Gift Certificate Help Please

Ajeh:

Actually I worded that very poorly ...

If you send a Gift Certificate via the Admin, the customer gets an email with a redemption code ...

If the customer buys a Gift Certificate, it is queued ... and when released in the Admin ... an email is sent out saying that the Gift Certificate has been released and the balance will be found in the Customer's account the next time that they log in ...

So the Gift Certificate redemption code only is included on GVs mailed to a customer via the Admin ... and the funds are released to the customer's account when the GVs were first purchased and have been released from the queue ...

Does that make it a bit clearer? :smile:

That does help a lot.:smile: I was hoping for a way to sell and use gift certificates without requiring accounts using Fast and Easy Checkout. Looks like I'll have to tell customers that making an account is required to use gift certificates. It'll be a minor headache, but I really don't think there is away around it without recoding how gift certificates work.:lamo:

I am just testing and sent couple of GCs from admin.
How do I remove these from "Gift Voucher's Sent" and
where do I change/modify wording of that email that is sent when admin sends GC/
Tx
Veronika

I'm using version 1.39b and I've set up the gift certificates properly. I ran a test purchase and it worked perfectly. When I go into the gift queue and release the certificate, I'm sent an email but the redemption code is not there. And, there is no entry in the coupon_email_track table. And, I it does not appear in the gift certificates sent section. Any ideas?

When Gift Certificates are purchased ... and then released ... there is no redeem code in the email as the Gift Certificates are "released" and the amount added to the Customer's Gift Certificate Balance ...

Thanks so much for your quick reply! I appreciate it so much! That makes sense to me. And, I'm guessing that's why it doesn't also appear in the gift certificates sent area, right? You rock!

I have seen this touched on by others who appear to, but not fully addressed:

The Gift Certificate FAQ page How to Send Gift Certificates says "To send a Gift Certificate you need to go to our Send Gift Certificate Page. You can find the link to this page in the Shopping Cart Box in the right hand column of each page."

I find the link to send a gift certificate appears on several pages when logged in with a GV balance. And for a new purchase the link appears at step 4 of the checkout process, confirming the buyer's payment. But the link is not appearing on the shopping cart page nor any of the checkout pages prior to step 4 (even when logged in to an account with a GV balance).

The language of the FAQ leads me to expect the box to appear on the Shopping Cart page and each page in the checkout process. Do I misunderstand? Is my site working correctly? I have seen another ZC site that appears to be behaving the same as mine.

I have addressed this by revising the language in the FAQ to say "The link to this page will appear in the right hand column of the final page in the check out process, after you have submitted your payment. If you do not immediately send the Gift Certificate a link to send it will appear on your My Account page." But I would like to see it work the way the original language suggests. I think I would sell more gift certificates if the customer is able to complete the steps needed to send it to the recipient before they give me their money.

Suggestions for a fix or revision would be welcome.

My ZC is v1.3.9e, my website is http://www.clarifyartwear.com/

Thank you.

I've searched for awhile but haven't come across the answers.

If a gift cert is purchased (set to queue for release), will it release automatically if the customer pays with paypal, or other immediately authorized payment method?

If downloadable product is purchased, will it release automatically if the customer pays with paypal, or other immediately authorized payment method?

If not on either question, would this be something that will be included in ZC 2.0?

Gift Certificates are either sent to the queue to ensure payment by the Admin or not ... this is not based on the Payment module ...

Downloads, on the other hand, are based on the Order Status in the Payment Module ...

By default, PayPal sets the Order Status for immediate release of Downloads ...

Other Payment modules can be adjusted per Payment module where Orders Status (orders_status) of >= 2 or <= 4 will be immediately released ...

By default, the Order Status values are:
Pending 1
Processing 2
Delivered 3
Updated 4

By default, PayPal sets the Order Status for immediate release of Downloads ...

ZC will wait until PayPal returns successful payment notification (IPN?), at PayPal, before changing status to 2? In other words, the payment at PayPal has to be successful in order for the customer to download the product?

Yes, when the Payment via PayPal is successful the default settings will set the Order to orders_status 2 for Processing and the Downloads will be available ...

Using Zencart 1.3.9f. I want to be able to sell a gift certificate for $50, but have it's value be $75. I've seen this on other zencart sites but I don't know how they set up the product. Any thoughts?

Hello,

Using 1.3.8a, trying to access Gift Certificate/Coupons/ Mail Gift Certificate. It should list 1 gift certificate, however I get blank results after a few moments. Any ideas why this is happening?

Thanks for any help!

