support, and multi-currency certificates
Plobal Apps — Integrates gift certificates with mobile shopping apps built on BigCommerce
Rise.ai — Provides advanced gift card workflows including store credit, referral rewards, and loyalty automation

Before adding a third-party app, evaluate whether the native BigCommerce gift certificate functionality covers 80%+ of your needs. Native functionality is always more reliable, requires no additional monthly cost, and reduces the risk of compatibility issues during BigCommerce platform updates.

BigCommerce Gift Certificates and Multi-Currency Stores

If your BigCommerce store serves customers in multiple countries, multi-currency gift certificate management becomes an important consideration.

BigCommerce’s native gift certificates are issued in a single currency — the store’s default currency. If a customer in the UK purchases a gift certificate on a store where the default currency is USD, the certificate will be denominated in USD regardless of the customer’s displayed currency at checkout.

For stores with a significant international customer base:

Consider using a third-party app like GiftUp! that supports multi-currency certificates
Clearly state the currency denomination on your gift certificate product page
Include currency information in the gift certificate email template so there’s no confusion at redemption

BigCommerce has been expanding its multi-currency capabilities — always check the latest BigCommerce gift certificates documentation for the most current multi-currency support details.

BigCommerce Gift Certificate Best Practices Checklist

Before you launch or revamp your BigCommerce gift certificate program, run through this checklist to make sure everything is optimized.

Setup:

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[ ] Gift certificates enabled in Store Setup
[ ] Minimum and maximum values configured appropriately
[ ] Expiry policy reviewed against local laws
[ ] Email template branded and tested
[ ] Multiple occasion themes created (holiday, birthday, general)

Discovery:

[ ] Gift certificate link in main navigation
[ ] Gift certificate featured on homepage (especially during Q4)
[ ] Dedicated product/landing page with clear instructions
[ ] Balance check page linked from checkout and FAQ

Marketing:

[ ] Holiday campaign planned and scheduled
[ ] Post-holiday redemption campaign ready for January
[ ] Year-round occasion promotions added to email calendar
[ ] Gift certificates included in loyalty program rewards

Operations:

[ ] Customer support team trained on redemption troubleshooting
[ ] Refund and cash-out policy written and published
[ ] Tax treatment reviewed with accountant
[ ] Reporting dashboard set up to track key metrics

FAQs About BigCommerce Gift Certificates

What are BigCommerce gift certificates and how do they work?

BigCommerce gift certificates are digital vouchers sold through your BigCommerce store that carry a monetary value. When purchased, the buyer or recipient receives a unique redemption code via email. That code can be applied at checkout to reduce the order total by the certificate’s remaining balance. They function like prepaid store credit and are fully managed within the BigCommerce admin panel.

Can BigCommerce gift certificates expire?

Yes, you can set an expiry date when configuring your gift certificates, or leave them with no expiry at all. However, expiry rules are regulated by law in many jurisdictions. In the United States, the Credit CARD Act of 2009 generally prohibits gift certificates from expiring within 5 years of purchase. Always check the laws applicable to your business location before enabling expiry.

How do customers redeem a BigCommerce gift certificate?

Customers enter their unique certificate code in the Gift Certificate Code field at checkout, on the payment step. The system instantly verifies the code and deducts the available balance from the order total. If the balance doesn’t cover the full order, the customer pays the remainder with another payment method.

Can a BigCommerce gift certificate be partially redeemed?

Yes. BigCommerce gift certificates support partial redemption. If a customer’s order costs less than the certificate value, the remaining balance stays on the certificate and can be applied to future orders. Customers can check their remaining balance at your store’s gift certificate balance page.

Can I create BigCommerce gift certificates manually without a purchase?

Absolutely. Store admins can manually create gift certificates from the BigCommerce admin panel under Orders → Gift Certificates → Create a Gift Certificate. This is commonly used for customer compensation, loyalty rewards, promotions, or correcting order errors.

Are BigCommerce gift certificates taxable?

Generally, the sale of a gift certificate itself is not subject to sales tax — tax is applied when the certificate is redeemed to purchase a taxable product. However, tax laws vary significantly by location, so consult a qualified tax professional familiar with eCommerce for guidance specific to your store.

How do I track gift certificate redemptions in BigCommerce?

You can view all gift certificate transactions under Orders → Gift Certificates in your admin panel. For each certificate, you can see the original value, remaining balance, purchaser information, recipient information, and redemption history. You can also export this data for external analysis.

Can BigCommerce gift certificates be used with discount codes?

Whether a gift certificate and discount code can be stacked depends on your store’s configuration. By default, BigCommerce allows a gift certificate and a coupon/discount code to be applied to the same order. If you want to restrict this, you may need to configure your coupon settings or consult with a BigCommerce developer.

What happens if a gift certificate recipient never redeems their certificate?

If a certificate is never redeemed, it remains on your books as a liability until it expires (if an expiry was set) or indefinitely (if no expiry). From a revenue perspective, unredeemed certificate value — known as breakage — may eventually be recognized as income depending on your accounting practices and jurisdiction. Consult an accountant for proper treatment.

Is there a limit to how many BigCommerce gift certificates I can issue?

There is no documented hard cap on the number of gift certificates you can issue through BigCommerce. However, for high-volume or enterprise gifting programs, consider the administrative overhead of managing large volumes of certificates and look into third-party tools that may provide better reporting and management capabilities.

Ready to Activate Your BigCommerce Gift Certificate Strategy?

If you’ve read this far, you have everything you need to set up, optimize, and market BigCommerce gift certificates effectively. The native tools are already inside your admin panel waiting to be configured. The marketing opportunities are real and proven. The financial upside — upfront revenue, higher average order values, new customer acquisition — is there for merchants who commit to using gift certificates as a genuine growth lever, not an afterthought.

Start by enabling the feature today, customizing your email template, and scheduling your first gift certificate promotion. Whether that’s a holiday campaign, a birthday landing page, or a loyalty reward — every step brings you closer to capturing revenue that’s currently going elsewhere.

Also, if your business relies on Salesforce and you’re looking to upskill your team with copado certification, combining platform expertise with eCommerce strategy is one of the fastest ways to build operational advantage in 2026.

Citation: BigCommerce. “Gift Certificates.” BigCommerce Support Documentation. Available at: https://support.bigcommerce.com/s/article/Gift-Certificates. Accessed March 2026.