Gift Cards: Create, Sell & Redeem (Backoffice + Flax Enterprise POS)

Overview

This guide covers the full gift card cycle in ERPLY: set up a gift card product once in Backoffice, sell and load a card in Flax Enterprise POS, then accept it as payment on a later sale.

Before you start, you need:

Backoffice access with permission to edit products (Inventory)
A Flax Enterprise POS register you can sign in to
A gift card to sell: a physical card with a printed or barcoded number, or a number you generate in Flax Enterprise POS

Part 1: Create the gift card product in Backoffice

You create a gift card product once. Every card sold in Flax Enterprise POS uses this product, and each card gets its own serial number and balance when it is sold.

Step 1: Open the product list

In Backoffice, go to Inventory > Inventory. Click New to create the product. To check for an existing one first, type "gift" in Name and click Show.

Inventory product list filtered to the Gift Card product

Step 2: Fill in the product details

Code: Gift Card
Name: Gift Card
Product group: any group (required)
Type: Product
Net sales price: 0.00, so the cashier enters the card amount at the register

Step 3: Mark it as a gift card

On the Product info tab, check This product is a serial numbered gift card. Leave This product is a regular gift card unchecked.

A serial numbered card is tracked by its own unique number, with its own value and remaining balance.

Gift Card product card with serial numbered gift card and Tax free in all locations checked

Step 4: Check the tax setting and save

Check Tax free in all locations at the top right so the gift card isn't taxed when it's sold, then click Save. Tax is charged on the items the customer later buys with the card.

Part 2: Sell a gift card in Flax Enterprise POS

Selling a card creates its record in Backoffice. The card's number, value, and balance are all set during this sale.

Step 1: Open Flax Enterprise POS

From Backoffice, click Flax Enterprise POS in the top menu and sign in to the register.

Flax Enterprise POS main screen

Step 2: Add the gift card to the cart

Click Search products (F5). Type "gift card" in the product code field and click Search. Click the cart icon on the Gift Card row. You can also scan the gift card's UPC to add it to the cart instead of searching.

Search Filters with the Gift Card product found

Step 3: Enter the serial number

When Enter Serial Number for Gift Card opens, scan or type the number on the physical card. If there is no physical card, click Generate random serial number. Click Confirm.

Enter Serial Number for Gift Card dialog with a generated number

Step 4: Enter the amount

In Enter Price, type the amount the customer is loading (for example, 10.00) and click Confirm.

Enter Price dialog

Step 5: Review the cart and check out

The cart shows the gift card with its serial number masked except for the last 4 characters. Click Checkout (F2).

Cart with the $10.00 gift card, no tax, masked serial number

Step 6: Take payment

Choose the customer's tender (Cash, Card, and so on) and click Pay.

Payment screen with cash tender

Step 7: Give the receipt

When Transaction Complete shows, choose Print Receipt, Email Receipt, or Print and Email Receipt. The receipt lists the gift card with a masked serial number. Click New Sale to finish.

Transaction Complete screen with receipt options

Step 8: Confirm the card in Backoffice (optional)

Go to Inventory > Gift Cards and open the card. It shows the value, remaining balance, purchase date, location, register, seller, and the invoice it was sold on. Status is Active.

Gift card record in Backoffice, value 10.00, status Active

Part 3: Redeem a gift card in Flax Enterprise POS

A gift card is used as a payment type at checkout, the same way as cash or card.

Step 1: Ring up the sale and check out

Add the customer's items to the cart and click Checkout (F2).

Payment screen with the GIFTCARD tender

Step 2: Find the gift card

Click the GIFTCARD tender at the top of the payment screen. In Gift card search, stay on the Serial tab for serial numbered cards (use Regular for regular gift cards). Scan or type the card number and click Search.

Searching by code returns exact matches only. The result shows the card's available balance and expiry date. Click the card to apply it.

Gift card search with an exact code match

Step 3: Complete the payment

The gift card pays up to its balance. If Balance still shows an amount, choose another tender for the rest (for example, CASH). In the example, a $10.00 card covers a $12.60 sale and the remaining $2.60 is paid in cash. When Balance shows $0.00, click Pay.

Gift card $10.00 plus cash $2.60, balance $0.00, Pay ready

Step 4: Give the receipt

Choose a receipt option and click New Sale. The receipt lists each tender, including the gift card with its masked serial number.

Receipt showing $2.60 in cash and $10.00 with gift card

Step 5: Confirm the redemption in Backoffice (optional)

Go to Inventory > Gift Cards. The card's row shows the remaining Balance, the Redeemer, the Redeemed date, and a Status of Redeemed once the full value is used.

Gift Cards list showing an Active card and a Redeemed card

Tips and troubleshooting

Gift card was taxed at sale. Open the Gift Card product in Backoffice and check Tax free in all locations. Otherwise tax is added to the card's price and loaded onto the card.
No expiry date. Cards sold this way show "Expires at 0000-00-00" in POS. To add one, open the card in Inventory > Gift Cards and set Expiration date.
Card not found at checkout. Search by code only returns exact matches, so check every character or scan the barcode. Without a code, the search only shows gift cards linked to the customer on the sale.
Look up a card later. Attach a customer to the sale before selling the card. The card is then linked to that customer and easier to find.
Masked numbers. Receipts and the cart show only the last 4 characters of the serial number. The full number is in Inventory > Gift Cards.