I didn't bother to read the entire 21 previous pages of post since my head is spinning. I am having a little problem and maybe i caused it myself, i dont know.

One customer purchased a Gift Certificate for $12 (so 12 x $1 GC)
I went in the Gift Certficate Queue where i remember seeing one to be released.
I clicked on Release Gift certificate (whatever was the exact wording) and i got a message that it was fine.
Now the customer emails me because she got the email saying this:

Dear S
You recently purchased a Gift Certificate from our online store.

For security reasons this was not made immediately available to you. However, this amount has now been released. You may now visit our store and send the value of the Gift Certificate via email to someone else, or use it yourself.

The Gift Certificate(s) you purchased are worth $12.00

$12.00

Now, the instructions for GC is that there is supposed to be a code yet, there is nothing in this email that looks remotely like a code to me (or to her).
I checked the Gift Certificate Queue, and there is nothing in there.
I checked the Gift Certificate Sent, and hers is NOT in there either.

I checked her invoice and it shows as delivered (she had initially other products in the same purchase).

Did i miss something? Did it disappear in thin air? I cannot see anywhere the GV that was issued, so maybe i deleted accidentally instead of doing what was supposed to be done? Please help!

The customer also tried to purchase something, hoping the amount would be deducted from her purchase and it didn't show any reduction. Maybe she was supposed to do something else? or me?

Cassel

When a Gift Certificate is purchased as a Product, the GV is placed in the GV Queue ...

This amount is then released by the Admin when the funds for this purchase have been confirmed ...

The amount released is immediately added to the customer's GV Balance ... there isn't a redemption code on this transaction ...

Only when a Gift Certificate is Sent from the Admin or from one Customer to another Customer is there a redemption code ...

That redemption code can be claimed via:

1 the email link

2 the GV FAQ

3 the checkout_payment page

(Doh! Linda beat me to the answer as I was typing)

Cassel,

The 'code' that customers get is for redeeming a GV after someone sends someone else money via a GV, or after you send a customer a GV (such as a complimentary GV from the store owner).

The person you sold one to does not have to redeem the GV -- it's ready to use right now, or for the customer to send part or all of it to someone else.

make more sense now?

Jim

Shoudl this customer have seen the reduction in her cart at checkout?
Is there a way to "recover" this GV on my part to RE-issue it?
Is there a way to cancel it, and reissue a new one?

Right now, it seems to be in thin air as nobody seems to be able to use it.

It gets a little messy when the customer doesn't enter the amount of available GV funds, on page 2 of checkout, that is supposed to apply to the present order. If your customer didn't do that, then she still has 12 bucks of GV money. One way to handle it is to not charge her $12 of that merchandise, i.e., if she paid w/ PayPal send her $12 back AND then have her send (gift) her $12 of GV funds to your own e-mail address. She would then be square money-wise, and you could just ignore the $12 that she gifts to your e-mail address. There is probably a way of then deleting that $12 gift that you get -- I don't remember. It's been a while since I experimented with it.

Somehow, either i am thick or something does not add up. This customer TRIED to put something in her cart, thinking the money was going to be there, and she said it didn't apply to her purchase. And then, how would she be able to send me the GV funds?

okay, so she bought GV funds? Then picked out some merchandise? Then she paid for the merchandise, without using her GV funds?

If so, then she had money in her GV account (her GV money balance) and on page 2 of checkout she would have manually had to enter the amount of GV funds to apply to that merchandise order. If she did not do that on page 2, but went ahead and paid for the merchandise, such as with PayPal or money order in mail, then you can send her $12 back, such as through PayPal, and she can send you the $12 that is currently sitting in her GV balance.

She can see her GV balance on the Gift Cert FAQ page and then she can send you that $12 by following the instructions -- she just would enter your e-mail address in a form and hit Send. Then, you just ignore that $12 she sends you.

(one thing

Ok. i guess i was not clear. The custome bought for $30 initially INCLUDING a $12 GV. Since she was not getting a code, i guess she thought it was in her account (and i can see now that it IS). She put some things in her cart and didn't see any discount at checkout. Maybe she was supposed to do something else that she didn't do, i dunno. So she abandonned her cart and emailed me.

Now, she likely didn't enter that GV value on page 2 of the checkout, however, on page 2, there is only a place for Redemption CODE, not amount. I wonder if that is not what confuses the customer (and me)? Shoudl she put the amount the box for the CODE?

Just in case i am not clear (it is almost 2am now!), you can check my checkout http://creationcassel.com/store (i had some modules installed, maybe it messed something else?)