Shopify gift cards vs Giftnote
Shopify's gift cards are free and do the basics well. Giftnote uses the same native gift cards and adds the branded, measurable experience around them.
Shopify's native gift cards are a sensible starting point: they're free, work on every plan and can be emailed to a recipient on a chosen date. Giftnote issues the same native Shopify gift cards, then adds what brands tend to need as gifting grows: SMS delivery, fully branded emails, recipients added to Klaviyo or Attentive, automatic disabling of cards on orders cancelled for fraud, bulk store credit, and gift messages for physical products.
What merchants say
Brands running their gifting on Giftnote
“On the digital gift card side, Giftnote is a clear step up from what Shopify offers out of the box. The recipient experience is more polished, the messaging is customizable, and it just feels more intentional, like the gift was thought through rather than auto-generated.”
Grill Masters Club
Shopify App Store review
“Great app and amazing support! We've struggled a lot with finding a gift card app that integrates with our email platform and this was a huge win to find Giftnote!”
Three Bird Nest
Shopify App Store review
“Giftnote has been a fantastic addition to our Shopify store. Not only has our customer experience improved, but our gift card sales have increased as well.”
Faithfull the Brand
Shopify App Store review
What brands get with Giftnote gift cards
Keep native Shopify gift cards. Add the branded experience and the data around them.
Email and SMS delivery- Send now or schedule for a date
- Multi-currency cards for Shopify Markets
Gift cards that go straight to the recipient
Gifters choose a design, write a message and pick a date. The gift card lands in the recipient's inbox or on their phone by SMS, branded to your store. On average, gift card recipients spend 30% more than the card value.
Native Shopify gift cards
Every card Giftnote issues is a real Shopify gift card, so it works in your Shopify checkout and stays valid even if you stop using the app. Cards are disabled automatically when an order is cancelled for fraud.
More than gift cards
The same app issues store credit in bulk, runs Gift Back cashback offers, sends gift messages on physical orders when they ship or arrive, and adds every recipient to Klaviyo or Attentive. On the Corporate Gifting plan, Multi Gift sends to up to 1,000 recipients in one checkout.
At a glance
How Giftnote and Shopify Gift Cards approach gifting on Shopify
Giftnote
$19/mo
- Send to the recipient on a chosen date
- SMS delivery
- Branded emails from Giftnote's builder or Klaviyo
- Gift card form on themes without built-in support
- Card disabled automatically when an order is cancelled for fraud
- Bulk issuing from a CSV
- Balance-check widget
- Unused-balance reminder emails
- Gift card export and liability report
Shopify Gift Cards
Included with Shopify
- Send to the recipient on a chosen date
- SMS deliveryRecipient form is email only
- Branded emails from Giftnote's builder or KlaviyoEditable Shopify template
- Gift card form on themes without built-in supportShopify free themes v9+; others need code
- Card disabled automatically when an order is cancelled for fraudHeld on risky orders; deactivated on refund
- Bulk issuing from a CSVNo native CSV import
- Balance-check widgetBalance shown on the gift card page
- Unused-balance reminder emailsNot built in
- Gift card export and liability reportGift card CSV export in Shopify admin
Simple pricing, a flat $1 per gift
Shopify's gift cards are included in your plan. Giftnote adds $1 per gift card, which you can pass on to the customer.
Giftnote
Core Gifting
Shopify Gift Cards
Works with the tools you already use
Giftnote connects with your Shopify stack, from email and SMS platforms to returns, reviews and fulfilment.
Sync every gift order and recipient into Klaviyo, then trigger branded email and SMS flows the moment a gift is placed, delivered, received or redeemed.
Giftnote's Yotpo Email integration has been retired. Send gift messages through Giftnote's own email builder, or through Klaviyo, Attentive, Iterable, Dotdigital or Ometria.
Embed Giftnote directly in your Rebuy Smart Cart experience. Offer gift options at checkout and drive additional revenue through personalized recommendations.
Let customers gift subscriptions and send personalised messages with every recurring order powered by Recharge.
Empower your support team with full Giftnote order context inside Gorgias so every gift-related ticket is resolved faster.
Power your SMS marketing with gift-related triggers. Send timely notifications when gifts are purchased, shipped, or delivered to recipients.
Collect reviews from gift recipients through Okendo after a Giftnote experience to build authentic social proof.
Handle gift returns cleanly through Loop — allow recipients to directly handle refunds, exchanges, and store credit flow to the right person.
Adding Giftnote to Shopify gift cards
Your existing Shopify gift cards keep working. Onboarding is founder-led and free.
Install Giftnote
Install from the Shopify App Store. The free Gift Audit plan shows what share of your orders are gifts. Upgrade to a paid plan when you're ready to send.
Set up with our team
We set up the gift card form, branded Klaviyo emails and SMS delivery. Cards customers already hold stay valid.
Test and go live
Place a test order, check the gift message and recipient flows, then switch over when you're ready.
Frequently asked questions
Automated giftingPaperless & brandedNew revenue streamSee Giftnote with your own products
Book a demo and we'll show you Giftnote gift cards on your store. Or install Giftnote free and run a Gift Audit to see what share of your orders are already gifts.