# Create Gift Cards (/how-to/promotions/create-gift-cards)



Gift cards let customers prepay for future bookings. You can create them manually from the dashboard for walk-in sales, phone orders, or promotional giveaways. Customers can also purchase them online if you enable that option in [gift card settings](/how-to/promotions/manage-gift-card-settings).

Before you begin [#before-you-begin]

* You need access to the Resytech Dashboard.
* Gift cards must be enabled for your location. If you have not done this yet, see [Manage Gift Card Settings](/how-to/promotions/manage-gift-card-settings).

Steps [#steps]

1. In the sidebar, click **Gift Cards** to open the gift card list page.
2. Click the **Create Gift Card** button in the top-right corner.
3. Fill in the gift card form:

Gift card amount [#gift-card-amount]

| Field             | Required | Description                                                                                                        |
| ----------------- | -------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
| **Quick Select**  | No       | Click one of the preset amounts ($25, $50, $75, $100, $150, $200) to populate the amount field quickly.            |
| **Custom Amount** | Yes      | Enter any dollar amount between $0.01 and $10,000. This becomes both the original amount and the starting balance. |

Purchaser information [#purchaser-information]

| Field               | Required | Description                                                           |
| ------------------- | -------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Purchaser Name**  | No       | The name of the person buying the gift card. Stored for your records. |
| **Purchaser Email** | No       | The buyer's email address. Must be a valid email format if provided.  |

Recipient information [#recipient-information]

| Field               | Required | Description                                                                                                                               |
| ------------------- | -------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Recipient Name**  | No       | The name of the person receiving the gift card.                                                                                           |
| **Recipient Email** | No       | The recipient's email address. If provided, a gift card delivery email is automatically sent with the card code and details.              |
| **Gift Message**    | No       | A personalized message included in the delivery email. Only available if the "Allow Custom Message" setting is enabled for your location. |

Additional options [#additional-options]

| Field               | Required | Description                                                                                                                 |
| ------------------- | -------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Expiration Date** | No       | An optional date after which the gift card can no longer be redeemed. Must be a future date. Leave blank for no expiration. |
| **Internal Notes**  | No       | Staff-only notes (not visible to customers). Recorded in the initial purchase transaction.                                  |

4. Click **Create Gift Card**.
5. A success dialog displays the generated gift card code in the format `RC-XXXX-XXXX-XXXX-XXXX`. You can:
   * **Copy the code** to your clipboard.
   * **View Gift Card Details** to see the full detail page with transaction history.
   * **Create Another** to immediately start a new gift card.
   * **Back to Gift Cards List** to return to the list view.

Gift card codes [#gift-card-codes]

Codes are automatically generated using the format `RC-XXXX-XXXX-XXXX-XXXX`, where each character is drawn from the set `A-Z` (excluding I and O for readability) and `2-9`. This ensures codes are easy to read aloud and enter without confusion.

You cannot customize the code. Each code is verified to be unique before the gift card is created.

Email delivery [#email-delivery]

When you provide a **Recipient Email**, the system automatically queues a delivery email containing:

* The gift card code
* The gift card amount
* The purchaser's name (if provided)
* The custom message (if provided)

The email is sent asynchronously in the background. No confirmation is needed from the dashboard.

What happens next [#what-happens-next]

* The gift card is created with a status of **Active** and a full balance equal to the amount you entered.
* A **Purchase** transaction is logged in the transaction history with the note "Manual creation from dashboard."
* The gift card inherits activity, equipment, and cross-location restrictions from your current [gift card settings](/how-to/promotions/manage-gift-card-settings).
* The source is recorded as `dashboard` (as opposed to `online` for customer-purchased cards).

Tips [#tips]

* **Gift cards created from the dashboard do not require payment processing.** Use this for complimentary cards, contest prizes, or refund replacements.
* **Always double-check the amount before creating.** Gift card amounts cannot be edited after creation -- you can only [adjust the balance](/how-to/promotions/adjust-gift-card-balance).
* **Provide a recipient email for automatic delivery.** This saves you from manually communicating the code. The email includes everything the recipient needs to redeem the card.
* **Use internal notes to track context.** For example, "Issued as replacement for voided card RC-AB12-CD34-EF56-GH78" or "Prize for July contest winner."