Overview
Many brick-and-mortar retailers issue physical gift cards via POS. This case study shows how to keep Shopify in sync so customers can redeem anywhere.
The challenge retailers face
- POS can instantly assign value to pre-numbered plastic cards.
- In native Shopify, a Gift Card requires manual value assignment later.
- This creates room for error during busy hours and complicates reconciliation.
What's happening in Shopify
You sell a physical item labeled “Gift Card.” The printed number the customer receives has no value until someone assigns it in Products → Gift Cards, which is prone to delays and mistakes.
Solution with BluePeacock Gift Card Importer
- Keep issuing cards at POS as usual and let POS store the value immediately.
- Export those cards from POS in CSV (code, balance, created/expiry dates, etc.).
- Import the CSV into Shopify using the Gift Card Importer.
- Importer prevents duplicates, so you can safely re-use and append the same CSV as you batch updates.
Recommended flow
- Throughout the day: load values on physical cards at POS.
- End of day or week: export a CSV from POS.
- Upload the CSV to the Gift Card Importer.
Benefits
- Unified redemption across online and stores.
- Clear audit trail and easier reconciliation.
- Less manual work; fewer errors.
Tip: start with weekly batches, then move to daily once the flow is stable.
FAQs
Quick answers to common POS sync questions.
Can I import cards sold at POS into Shopify with balances?
Yes. Export the cards from your POS with their code, balance and expiry date, then map the columns during upload - each card keeps its original code and its exact remaining balance.
What happens if a code is already in my Shopify store?
That row is skipped rather than overwritten, and recorded as skipped in the activity log, so re-running a batch does not create duplicate cards.
How often should we sync?
Start weekly, then move to daily once verified.