More and more businesses are selling gift certificates to generate interest and attract new customers. Gift certificates are redeemable for products or services equaling the designated amount. Businesses are legally bound to honor an original gift certificate, and certain laws exist concerning their use, but no specific guidelines exist for gift certificate creation. Any paper containing a signature, the store name and the value of the certificate is usable, but businesses can create and print gift certificates using free, existing templates for a more professional look.
Instructions
1. Find a service that provides gift certificate templates. Search for free options or paid options. Sites like Gift Tango allow users to create customized gift certificates from templates, as does a download of Microsoft Office software.
2. Browse the available gift certificate options and choose one appropriate for your business.
3. Customize the chosen certificate to fit your business needs. Put in the business name and location and a way to identify the certificate, such as a numbering system, to prevent unauthorized copying or misuse. Fill in the dollar value of the certificate, if you are going to offer set prices, or leave the area blank to fill in the dollar value at the time of sale. Leave the signature line blank until the time of sale.
4. Add any terms or legal conditions, including expiration date, any fees involved for use or lack or use and redemption restrictions, such as listing the services or products not included. Add the line "Not redeemable for cash," if allowed in your state.
5. Save the file to your computer. Click on "File," then "Print" to bring up printing options. Adjust the options as needed, and press "Print." Print several, if maintaining a stock of certificates on-hand, but be sure to change the unique identifier on each certificate printed.
Tags: gift certificate, gift certificates, dollar value, time sale, value certificate, your business