Service Certificates
Sell prepaid certificates for specific services. Unlike gift cards, certificates are tied to particular services and can have day-of-week or location restrictions.
Certificates vs Gift Cards
| Feature | Service Certificate | Gift Card |
|---|---|---|
| Service Restriction | Specific service(s) only | Any service |
| Day Restrictions | Weekday-only or weekend-only options | Any day |
| Pricing | Usually discounted from full price | Face value |
| Partial Redemption | No (full service only) | Yes (balance carries forward) |
| Use Case | Prepaid packages, promotions | Gifts, flexible spending |
Looking for gift cards? See Marketing → Gift Cards.
Creating Certificate Tiers
Set up different certificate options with varying restrictions and prices:
Weekday Certificate
Valid Monday-Thursday only. Typically 15-25% cheaper than weekend rates.
Weekend Certificate
Valid Friday-Sunday. Full price or slight premium for peak times.
Purchase Flow
Customers can purchase certificates through your booking site:
Browse Certificates
Customer visits your certificates page and browses available options.
Select Quantity & Recipient
Choose how many to purchase. Can be for themselves or as a gift.
Complete Payment
Pay via Stripe. Certificate code is generated and emailed.
Digital Delivery
PDF certificate with unique code sent via email. Ready to redeem immediately.
Redemption Rules
When customers book using a certificate, the system validates:
Checks Performed
- • Certificate not already redeemed
- • Not expired
- • Service matches certificate type
- • Booking day matches restrictions
- • Location matches (if restricted)
At Checkout
- • Enter certificate code
- • Full service value deducted
- • Any upgrades charged separately
- • Certificate marked as redeemed
Common Validation Errors
“Certificate not valid for weekends”
Customer is booking on Sat/Sun with a weekday-only certificate. Suggest rebooking for Monday-Thursday.
“Certificate expired”
Certificate has passed its expiration date. Offer to sell a new one or extend if your policy allows.
“Certificate not valid for this service”
Customer selected a different service than what the certificate covers. Show which services are valid.
Expiration Handling
Configure how expired certificates are handled:
| Option | Behavior |
|---|---|
| Hard Expiration | Certificate becomes invalid after date. No exceptions. |
| Grace Period | Allow redemption up to X days after expiration. |
| Staff Override | Staff can manually accept expired certificates. |
| Never Expires | No expiration date. Check local regulations. |
Best Practices
- Price weekday certificates 15-25% below weekend rates
- Set expiration dates of 6-12 months for urgency
- Send reminder emails 30 days before expiration
- Allow staff to extend expired certificates for VIP customers
- Clearly display restrictions on purchase page
- Track certificate sales and redemption rates in analytics