Creating a POS Gift Card Load Product to Load Gift Cards with Custom Amounts

• About a Gift Card Load Product
• Creating the Gift Card Profile (if not already existing)
• Creating a Gift Cards Category (if not already existing)
• Creating the Gift Card Load Product
• Adding the Gift Card Load Product to the POS Grid
• What Happens When a Gift Card is Issued?

About a Gift Card Load Product

A physical unloaded gift card can be issued at a facility and loaded with a custom amount at a POS location. In addition, gift cards that have already been issued can be reloaded (i.e., topped up) with a requested amount. For steps on loading a gift card at a POS location, see POS - Loading a Gift Card with a Custom Dollar Amount.

To allow for gift cards to be loaded at a POS location, a "gift card load" product must be created in the Touch Admin software. This gift card load product can then be selected by the POS operator as a purchase item and loaded with the amount requested by the customer. 



Creating a gift card load product involves the following steps: 

• Creating a Gift Card Profile (if not already existing)
• Creating a Gift Cards Category (if not already existing) 
• Creating the Gift Card Load Product
• Adding the Gift Card Load Product to the POS Grid

Creating the Gift Card Profile (if not already existing)

A gift card profile contains your organization’s accounting system parameters (business line, department, and liability GL account). When a gift card is issued to a customer at a POS location, that transaction will be applied against the account system parameters of the profile. 

Note: Accounting system parameters are set up by MealSuite Support (if you are MealSuite Support, click here for the internal documentation on setting up accounting system parameters). However, if your facility does not have or want account system parameters set up, then "dummy" account system parameters will be created by Support to allow the gift card profile to be created. 

In addition, if the gift card profile is created at a parent facility account, then there is the option to select the child facilities that will use the parent's gift card profile when a gift card is issued by that facility. If so, then it is not necessary for a child facility account to create their own gift card profile. 

To create a gift card profile, complete the following steps:

1. In Touch Admin, select POS Settings > Gift Cards. The Gift Card Profile screen appears.
2. In the Gift Card Profiles section, click the Add a Gift Card Profile button.
3. Enter or select the following:
   • Name - enter the name of the gift card profile. If the profile is being created at a parent-level facility, it is recommended to enter a name that indicates such.
   • Business line, Department and Liability GL Account - select the accounting system parameters to associate with the gift card profile. Note that a business line and department are mandatory. 
   • Authorized Secondary Facilities - if your facility is a parent facility with existing child facilities, then from here there is the option to select the child facilities that will use the parent's gift card profile when a gift card is issued by that child facility. 
4. Click the Save button to apply your changes
   • You are returned to the main screen where the newly-added gift card profile is listed in the Gift Card Profiles section.

Creating a Gift Cards Category (if not already existing)

Before creating the gift card load product, create an appropriate category to assign the gift card load product to (e.g., a “Gift Cards” category), along with any preloaded gift card products that you also create in the system. Apply the category to non-food products and associate it with an appropriate asset GL account. See Creating Non-Menu Categories in POS for Products and Services.

Creating the Gift Card Load Product

Once you have a category to assign the gift card load product to, complete the following steps to create the product:

1. In Touch Admin, select POS Settings > Products. The POS Products screen appears.
2. Click the Add a Product button. The Add a Product screen appears.
3. Select of enter the following information:
   1. Name - enter a name for the gift card load product, such as "Gift Card Load".  
   2. Product Type - Select Gift Card Load.
   3. Category - select the category to assign the gift card load product to. 
   4. Gift Card Policy - select the gift card profile to associate with the gift card load product. If you are a child facility account, it may be that your parent account's gift card profile is available to select (if authorized).
   5. Refill type - select Variable.
4. Click the Submit button. You are returned to the main page, where the newly-added gift card load product is listed. Your next step is to add the gift card load product to the POS grid, as described below. 

Adding the Gift Card Load Product to the POS Grid

With the gift card load product created, you can then add the product to the POS grid so that it is available for selection by the POS operator. See the following instructions depending on your grid type: 

• If using a Products & Services grid, then create a category tile for the category the gift card load product is assigned to (see Creating a Category Tile on a Products and Services Grid). Alternatively, the gift card load product can exist on the grid as a stand-alone product (i.e., not in a category tile); to do so, see Adding Product as Stand-Alone Product on a Products & Services Grid.
   
• If using a Foods & Beverages grid, then create a category tile for the category the gift card load product is assigned to (see Creating a Category Tile on a Food and Beverages Grid). In addition, ensure the category tile is configured to allow products (see Configuring a Category Tile on Food & Beverages Grid to Allow Products/Services). Alternatively, the gift card load product can exist on the grid as a stand-alone product (i.e., not in a category tile); to do so see, Adding Product as Stand-Alone Product on Food & Beverages Grid.

What Happens When a Gift Card is Issued?

When a new gift card is issued to a customer at a POS location, a gift card record is created in the system with the current balance. Issued gift cards can be viewed in the Touch Admin software via POS Settings > Gift Cards. For more information, see Viewing Issued Gift Cards, Balances, and Transaction Records (in Touch Admin Software)