Creating a POS Preloaded Gift Card Product (i.e., with Fixed Dollar Amount)

• About a Preloaded Gift Card Product
• Creating the Gift Card Profile (if not already existing)
• Creating a Gift Cards Category (if not already existing)
• Creating a Preloaded Gift Card Product
• Adding a Preloaded Gift Card Product to the POS Grid
• What Happens When a Gift Card is Issued?
• FAQs
  • A gift card has a balance that a customer would like refunded/returned/reversed. What are the options?

About a Preloaded Gift Card Product

A physical gift card with a preloaded fixed dollar amount can be issued to a customer as a purchase item at a POS location. For steps on issuing a preloaded gift card, see POS - Issuing a Preloaded Gift Card.

To allow for preloaded gift cards to be purchased at a POS location, corresponding "preloaded gift card" products with specific dollar amounts must be created in the Touch Admin software. These preloaded gift card products can then be selected by the POS operator as purchase items. 

Creating a loaded gift card product involves the following steps: 

• Creating the Gift Card Profile (if not already existing)
• Creating a Gift Cards Category (if not already existing)
• Creating a Loaded Gift Card Product
• Adding a Loaded Gift Card 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, the 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 a preloaded gift card product, create an appropriate category to assign the preloaded gift card product to (e.g., a “Gift Cards” category), along with any other preloaded card products that you create in the system, along with a "load gift card product" to load gift cards with custom amounts). 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 a Preloaded Gift Card Product

Once you have a category to assign the preloaded gift card 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 preloaded gift card product. The name should include the amount that is will be loaded on the card, such as "$25 Gift Card" or "$50 Gift Card".  
   2. Product Type - Select Gift Card Load.
   3. Category - select the category to assign the preloaded gift card product to. 
   4. Gift Card Policy - select the gift card profile to associate with the preloaded gift card product to. 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 Fixed.
   6. Amount - enter the amount loaded on the card.
4. Click the Submit button. You are returned to the main page, where the newly-added preloaded gift card product is listed. Your next step is to add the preloaded gift card product to the POS grid, as described below. 

Adding a Preloaded Gift Card Product to the POS Grid

With the preloaded gift card 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 preloaded gift card product is assigned to (see Creating a Category Tile on a Products and Services Grid). Alternatively, the preloaded gift card 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 preloaded gift card 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 preloaded gift card 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).

FAQs

A gift card has a balance that a customer would like refunded/returned/reversed. What are the options?

You can create a "reversal" gift card product with a negative dollar amount, and then apply it to the gift card to subtract from its balance. The steps are as follows: 

1. Create a preloaded gift card product (per above instructions) but in the Amount field instead of adding a positive dollar amount, enter a negative dollar amount. 
   
   
    
2. Ensure the name of the gift card product reflects that it is a reversal to a gift card balance, and includes the amount to be reversed. For example, "$50 Reversal". 
   
   
    
3. Add the "reversal gift card product" onto the POS grid so that it can be selected by the POS operator. 
    
4. The POS operator then selects the "reversal gift card product" (first screenshot below) and applies it to the gift card by scanning, swiping or manually entering the gift card number (second screenshot below). 
   
   
   
   
    
5. Because a reversal is being applied (i.e., no payment), the POS operator simply taps Close on the ticket. 
   
   
    
6. The gift card balance is updated accordingly by subtracting from the existing balance. See POS - Checking the Balance of a Gift Card.