How do I sell Gift Certificates?
In the Admin, make a new category called Gift Certificates. Add a product to the category called Gift Certificates.
On the Product Information Page fill in the blanks as follows:
Products Status:In Stock
Date Available: leave blank
Products Manufacturer: leave blank
Products Name: Gift Certificate
Product is Free: No
Product is Call for Price: No
Product Priced by Attributes: Yes No
This is up to you, if you choose to price by attributes you only need a single 'product'.
Tax Class: choose appropriate
Products Price (Net): Your price or zero if pricing by attibutes.
Products Price (Gross): figured automatically
Virtual Products do not have a shipping charge and do not require a shipping address such a Services, Gift Certificates, etc.
Always Free Shipping does not have a shipping charge, but do require a shipping address
Downloads are assumed to be Virtual Products - Neither option needs to be marked
Product is Virtual: Yes, Skip Shipping
Always Free Shipping: No, Normal Shipping Rules
Products Quantity Box Shows: Yes, Show
Product Qty Minimum: leave blank
Product Qty Maximum: 0 = Unlimited, 1 = No Qty
Boxes or Max ##
Product Qty Units: leave blank
Product Qty Min/Unit Mix: leave blank
Products Description: Your description.
Products Quantity: leave blank or put in a large number to track number sold.
If you are finding that you cannot add a Gift Certificate to your cart, try adding a quantity here!
Products Model: GIFT-xxxxx
The model MUST begin with GIFT
Note: GIFT absolutely, positively must be ALL CAPS
Products Image: Upload an image
Upload to directory: choose directory
Products URL: leave blank
Products Weight: leave blank
Save it.
Now go to Modules->Order Total and install and configure the gift certificate module.
HOW DOES IT WORK THEN ?
After the Administrator has approved the Gift Certificate (There's a "release" button in admin area if someone buys one), THEN the Gift Certificate funds are made available to the customer.
The customer can then USE those funds for themselves, OR they can email them to friend(s) via the links provided automatically in the store (esp shopping cart sidebox). They can email as much as they want, to various people, up to the amount they've purchased.