Gift Card/Gift Certificate Setup

 

Table of Contents

Configure PC Charge

Create Gift Card Liability Account

Setup Items for Gift Cards

Setup On-Screen Keys

Create Gift Card Tendering Code

Activating a Gift Card

Incrementing a Gift Card

Checking the Balance on a Gift Card

Tendering a Gift Card

Setting up Paper Gift Certificates

Create Gift Certificate Item

Create the Gift Certificate Button

Create Gift Certificate Tendering Code

Selling a Gift Certificate

Tendering a Gift Certificate

 

GIFT CARD SETUP:

 

This guide was written for Version 9 of AccuPOS.  If you are running an earlier version of AccuPOS, you will notice differences on the user interface.

 

Configure PC Charge: (top)

 

If you are using PC Charge for merchant services, it must be set up first before AccuPOS can integrate the Gift Card processing.  If you are not running PC Charge, you may skip this section.

 

Set-up a Gift Card Merchant Account:  Before you can process Gift Cards, you must first sign up for a merchant account with the Gift Card Company of your choice. Powered by PC Charge Pro, AccuPOS is compatible with all the gift card processors in the United States and Canada.

 

Have Your Account Information:  Once the merchant account has been activated by your bank, you will need the account information to configure PC Charge. Depending on your bank, the information required may be different.

 

Configure PC Charge:  Call 877-659-8981 and choose option #1 to reach PC Charge technical support and configure the Gift Card Company over the phone.

 

Create Gift Card Liability Account: (top)

 

Selling and redeeming Gift Cards require a GL Account to be set up.  Inside your accounting software, create a liability account called Gift Cards.  This account will be debited and credited when gift card transactions are processed at the Point of Sale.

 

Setup Items for Gift Cards: (top)

 

There are three types of gift card transactions that will be made at the Point of Sale that will affect accounting.  Those transactions are activating a Gift Card, incrementing a Gift Card, or checking the balance of a Gift Card.  Items must be created inside the accounting software for these transactions to be run through AccuPOS Point of Sale.

 

The first item that must be created is the Activation item:

 

  1. Create a new non-inventory, non-taxable item in accounting.
  2. Name the item GIFTACT.
  3. Enter Gift Card Activation as the item description.
  4. Set the price to 0.00.
  5. Set the sales account to the Gift Card Liability account created above.
  6. Set the item TYPE to GCA.  Make sure that GCA is a TYPE unique to this item alone.  If other items have this TYPE, they must be given a different TYPE.

 

The next item that must be created is the Increment item:

 

  1. Create a new non-inventory, non-taxable item in accounting.
  2. Name the item GIFTINC.
  3. Enter Gift Card Increment as the item description.
  4. Set the price to 0.00.
  5. Set the sales account to the Gift Card Liability account created above.
  6. Set the item TYPE to GCI.  Make sure that GCI is a TYPE unique to this item alone.  If other items have the TYPE, they must be given a different TYPE.

 

Once these items are created in the accounting software, they need to be imported into the AccuPOS Retail Management program.

 

*For more information on creating items and item TYPEs, please refer to your specific accounting inventory setup guide.

**For more information on importing items into AccuPOS Retail Management, please refer to the Management Setup Guide.

 

Setup On-Screen Keys: (top)

 

Now that the items have been created inside the accounting software, buttons must be created at the Point of Sale.  These buttons are:

 

  1. Activate:  This key will be used when the Gift Card is sold for the first time.  It will enable the cashier to activate the card and put the initial balance on it.
  2. Increment:  This key enables the cashier to add funds to a card that has already been activated.
  3. Balance:  This key enables the cashier to check the balance on a Gift Card that has already been activated.

 

On-screen keys are set up through AccuPOS Retail Management.  Go to Setup -> Keys -> Set Main Screen Keys (Figure 1-1).  The AccuPOS Keys Layout Manager window appears.

