# paypal gift certficate question



## jdranch (Dec 14, 2010)

Help! How can customers redeem a gift certificate (issued by me) through Paypal?

I am not selling soap but am hoping a few of you (who use Paypal) can help.

 Jennifer


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## Genny (Dec 15, 2010)

When they are paying through PayPal there is a space for them to put in the code that you created through Paypal.

Here's the link to PayPal's help section on Gift Certificates:
https://www.paypal.com/us/cgi-bin/websc ... ro-outside


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## PrairieCraft (Dec 15, 2010)

I had this problem recently.  On the recommendation of some jacka$$, who apparently didn't know what he was doing.   I put a paypal gift certificate button on my website, to allow clients to purchase gift certificates for my massage business online.  Well, only after calling paypal to figure out why my money was being held as pending, did I realize that if the clients weren't paying for an item on the website there was no way for them to really "use" the gift cert. Paypal will not release the funds for *18* months after the purchase.  So, hopefully you have product for sale on your website that clients will use paypal to pay for at check out.  If not and you were trying to do what I was trying to do, then you can look forward to a long, long wait.

Edited to make my excited gibberish more clear. :wink:


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## jdranch (Dec 15, 2010)

PrairieCraft said:
			
		

> I had this problem recently.  On the recommendation of some jacka$$, who apparently didn't know what he was doing.   I put a paypal gift certificate button on my website, to allow clients to purchase gift certificates for my massage business online.  Well, only after calling paypal to figure out why my money was being held as pending, did I realize that if the clients weren't paying for an item on the website there was no way for them to really "use" the gift cert. Paypal will not release the funds for *18* months after the purchase.  So, hopefully you have product for sale on your website that clients will use paypal to pay for at check out.  If not and you were trying to do what I was trying to do, then you can look forward to a long, long wait.
> 
> Edited to make my excited gibberish more clear. :wink:



Good grief- that stinks!

Ok...plan b. How can I create a discount or coupon code that deducts a certain amount off the purchase?

Thank you so much for both replies- very helpful!


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## Deda (Dec 15, 2010)

what format is your shopping cart?


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## jdranch (Dec 15, 2010)

Deda said:
			
		

> what format is your shopping cart?



I used a website builder through the host and added paypal "add to cart" in tables for each product.


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## Deda (Dec 15, 2010)

what is the website builder called? can you post a link?


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## Tabitha (Dec 15, 2010)

PrairieCraft said:
			
		

> I had this problem recently.  On the recommendation of some jacka$$, who apparently didn't know what he was doing.   I put a paypal gift certificate button on my website, to allow clients to purchase gift certificates for my massage business online.  Well, only after calling paypal to figure out why my money was being held as pending, did I realize that if the clients weren't paying for an item on the website there was no way for them to really "use" the gift cert. Paypal will not release the funds for *18* months after the purchase.  So, hopefully you have product for sale on your website that clients will use paypal to pay for at check out.  If not and you were trying to do what I was trying to do, then you can look forward to a long, long wait.
> 
> Edited to make my excited gibberish more clear. :wink:



Let's hope the jacka$$ doesn't google prairecraft and find out your called him a jacka$$. Remember, this is a public forum and your customers might be watching.


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## jdranch (Dec 15, 2010)

Just found my answer: you cannot offer a coupon through a paypal shopping cart.  Darn! Thank you for the attempted help.


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## BakingNana (Dec 16, 2010)

jdranch said:
			
		

> Just found my answer: you cannot offer a coupon through a paypal shopping cart.  Darn! Thank you for the attempted help.



Doesn't your website builder have an option for discounts and gift certificates?  I use PayPal for checkout, but discounts and gift certificates are through the website, and calculated before ever reaching the PayPal stage.


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## PrairieCraft (Dec 16, 2010)

Tabitha said:
			
		

> PrairieCraft said:
> 
> 
> 
> ...



It wasn't a customer who recommended that I add paypal to my website, it was the guy who does the website for my massage business.  I don't sell soap and no one I know has a clue I'm using the name prairie craft on a soap making forum.

I'm a little fired up about the fact that this guy knew what I was going to be using the gift certificate sales for it wasn't the option that I wanted in the first place he was being lazy and by the time I figured it out there were a few hundred dollars in sales that I won't be able to touch until 2012.  Meanwhile most of those certs have already been redeemed.  Just want to be clear that I'm not an idiot out here in public saying negative things about a client and hope I haven't offended anyone with my potty mouth.


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