Card Market Online Gift FAQs

  • What is Card Market Pro?

    Card Market Pro is a custom shopping cart that merchants can use to sell both physical and virtual gift cards from their website.

  • What is Card Market Express?

    Card Market Express is a generic shopping cart that merchants can use to sell virtual gift cards from their website.

  • What are the costs to sell gift cards online?

    Costs vary by POS system and processor. Please refer to our Online Sales page to learn more and submit an inquiry for a detailed price quote.

  • Who creates the shopping cart?

    Card Market will create a shopping cart to look like your existing website. The only thing you have to do as a merchant is add a Gift Card button and link it to the URL that we will provide you.

  • How do I accept the cards after they are sold online?

    Gift Cards are redeemed at your store just like the ones that you sell in your locations. Virtual gift cards are redeemed by either scanning the barcode or key entering the number into your POS system.

  • Who handles customer service and support?

    Consumer support is provided by the merchant while Card Market provides support to our merchant customers. We provide access to an Admin Panel that enables customer service for online orders to our merchants.

  • What reporting is available?

    Merchants are given a log in to our reporting portal which provides all of the order details, including shipping address, sales amount, email address and much more useful information.  This can also be accessed through the Admin Panel.

  • How does billing work?

    We invoice the merchant each month for all monthly and fulfillment fees. The card fulfillment fees can be passed along to the consumer, or paid for in whole or part by the merchant.

  • Do I have to buy new cards for inventory?

    You can send us some of your existing cards as long as they were printed by Card Market, or we can print new ones.

  • Can I run any promotions or discounts?

    Yes! Just let us know the offer you wish to promote and we will set that up. For example, buy a $100 card, get a $20 promo card for free, or buy a $100 card and pay $80. Promotions can occur any time of year.

  • How many different cards can I sell?

    You can have as many different cards as you like on your shopping cart.

  • How long does it take to set up my shopping cart?

    Generally, 3 to 4 weeks, but can be much faster depending on how quickly we are provided all of the necessary information.

  • If I change my website, will my online gift site change too?

    No, we would have to make changes to the shopping cart.  We charge a fee for any design changes after the original shopping cart is published.

  • What does the virtual card email look like?

    The email is branded with your business name, an image of your gift card, and a personal message from the buyer. There is also a link for the recipient to claim e-gift and download a pdf of the virtual gift card.

  • What does the virtual card pdf look like?

    The virtual card is customized with your card image, a barcode, a 2D Barcode or QR code, and a human readable number for key entry at the point of sale.

  • Does the shopping cart work on mobile phones?

    Your shopping cart will render correctly for both Android and iOS based smart phones as long as your website is fully mobile optimized. We build your shopping cart based off of your website design.

  • How often do I receive deposits?

    The payments are batched and deposited each business day, the same way deposits are made for your in-store payments.

  • What accounts do I need for selling cards?

    You will need a gift card account with one of our integrated platform partners as well as an ecommerce and gateway account for processing the credit card payments. These account details vary by platform partner, please contact us for more information.

  • How do I find status of an order?

    A customer that has purchased a card can use the order number we provide and look up status through your shopping cart. A merchant can find status of an order the same way, or by using our Admin Panel.

  • What do I do if a card is not delivered?

    The first step is to check your Admin Panel to see when it was ordered and if tracking information is available. If you determine the card to be lost, you can cancel the original card and send a new one to an updated physical or email address.

  • Is there address verification on the orders?

    There is address verification on the orders, but there can be issues if the consumer does not correctly put in the apartment number or suite that specifies their exact shipping location. We also validate email addresses to help protect against mis-keyed email addresses.

  • Can a customer add value to their gift card?

    Value cannot be added to a card through the shopping cart. However, it can be done at the physical merchant location as long as your gift card processor supports add value. You may also add value to a card through the Admin Panel.

  • What is the recommended card inventory?

    Generally 250, but that could vary depending on the amount of gift cards projected to be sold on the on the website.

  • What is the process to replenish card and carrier inventory?

    We will provide a monthly inventory of your levels and print additional cards and carriers upon your approval. We will also notify you if your supply falls below a quantity of 100. Your card inventory is also reported through the Admin Panel.

  • From where are the cards shipped?

    Our facility just south of Nashville in Nolensville, TN.

  • What are the minimum and maximum values of the gift cards?

    Minimum and maximum thresholds are set by the merchant and vary based on business type.

  • What is the standard shipping time?

    USPS is 5 to 7 days. Fed Ex overnight and 2 day shipping is also available. Virtual cards are sent instantly.

  • What shipping options are available?

    In addition to USPS first class and USPS tracked shipping, customers can also choose to use FedEx Next Day or Two-Day Air.

  • How many cards can be ordered on a single online purchase?

    As many as the customer wants to buy.

  • Are the fulfillment fees paid by the purchaser or the retailer?

    The fulfillment fees can be paid by the consumer at check out. Those fees are deposited to the merchant along with the funds for gift card sales, then we invoice the merchant for them at the end of the month. The merchant also has the choice of paying for all or any part of the fulfillment fees, if they wish. We will work with you to establish a fee program that best fits your business.

  • Can the cards be used at any merchant location?

    Yes, as long as all locations are participating in the gift card program.

  • Can I have separate shopping carts for each of my restaurant concepts?

    Yes. Each branded shopping cart will require a new set up and individual monthly hosting.  If you have multiple concepts, but they are using a shared gift card, you only need one shopping cart.

  • Can a merchant send virtual or physical gift cards to customers as a promotion?

    Yes, via our Admin Panel.

  • Are there any email or mobile marketing tools I can use to incentivize consumers to make a purchase?

    Yes. Please see our Digital Marketing Toolkit for details under our Promote Your Gift Cards page.