As is the case with many activities when running a WooCommerce store, implementing gift cards is ultimately about increasing sales.
Unfortunately, this particular activity has a lot of hidden "gotchas". Whether it's...
recipients trying to combine gift cards, use only part of them, or transfer them
accepting the gift cards both online and in-store
supporting their delivery through mobile devices and social media platforms
applying specific rules about when and how gift cards can be used
providing gift cards in multiple languages and currencies
...you'll need a way to deal with these and many other complexities. The best way to do this is to find a great gift-card plugin.
What is Ultimate Gift Cards for WooCommerce?
As you have probably guessed by now, we're going to tell you that Ultimate Gift Cards for WooCommerce is such a plugin. It is also the only gift-card plugin that we've put on our Best Plugins for WooCommerce list for 2022.
Why? Because it's so comprehensive that it handles most gotchas out of the box. And if something unusual does come up, it is highly customizable. It is also backed by a support group with a proven track record of providing premium support.
Here's a short overview of the plugin:
And here's an example of the clean, logical approach the plugin's designers have applied to almost every feature — in this case, handling in-store redemptions:
Notice how you only have to see the interface in action for a few seconds before you get it? This is what you will find with many of the plugin's screens.
Ultimate Gift Cards for WooCommerce Free Version
There are two versions of Ultimate Gift Cards for WooCommerce: free and premium. Here is a list of the features that you get in the free version:
customize predefined gift card templates
customize the coupon code length, usage, prefix, expiry date, etc.
set minimum/maximum amount ranges for a gift card
allow multiple usages of the same gift card
set gift cards for individual use so that recipients can’t use any other coupon along with the gift card
exclude products, categories, or sale items to restrict recipients from buying specific items
enable or disable tax calculation for WooCommerce gift card products
create and sell gift cards in different languages and currencies
showcase gift card products on the Shop page as well as on a separate page
sell WooCommerce gift cards using four different pricing types including fixed price, a price range, price options, or any amount
allow purchasers to customize the gift card message
let recipients redeem and recharge their WooCommerce gift cards at both online and retail stores
deliver the gift cards via email or as a downloadable link
Ultimate Gift Cards for WooCommerce Premium Features
If you prefer watching videos, here is a rather lengthy one describing the premium features of this plugin:
If you prefer reading, here are the text descriptions of many of those same premium features:
get 20+ pre-designed gift card templates, allowing you to create WooCommerce gift cards for almost any occasion (Xmas, Valentine's Day, birthdays, etc.)
provide discounts for gift card purchases
allow purchasers to personalize the gift card's appearance by selecting images from an image gallery or uploading an image of their own
let purchasers buy products as a gift card
generate physical gift cards as PDFs
generate and use QR/Barcode codes for added security.
send gift cards to the recipient's email address or deliver via WhatsApp or SMS notification
schedule gift card deliveries
automatically update balances and provide a balance checker
generate thank-you order coupons
import/export both online and offline coupons
analyze gift card performance with advanced reporting
Many of these features are worthy of their own short videos. The main point in listing them here is to show that, combined with the free features, the Ultimate Gift Cards for WooCommerce plugin clearly tries to address all of the needs of a gift card program. In our view, they've mostly succeeded.
We especially like how the plugin gives purchasers the ability to customize so many important aspects of a gift card, including choosing the gift card's image, the delivery method & platform, and the delivery schedule. It is easy to see how customers might grow accustomed to using this type of platform to organize a portion of their annual gift-giving.
User Reviews and General Quality
At the time of writing this article, the free version of Ultimate Gift Cards for WooCommerce has received 90 reviews at https://wordpress.org/plugins/woo-gift-cards-lite/. 84 of these, or roughly 93.3 %, are 5-star.
We also traced the plugin back to its origins on Envato Market, where it has another 111 reviews over 5 years. Again, 93% of those are 5-star ratings.
As we always do, we also performed a much wider sweep of the internet looking for complaints about the maker of the plugin, MakeWebBetter. Everything looks clean here, too.
However, we are not recommending this plugin just because of good ratings and an absence of complaints. Because we have been making WordPress/WooCommerce import/export plugins for more than a decade, it took us a few years to get comfortable with MakeWebBetter's products. As we kept checking back on them, we saw the hallmark of most good WordPress plugin builders: continuous improvement. Second, whether you check their WordPress.org/plugins pages, Envato Market, their YouTube channel, or elsewhere, their support staff take the time to answer all public comments and inquiries.
These are the behaviors of a company determined to provide good value to its customers. And, please note, we do not accept or receive affiliate fees for any of our articles. These articles and the opinions expressed in them are written solely as a value-add for our paying customers.
Ultimate Gift Cards for WooCommerce Pricing
As of the publication of this article, the regular annual price for this plugin is $98 US for one site. Because we are currently in Black Friday sales season, the listed price at this time is $69 but we're unsure how long this sale will last.
Wrapping Up
We are constantly on the lookout for WooCommerce themes and plugins that provide the following:
exceptional value
makes the life of a WooCommerce store owner noticeably easier
superb quality as measured not only by users reviews but also a long track record of delivering quality products
Ultimate Gift Cards for WooCommerce fulfills all of these requirements, which is why we have added it to our "Best WooCommerce Plugins" list for 2022.