Version Info this help item shows Joomla v1.0 but is almost identical in v1.5

Help Tip If you are just looking for help on how to complete the sale of a gift certificate that we setup for you, scroll down to Selling a Gift Certificate.

Design Option DesignJoomla can create an attractive high resolution printable gift certificate and setup your site to legally sell and process gift certificates for under U$100.00.

PREPARING TO SELL GIFT CERTIFICATES

In order to sell gift certificates we need to do four things:

1. Enable and setup downloads in VirtueMart.
2. Enable coupon usage in VirtueMart.
3. Create a gift certificate for sale.
4. Create a coupon code for each purchased certificate and email it to the purchaser.

Enable And Setup Downloads In Virtuemart

In your VirtueMart configuration area, go to the Downloads tab and click "Enable Downloads." Update the rest of the settings as needed. In the example illustrated below, the order status to enable the gift certificate download is set to "Pending" so that the customer can get the certificate immediately. It cannot be used until the site manually emails a coupon code so there is no risk of fraud.

Enable Coupon Usage In Virtuemart

In your VirtueMart configuration area go to the Global tab and click "Enable Coupon Usage."

Create A Gift Certificate For Sale

To sell gift certificates redeemable on your site, create a cart item called "Gift Certificate" for sale and enable it as a downloadable product. Upload the certificate you want purchasers to be able to download to the download folder you specified above.

The downloadable gift certificate is really only ceremonial in that you will be emailing a coupon code to the purchaser after their payment is completed. However the purchaser can print out the certificate and present it to the recipient.

SELLING A GIFT CERTIFICATE

Create A Coupon Code For Each Purchased Certificate

After you have sold a gift certificate go to "Coupons" on the VirtueMart menu bar and create a Gift Coupon with a unique code number for the purchased certificate matching the price of the certificate. Gift Coupons can only be used once so you will need to create a new coupon for each sale.

Email The Coupon Code To The Gift Certificate Purchaser

After payment is received you email the purchaser the coupon code in an explanatory email. They can then pass the code on to the recipient to use on your site.

Redeeming the Coupon

When the gift coupon code is used it will appear as a discount from the sale price of whatever is purchased through the cart.