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Handle Gift Cards in Blackpurl

Learn how to set up, sell, and redeem gift cards in Blackpurl, including the required accounting configuration.

This article explains how to handle gift cards in Blackpurl — from the initial setup in your accounting package through to selling and redeeming gift cards at the point of sale. Once the setup is complete, the day-to-day process is straightforward.

Set Up

The setup involves a few steps across your accounting package and Blackpurl. You only need to do this once — after that, the system handles the accounting automatically each time a gift card is sold or redeemed.

Step 1: Create a Gift Card Liability Account

In your accounting package, create a new General Ledger (GL) account to track gift card liability. This account will increase when gift cards are sold and decrease when they are redeemed.

Step 2: Sync Your Chart of Accounts into Blackpurl

After creating the new GL account, resync your Chart of Accounts into Blackpurl so the new account becomes available to map.

  1. Go to System Settings > Accounting Integration.

  2. Open Step 2: Chart of Accounts.

  3. Click Sync Now.

Step 3: Map the Undeposited Gift Card Field

Still in Accounting Integration, update the GL mapping for gift card payments so that gift card transactions post to the correct liability account.

1. Go to Undeposited Funds within Accounting Integration.

2. Find the Undeposited Gift Card field and change its GL to the new Gift Card Liability account you created.

Shows the Accounting Integration screen with Undeposited Funds mapping. On the left side is a setup completion sidebar w


Step 4: Create a Gift Card Fee Category

Still in Accounting Integration, create a new Fee category mapped to the same Gift Card Liability GL account. This category will be used when building the fee that staff select at point of sale.

The following articles cover this step in detail:

Step 5: Create a Gift Card Fee

Create a Fee item in Blackpurl to use when selling a gift card, and assign it to the Gift Card fee category you created in the previous step. Staff will select this fee at the point of sale when a customer purchases a gift card.

For instructions, see How to Create a New Fee (no longer available).

Selling a Gift Card

When a customer comes in to purchase a gift card, process the sale through Parts & Accessories using the gift card fee you created during setup.

1. Go to Sell > Parts & Accessories.

2. Select the customer.

3. Add the Gift Cards fee and enter the dollar amount the customer wants the gift card to be for.

Shows a Parts & Accessories sales screen with 'CASH SALE' header and 'Internet Sales' customer type selected. The main c


4. Proceed to checkout and process the payment using the customer's chosen payment method.

Shows the checkout screen with payment method selection. The left side displays the item being purchased ('GIFT - GIFT C


Once the sale is finalised, the Gift Card Liability account in your accounting package increases by the value of the gift card sold.

Shows a Liability Account History screen for account '1234 Gift card liability & redemption' with an ending balance of A


Redeeming a Gift Card

When a customer comes in to spend a gift card, process the sale as normal and select Gift Card as the payment method at checkout.

1. Add the items the customer is purchasing and proceed to checkout.

2. Select Gift Card as the payment method.

3. Enter the amount being redeemed and click Add Payment.

4. Finalise the sale.

Shows a checkout screen for redeeming a gift card. The left side shows an item 'Smithbucket - Smith Jacket' for $500.00.


Once the sale is finalised, the Gift Card Liability account in your accounting package decreases by the amount redeemed.

Shows the updated Liability Account History screen after gift card redemption. The account '1234 Gift card liability & r


Tracking Outstanding Gift Card Balances

The running balance of the Gift Card Liability account in your accounting package shows the total dollar value of gift cards that have been sold but not yet redeemed. However, there are two limitations to be aware of:

  • The liability account balance gives you a total outstanding value but does not provide a list of individual unredeemed gift cards. To identify specific outstanding gift cards, you would need to reconcile the GL account directly in your accounting package.

  • There is no report in Blackpurl that lists individual outstanding gift cards that have not yet been redeemed.

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