Gift Certificates
Purchasing Gift Certificates:
Gift Certificates offer a convenient payment option for families who prefer using a credit card instead of sending their child to school with cash. They can be purchased on your school’s website, which you can share via email and social media. Families can also access the school’s website by entering the School Name, City, and State from the parent letter. Additionally, parents can email family members who may wish to buy a gift certificate for their child. Once purchased, a family member can email the gift certificate to the parent for the child to use at the holiday shop.
Sponsoring a Child or Classroom:
After buying a gift certificate, families have the option to sponsor a child or classroom in your school. The identity of sponsors remains anonymous to the child and classroom, with only the chairperson knowing who the sponsoring family is. Sponsors can specify a particular child or classroom or leave it to the chairperson to give it to those most in need. All gift certificates are emailed to the chairperson and listed in the portal, and you can print sponsored gift certificates to hand to the children or find your own creative way to share the good news with them.
Gift Certificates in Chairperson Portal:
The portal provides a real-time log of all gift certificate and sponsored gift certificate sales for your review. You can access this list on your phone at the shop or print it each morning before the sale starts. Keep in mind that a gift certificate may have been purchased after you printed your list. This list comes in handy if a child loses or forgets a gift certificate, as you can still honor it even if the certificate is not physically present.
Treat Gift Certificates like Cash:
All gift certificates are automatically credited off your invoice and do not need to be returned or counted in your daily cash sales. Treat gift certificates like cash, and if a child doesn’t spend the full amount, provide change as needed. However, we do not recommend giving change for sponsored gift certificates, as the change can be used to assist another child in need.
Frequently Asked Questions about Gift Certificates:
The answers to common questions about how gift certificates work are available on our website to help parents:
- What happens if my child doesn’t spend the full amount on a gift certificate?
Gift certificates are treated like cash at your school’s holiday shop. Any unused portion of the gift certificate will be refunded to your child in cash at the school holiday shop. - What if I don’t have a printer or it’s broken?
If you don’t have a printer or it’s not functioning, simply write a note and place it in your child’s budget envelope. Include your child’s name, the amount of the gift certificate, the Certificate ID Number, and the date of purchase. The Chairperson at the school have access to their portal to confirm all gift certificates purchased. - What if my child cannot attend the holiday shop or I need a refund?
If, for example, your child becomes sick and cannot attend the holiday shop, there’s no problem. All gift certificates are credited to the PTO/PTA that organized the holiday shop at your child’s school. Simply have your child bring the gift certificate to school, and the PTO/PTA will refund the full amount to your child. - What if I purchased the gift certificate, and I noticed the name on the certificate is wrong?
The name on the gift certificate is primarily for your child’s enjoyment. If your computer auto-filled your name or you entered another child’s name by mistake, it doesn’t affect the certificate’s validity, and it will still be honored at the school. - How soon will I receive the gift certificate?
Upon submitting your order, a receipt will be generated automatically, and the gift certificate(s) will be emailed to the parent’s email address. Print the gift certificate and place it in your child’s budget envelope for them to redeem at their holiday shop. - What if my child loses the gift certificate?
No worries! Certificates are assigned a “Certificate ID Number,” which is stored in our system and compared to the certificates turned in. If your child loses their certificate, the Chairperson can verify it in our system, and it will still be honored at the school. - How will the charge appear on my credit card statement?
Your credit card statement will display a charge from: “Gifts ‘N Things” - Why do you need to provide a parent email address?
Rest assured that the email address will only be used if your child loses a certificate or if we have difficulty locating your child’s school in our system based on the information you provided. We take everyone’s privacy seriously, and we will never use or sell anyone’s email address who has purchased a gift certificate.