 

Figure 1-1

 

To create the Activate key (Figure 1-2):

 

  1. Drag a button to edit in the Workshop.

2.      In the Button Label field, type in Activate Gift Card.

3.      Enter GIFTACT in the Text field.

4.      Make sure the Type is set to Item.

5.      Make sure that Enter (cr) After is checked and Cannot Repeat is unchecked.

  1. Assign a color, text color, and size to the button at your discretion.

 

Figure 1-2

 

To create the Increment key (Figure 1-3):

 

  1. Drag a button to edit in the Workshop.
  2. In the Button Label field, type in Increment Gift Card.
  3. Enter GIFTINC in the Text field.
  4. Make sure the Type is set to Item.
  5. Make sure that Enter (cr) After is checked and Cannot Repeat is unchecked.
  6. Assign a color, text color, and size to the button at your discretion.

 

Figure 1-3

 

To create the Gift Card Balance key (Figure 1-3):

 

  1. Drag a button to edit in the Workshop.
  2. In the Button Label field, type in Gift Card Balance.
  3. Leave the Text field blank.
  4. Make sure the Type is set to Gift Card Balance.
  5. Make sure that Enter (cr) After is checked and Cannot Repeat is unchecked.
  6. Assign a color, text color, and size to the button at your discretion.

 

Figure 1-3

 

Here is an example of how the buttons can look (Figure 1-4):

 

Figure 1-4

 

Create Gift Card Tendering Code: (top)

 

Now that the items and buttons have been created, a tendering code must be configured to take the Gift Cards at the Point of Sale (Figure 2-1).  To create this Gift Card Tendering Code, you must be in AccuPOS Retail Management:

 

  1. Go to Setup -> Tendering Codes.  The Tender Codes window appears.
  2. In the Code field, enter GC.
  3. Enter Gift Card for the description and Gift Card for the Button Text.
  4. Set the GL Account the specified gift card liability account created in the accounting.  In the example, we will be using Gift Card.
  5. Set the Type to Gift cards.
  6. Typically, no change can be given for a Gift Card.  Set the maximum change amount to zero.
  7. Click Add when finished.

 

Figure 2-1

 

At the Point of Sale, if a gift card is being used to purchase merchandise, when the Total button is used, a Gift Card tendering option will be visible.  When selected, it will prompt for a card swipe.

 

Activating a Gift Card: (top)

 

Everything is now configured for AccuPOS to process Gift Cards.  It is time to start selling them.  To activate a Gift Card at the Point of Sale:

 

  1. Enter the amount to be put on the card.  (Figure 3-1)

 

Figure 3-1

 

  1. Select Price.  (Figure 3-2)

 

Figure 3-2

 

  1. Select the Activate Gift Card button (Figure 3-3).  A gift card processing window will appear.  (Figure 3-4)

 

Figure 3-3

Figure 3-4

 

  1. Swipe the Card.  Once it is processed, you will be taken back to the main screen.
  2. Hit Total.  Select the tendering type (cash, Visa, etc).

 

Incrementing a Gift Card: (top)

 

Incrementing a gift card is very similar to activating one.  To increment a Gift Card:

 

  1. Enter the amount to be added to the card.
  2. Select Price.
  3. Select the Increment Gift Card button.  A gift card processing window will appear.
  4. Swipe the card.  Once it is processed, you will be taken back to the main screen.
  5. Hit Total.  Select the tendering type (cash, Visa, etc).

 

Checking the Balance on a Gift Card: (top)

 

There will be times when a customer needs to know the balance on his/her gift card.  A balance can be determined through the Point of Sale.  To check a gift card’s balance:

 

  1. Select the Gift Card Balance button.  A gift card processing window will appear.
  2. Swipe the card.  A window will pop up displaying the current balance on the card.
  3. You can return to the main screen and continue with the transaction.

 

Tendering a Gift Card:  (top)

 

Now that Gift Cards are being sold and incremented, they will be used for tendering transactions as well.  To redeem a Gift Card from the Point of Sale:

 

  1. Enter in the items to be sold.
  2. Hit the Total button to go to the pay screen.
  3. If the total amount of the sale is less than the balance on the card, select the Gift Card tendering type (Figure 4-1).  If the amount on the card is less than the total for the transaction, enter that amount in and select Gift Card.

