Gift cards
Money in the till before the meal is cooked.
Issue a gift card for any amount, take the payment today, and let the guest spend it down at the counter or online — with a running balance and a redemption history tied to real orders. Part of your POS, not a contract with a gift card company.
★Partial redemption, real balances, no separate vendor.
A gift card should not need its own supplier.
The traditional route is a third-party card program with its own fees, its own portal, and its own reconciliation at the end of the month — for what is, underneath, a balance and a list of times someone spent from it. PatronWorks keeps both in the system that already rings the sale, so the card is spendable the moment you create it and the numbers close with everything else.
How it works
Issue. Redeem. Reconcile.
Issue the card
Create a card from the Gift Cards tab for any amount, in your store currency. It gets a code, an initial amount, and — if you want one — an expiry date. Attach it to a customer or leave it to bearer.
They spend it
Redeem the code against a check at the register or an order from your online storefront. If the card does not cover the whole ticket, the balance comes off and the rest is paid however the guest likes.
The balance follows the card
Every redemption is written down with its amount and the order it paid for, so the remaining balance is always defensible — and the card keeps working until it is empty.
What's inside
Everything gift cards cover.
Cards that behave like money
A gift card is a balance with a history, not a one-shot coupon.
- Initial amount and a running balance in your store currency
- Partial redemption — spend some now, keep the rest for next time
- Every redemption records its amount and the order it paid for
- Active, spent, or cancelled status you control
- Optional expiry date, or no expiry at all
Sold and spent everywhere you trade
The same card works wherever the platform takes an order.
- Redeem at the register during a normal check-out
- Redeem on an online ordering pickup or delivery order
- Attach a card to a customer so it shows on their account
- Guests see their cards and balances in their storefront account
Numbers you can actually close the year with
Because cards live in the same system as sales, they reconcile with everything else.
- Outstanding balances visible from the Gift Cards tab
- Redemptions tied to real orders rather than a spreadsheet
- Cards issued against a card payment carry their charge reference
- Sits alongside coupons and loyalty under Customers
Questions, answered.
Do restaurant gift cards cost extra on PatronWorks?
No. Gift cards are part of the platform — the Gift Cards tab sits in the same admin as your POS, loyalty, coupons, inventory, and payroll. There is no separate gift card vendor to sign with.
Can a customer spend part of a gift card?
Yes. Each card carries a running balance, and each redemption records the amount taken and the order it paid for. A card keeps working until the balance reaches zero.
Can gift cards be redeemed online as well as in the restaurant?
Yes — the register and your online ordering storefront share the same card records, so a card sold at the counter can be spent on a pickup or delivery order.
Do gift cards expire?
Only if you want them to. An expiry date is optional on each card, and cards can be issued with none.
Can I attach a card to a specific customer?
Yes. A card can be issued to a customer record, in which case it appears on their profile and in their storefront account alongside their order history and loyalty.
How do gift cards relate to coupons?
A gift card is stored value the guest already paid for; a coupon is a discount you granted. Both live under Customers in the admin, and both can be applied at the register — see the loyalty page for coupons and offers.
The complete restaurant POS guide
Seven pages, one system. Start at the top or jump to the part you're shopping for.
- 1 Restaurant POS systemThe complete guide to the PatronWorks restaurant point of sale.
- 2 FeaturesEvery area of the platform, mirrored from the real product navigation.
- 3 LoyaltyPoints, visits, and offers that bring regulars back — built into the register.
- 4 Gift cardsSell, redeem, and track gift card balances at the counter and online.
- 5 Online orderingYour own storefront, pickup and delivery, and a driver app.
- 6 Restaurant directoryFind restaurants ordering direct on PatronWorks — or add yours.
Start selling gift cards this week.
14 days free, no credit card. Set up your POS, printer, and first crew member in minutes — or book a demo and we'll do it with you.