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Many properties sell and accept Gift Certificates as a normal course of business. How you set up and use the system for Gift Certicates depends on a couple of factors like how many gift certificates do you sell and redeem per year. The first step is to prepare a Gift Certificate system that works for your property. The way you record Gift Certificate transactions in MyPMS depends on several factors.Before you set up Gift Certificates in MYPMS, think about these questions and prepare any necessary information. The transactions recorded in MyPMS can be used in conjunction with another accounting system.

  • How many Gift Certificates do you sell per year?
  • Do you have an expiry date?
  • Do you have different Gift Certificates for
different
  • specific items like
Room and
  • Spa or Restaurant?

Before you set up Gift Certificates in the system, think about how detailed the tracking needs to be and how frequently you use Gift Certificates.

To set up a Gift Certificate system in BookingCenter, follow these steps.  
 

STEP 1: Set up Inventory Item and Receipt Type

  • First, go to Setup | Parameters | Inventory Items. Create and an inventory item called "Gift Certificate Sold" the total cost of the Gift Certificate can be entered at the time it's sold.
  • Then, create a new Receipt Type. Go to Setup | Parameters | Receipt Types called "Gift Certificate Redeemed". NOTE: DO NOT "Publish to Internet" if you don't want guests using this for an online booking with a Gift Certificate, as there is no way to monitor its appropriate use online.

House Account Folios: Use the House Accounts to track Gift Certificates purchased and redeemed.

Managing Gift Certificates On a Daily Basis
When you get a person who wants to BUY a Gift Certificate, sell them one in the House Accounts Screen (Front Desk | House Accounts). Make sure you place the Gift Certificate number in the Description field so that you have a note attached in BookingCenter that shows which Gift Certificate number you sold, to whom, and on what date.
When a customer wants to pay for their bookings - or other sale items such as a beverage, shirt, mug - with a Gift Certificate, simply choose the Payment type: "Gift Certificate Redeemed" when issuing a receipt and place the number for the redeeming Gift Certificate in the description field, and voila! You have a record of when you redeemed the Gift Certificate.
It's good practice to update your spreadsheet of Gift Certificates when you sell and redeem them. Reports can help you balance your Gift Certificate program. There are two ways to do this in MyPMS:
  1. To find out when you sold a Gift Certificate, choose Reports |Accounting | Transactions and choose the date range desired and the Transaction Type ("Gift Certificate Sold") and a list of all the Gift Certificates you SOLD will appear with specific Sale reference information.
  2. To find out when and to whom you redeemed a Gift Certificate, choose Reports |Accounting | Transactions and choose the date range desired and the Transaction Type ("Gift Certificate Redeemed") and choose the date range desired. A list of all the Gift Certificates you REDEEMED will appear with the note containing the Gift Certificate number.

Make a list of the Gift Certificates you sell - using the numbering system you like. In one column, write the Gift Certificate number; in another the Date Sold; in another the Quantity (in $$); in another the Date Redeemed. Many of our properties use a spreadsheet (MS Excel or Lotus 1-2-3) to list the Gift Certificate they are selling and the date at which they were redeemed.

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titleGift Certificates

Children Display
pageManaging the Folio

 

 
  • Do you need to track Gift Certificates using a # system that has already been created on Printed Gift Certificates or spreadsheet.
  • Are you already tracking gift Certificates in another program like Excel?
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width35%
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titleGift Certificates

Children Display
pageGift Certificates

Overview of Gift Certificates in MyPMS

MyPMS gives you the ability to sell, redeem and track Gift Certificates by transaction, not by Booking or Guest.  What this means is that gift certificates can be tracked by date sold or redeemed, by Folio # or Name in Transactions Reports, but they will not be attached to a specific guest or tracked in an accounts payable account. If you need further tracking, more details, a flag for expiration dates, tracking by Guest, etc.,  then we recommended incorporating the transaction details from MyPMS into an additional tracking method such as an excel spreadsheet. See Manage Gift Certificates

A Gift Certificate is an Inventory Item which can be sold in a folio using "Add Charge".  See Gift Certificates | Setup

When a Gift Certificate is sold, the charge is recorded and paid for using the chosen payment method, ie. cash, credit card, etc. in a House Account Folio. See Gift Certificates | Sell. There are two ways to use the House Accounts for Gift Certificates. See  Gift Certificates | House Accounts

When a Gift Certificate is redeemed, it is applied as a payment to a guest folio using payment type "Gift Certificate Redeemed". See Gift Certificates | Redeem

Since the two transactions (Sold and Redeemed) are recorded in different folios and on different dates, the best way to "match"a Gift Certificate to sold and when it is redeemed is to use the transaction description record details like purchaser name, folio #, gift certificate #, expiry dates, etc.. If you already have a Gift Certificate system set up and have tracking #, then you can use these in the transaction description. Gift Certificates | Getting Started

To track the sale and redemption of Gift Certificates, see Gift Certificates | Reports

 

Here is an Example. For step-by-step instructions, see each section.

Gift Certificate Sold in HOUSE ACCOUNTS: A Gift Certificate is sold for $150 to Kim Johnson. It expires 1 year from purchase date.

  •  In the House Account Folio for Gift Certificate charge is added with In the Description, enter the name,  expiry date. Remember the Transaction Type will already say "Gift Certificate" so add other details to the description. For example, "Kim Johnson. Expires 10/31/17"
  • Go to Add Payment and choose the payment type. In the Description, enter Gift Certificate, the name, expiry date, etc. Remember the Transaction Type will only say the payment type so add "Gift Certificate" to the description. For example, "Kim Johnson..#101116 Expires 10/11/17" 

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Redeeming the Gift Certificate in Guest Folio: Then, a guest presents this Gift Certificate as Payment.

  • When adding a payment to the Guest Folio, choose the Payment type you created for Gift Certificates, Ie. "Gift Certificate Redeemed". and apply payment.  
  • In the Description, enter the same description as was used in the Gift Certificate Sale, ". Remember the Transaction Type will already say "Gift Certificate Redeemed" so add other details to the description. For example, ""Kim Johnson. #101116 Expires 10/11/17"
    If you need to locate the Gift Certificate sold, then search in the House Account Folios. See Gift Certificates | Manage 

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