A voucher from two Christmases ago
A guest pays the bill with a gift voucher. It is handwritten on your printed card, for a set amount, and signed by a manager who left last year. There is no expiry date on it. The voucher book behind the bar has pages missing. Staff accept it, because refusing feels worse, but nobody knows whether it was already used, or whether it was ever paid for.
In December, vouchers sell well, mostly by phone, with someone taking card details and posting a card out. Each one is a small admin job, and they are easy to get wrong.
Vouchers are paper, the book is incomplete
Paper vouchers are easy to sell and hard to track. The number on the card is written by hand, the sale is recorded in a book or not at all, and redemption means someone remembering to cross it off. Part-used vouchers make it worse, because the remaining balance has to be written somewhere.
- There is no reliable list of vouchers sold, used and outstanding.
- Staff cannot check a voucher's validity at the table.
- Part redemptions leave balances nobody records.
- Phone sales take card details and time, and need posting.
A worked example: a guest uses part of a voucher for lunch and is told the balance can be used another time. The server writes the balance on the back of the voucher. Months later, a different voucher with the same handwritten number turns up. Two vouchers, one number, no record of which was sold.
What loose vouchers cost
Vouchers accepted without a record can mean honouring a voucher twice, or one that was never paid for. Outstanding vouchers are money received for meals not yet served, and your accountant will want to know the balance, which the book cannot give. Selling vouchers by phone takes staff time at your busiest time of year.
Guests also notice when redeeming a voucher is awkward: a manager is called, a book is searched, and the table waits.
There is a booking side too. Voucher holders often book for the same few weeks in January and February, and some ask whether the voucher covers drinks, service charge or a set menu. If the terms are written on a card in a manager's handwriting, every one of those questions is answered differently.
How we build a restaurant voucher system
- Vouchers are sold online through a page on your website, with payment through a provider such as Stripe, and delivered by email as a printable voucher or posted as a card if the buyer chooses.
- Vouchers sold at the restaurant are issued from the same system, so every voucher has a unique code and a record.
- Each voucher has a value or an experience (such as a tasting menu for two), an expiry date under your terms, and the buyer's details.
- At the till or on a tablet, staff enter or scan the code to check the voucher and its balance, and redeem all or part of it against the bill.
- Part-redeemed vouchers keep their remaining balance on the record, not on the back of a card.
- A list shows every voucher's status and balance, and outstanding totals for your accountant.
| Question | Paper book | Voucher system |
|---|---|---|
| Is this voucher genuine? | Check the handwriting | Look up the code |
| Has it been used? | If crossed off | Status and balance shown |
| What's outstanding? | Unknown | Total on the list |
| Selling in December | Phone and post | Online, emailed or posted |
Expiry dates and terms are yours to set, with advice where you need it. The system applies them consistently.
Vouchers that look after themselves
Most vouchers sell online without staff involvement, especially at Christmas. Redemption is a quick code check at the table. Part balances are recorded properly. The outstanding balance is always known, which makes your accountant's year end simpler.
You can also see how many vouchers are redeemed and when, which helps plan for the January rush of voucher bookings.
Signs your vouchers need sorting
- Vouchers are handwritten and logged in a book.
- Staff cannot check whether a voucher is valid.
- Part-used balances are written on the voucher itself.
- You do not know the value of vouchers outstanding.
- Phone sales of vouchers take up staff time in December.