A gift card with a handwritten amount
At Christmas, a partner buys a tattoo gift card at the front desk. The desk writes the amount on a studio card, notes it in a notebook and takes payment on the card machine. In March, the recipient messages to use it. She has not chosen an artist or a design. The artist she picks asks the desk whether the card is valid; the desk finds the entry in the notebook, but it does not say whether any has been used. The recipient wants to use part of it for a small piece and keep the rest.
A month later, someone presents a gift card that is not in the notebook at all. It may be genuine; nobody can tell.
Gift cards without a system
Tattoo gift cards are different from many retail gift cards because the recipient has to choose an artist and design before they can use it, and the value may be spread across a deposit and a final payment.
- Cards are handwritten, with no unique code.
- Sales are recorded in a notebook separate from bookings and payments.
- Partial use is not tracked, so balances rely on memory.
- Recipients do not know how to choose an artist or what the card will cover.
- Online buyers have no way to buy a card at all, outside opening hours.
Lost sales and uncertain cards
People who want to buy a gift card late at night before a birthday cannot. Cards that are hard to use sit unused, and recipients feel awkward asking. Cards without a code can be copied. Balances cause disagreements. The studio cannot tell how much gift card value is outstanding, which your accountant may ask.
How we build tattoo gift cards
- Gift cards are sold online through your website with Stripe or your payment provider, and at the desk through the same system, each with a unique code.
- The buyer can choose a printable card or an email to the recipient, with a message.
- The card includes a link for the recipient explaining how to use it: browse artists' portfolios, send an enquiry through your form and quote the code.
- When the recipient books, the card is used for the deposit, the final payment or both, and the balance is updated.
- Any code can be checked at the desk to show value, balance and history of use.
- A report shows cards sold, used and outstanding, with dates, for your records and your accountant.
| Question | With a notebook | With tracked gift cards |
|---|---|---|
| Is this card genuine? | Check the notebook | Code checked instantly |
| How much is left? | Memory | Balance shown |
| Which artist? | Recipient unsure | Guided to portfolios and enquiry form |
| Bought at 11pm? | Not possible | Bought online |
Expiry and terms are your decision, and your adviser's where needed. The system shows and applies them.
Gift cards that turn into tattoos
Buyers purchase online whenever they want. Recipients get a clear guide to choosing an artist and making an enquiry. Artists see the code on the enquiry and know the deposit is covered. The desk checks any code in seconds, and the notebook goes in a drawer.
Christmas and birthdays become easier to handle as well. Buyers can choose an amount that covers a small piece or a deposit towards something larger, and the recipient's guide explains what each amount typically goes towards in your studio, in your words. Fewer cards sit unused in a drawer at home, because the path from card to booking is clear.
Is your gift card system a notebook?
- Gift cards are handwritten.
- You cannot sell gift cards online.
- Balances on part-used cards rely on memory.
- Recipients do not know how to choose an artist.
- You do not know how much gift card value is outstanding.