 

Figure 4-1

 

  1. A processing window will appear (Figure 4-2).  Swipe the Gift Card.

 

Figure 4-2

 

  1. Once approved, if the total amount of the transaction was tendered, you will be returned to the main screen.  If this was a partial payment, you will remain on the pay screen.

 

Setting up Paper Gift Certificates: (top)

 

Not all Gift Certificates are credit card based.  Paper gift certificates can also be integrated with AccuPOS Retail Point of Sale.  The setup is similar to the credit-card based Gift Card system; the only major difference is that no card is swiped at the Point of Sale.  Another difference between paper Gift Certificates and credit card based Gift Cards is that the balance will remain on the credit card based Gift Card to be read at a later time.  Paper Gift Certificates, if there is a remaining balance, must be notated on the Certificate itself; AccuPOS has no way to track that information.

 

You will first need to setup a Gift Card Liability Account for all Gift Card sales transactions.  Follow the same steps as listed above (here).

 

Create Gift Certificate Item: (top)

 

Similar to the credit-card based gift card setup; an item must be created inside the accounting software to specify the initial sale of the gift certificate:

 

  1. Create a non-inventory, non-taxable item in accounting.
  2. Name the item Gift Certificate.
  3. Enter Gift Certificate for the description.
  4. Set the price to 0.00 for a custom-priced gift certificate or set an actual price for a specific gift certificate amount.
  5. Set the sales account as the Gift Card Liability account created earlier.

 

Create the Gift Certificate Button: (top)

 

Now that the item has been created in accounting, it must be assigned to a button at the Point of Sale.  To create this button (Figure 5-1):

 

1.      Drag a button to edit in the Workshop.

2.      In the Button Label field, type in Gift Certificate.

3.      Hit the Item Lookup button.

4.      Scroll through the list and select the Gift Certificate item that was created in the accounting software and hit Select.

5.      Make sure that Enter (cr) After is checked and Cannot Repeat is unchecked.

6.      Assign a color, text color, and size to the button at your discretion.

 

Figure 5-1

 

Create Gift Certificate Tendering Code: (top)

 

Now that the item and button has been created, a tendering code must be configured to redeem Gift Certificates at the Point of Sale.  To create this Gift Certificate Tendering Code (Figure 6-1):

 

  1. Go to Setup -> Tendering Codes.  The Tender Codes window appears.

2.   In the Code field, enter GC.

  1.  Enter Gift Certificate for the description and Gift Certificate for the Button Text.
  2. Set the GL Account the specified gift card liability account created in the accounting.  In the example, we will be using Gift Certificate.
  3. Set the Type to Cash.
  4. Typically, no change can be given for a Gift Certificate.  Set the maximum change amount to zero.
  5. Click Add when finished.

 

Figure 6-1

 

At the Point of Sale, if a gift card is being used to purchase merchandise, when the Total button is used, a Gift Certificate tendering option will be visible.

 

Selling a Gift Certificate: (top)

 

Now that the Gift Certificate button and tendering code are created, it is time to start selling.  To sell the Gift Certificate item:

 

1.      Select the Gift Certificate button if the price is fixed.  If the price is not fixed, enter the amount of the Gift Certificate being sold and select price.  Then select the Gift Certificate button.

2.      Continue to ring in items or select Total to tender the sale.

 

Tendering a Gift Certificate: (top)

 

Now that Gift Certificates are being sold, they will be used for tendering transactions as well.  To redeem a Gift Certificate from the Point of Sale:

 

  1. Enter in the items to be sold.
  2. Hit the Total button to go to the pay screen.
  3. If the total amount of the sale is less than the balance on the certificate, select the Gift Certificate tendering type.  If the amount on the certificate is less than the total for the transaction, enter that amount in and select Gift Certificate tendering type.
  4. If the total amount of the transaction was tendered, you will be returned to the main screen.  If this was a partial payment, you will remain on the pay screen.