Sell physical or eGift cards on the Toast POS, send eGift cards through your eGift Card Shop link, comp a gift card for a giveaway, or update an existing card. For first-time setup, see Get Started With Toast Gift Cards before using this article.
Before You Begin
Applies to: Toast Web, Toast POS, Toast Online Ordering, eGift Card Shop
Permissions needed:
POS access — any staff member with standard POS permissions can sell or add value to a gift card on the POS
6.3 Payments Setup — to change gift card settings in Toast Web
3.3 Gift Card Adjustment — to manually adjust a gift card balance in Toast Web
4.4 Gift/Rewards Cards Reports — to view gift card reports
What you'll accomplish: You will sell a physical or eGift card on the POS, send an eGift card link to a recipient, share your eGift Card Shop link so guests can buy online, or comp an eGift card for a giveaway.
Note: This article is for restaurant staff selling or managing gift cards on Toast. If you are a guest looking to buy a gift card, ask the restaurant for their eGift Card Shop link.
Before you can sell gift cards, your gift card module must be enabled in Toast Web. If you have not enabled gift cards yet, complete the steps in Get Started With Toast Gift Cards first.
Choose How You Want to Sell a Gift Card
Toast supports three sales channels for gift cards plus a comp option. Use the table below to pick the right path.
What You Want To Do | Where To Go |
Sell a physical gift card to a guest in-store | |
Sell an eGift card to an in-store guest by email or phone | |
Let guests buy eGift cards online (self-serve) | |
Send an eGift card for free as a giveaway or door prize | |
Check a balance, add value, or find a card's PIN | |
Resend an eGift card or correct a wrong recipient email |
Note: eGift cards cannot be created or sent from Toast Web. You sell eGift cards on the POS or through your eGift Card Shop link. For the full explanation, see Can I Sell or Send an eGift Card from Toast Web?.
Sell a Physical Gift Card on the POS
Physical gift cards are also called Classic Gift Cards. Sell a physical card from the POS order screen:
From the Order screen on your POS, scroll to the right of your menus until you find the Gift Cards button.
Select Sell Card.
Enter the Amount the guest wants to load on the card.
If your restaurant sells both physical and eGift cards, select Classic Gift Card when prompted for the card type.
Select Next.
Swipe, scan, or key in the gift card number. The number and barcode are on the back of the card.
Select Done to add the gift card to the guest's check, then complete the guest's order and payment.
Expected outcome: The gift card is added to the guest's check and is ready to use as soon as the check is paid.
Important: Gift cards will not activate if a guest uses Scan to Pay to complete the transaction. Staff should use any other payment method to finish the sale so the gift card activates.
Sell an eGift Card on the POS
Use this flow when an in-store guest wants to send an eGift card to a recipient by email or phone.
From the Order screen on your POS, select the Gift Cards button.
Select Sell Card.
Enter the Amount for the eGift card.
Select eGift Card when prompted for the card type.
Select Next.
Enter the recipient's email address or cell phone number. You can send the eGift card now or schedule it for a future delivery time. Select Next.
On the next screen, enter the purchaser's email or phone number if they want a notification when the eGift card is opened. Select Next.
Enter the Recipient's name, purchaser's name, and an optional Message.
Select Done to add the eGift card to the guest's check, then complete the guest's order and payment.
Expected outcome: The eGift card is added to the guest's check. Once the check is paid, Toast sends the eGift card email or SMS to the recipient at the delivery time you chose.
Note: SMS text delivery for eGift cards is available to guests in the U.S. and Canada only.
Sell eGift Cards Online from Your eGift Card Shop
Your eGift Card Shop is a guest-facing page where customers can buy eGift cards without staff assistance. Once your eGift Card Shop is configured, share its link on your restaurant website, on social media, or in marketing emails. The link also appears automatically on your Toast Online Ordering page.
For shop configuration — image, banner, name, preset amounts, disclaimer — see Set Up Your Toast eGift Card Shop.
A guest buying online will:
Open your eGift Card Shop link.
Enter an Amount, write an optional message, and choose a delivery time.
Enter the recipient's phone number or email address. A preview of the card appears on the page.
Select Add Another eGift Card to buy more cards in the same transaction, or Check Out to enter payment details and submit the order.
Expected outcome: Toast sends the eGift card email or SMS to the recipient at the delivery time the guest chose.
Note: By default, the eGift card purchase limit is $500 per transaction to help protect your restaurant from chargebacks and fraud. Physical cards purchased in-store have a $2000 value limit. To change these limits, see Adjust Your Toast Gift Card Purchase Limit.
Find Your eGift Card Shop Link
Multiple guests in support conversations have asked where their eGift card link lives. Here is the path:
In Toast Web, navigate to Takeout & delivery > Restaurant info.
On the right side of the page, in the Share Your Public Links section, find the Buy E-Gift Cards link.
Copy the link and share it on your website, on social media, or in marketing materials.
Expected outcome: Guests who open the link land on your eGift Card Shop checkout page.
Note: The same link also appears in Payments > Gift cards > Gift card setup. Either path opens the same link.
Send a Free or Complimentary eGift Card
When you want to give an eGift card away — for a giveaway, door prize, or as a comp — do not charge a payment method.
Use a 100% promo code. Create a gift card promo code worth 100% off, then apply it when selling an eGift card to send the card without charging payment. See Add a Promo or Discount eGift Card Sales for the steps.
Expected outcome: The recipient receives an eGift card by email or SMS with the full value and no charge to a payment method.
Check a Balance, Add Value, or Find a Gift Card PIN
Checking balances, adding value to an existing card, and finding a card's PIN are documented in a dedicated article. The canonical home is Check or Adjust a Gift Card Balance.
You can also direct a guest to check their own balance or add value through your eGift Card Shop:
Share your eGift Card Shop link with the guest.
The guest selects Check Balance in the top-right corner of the shop page.
The guest enters their 16-digit card number and PIN.
Expected outcome: The guest sees their current balance and has the option to add value to the card online.
The PIN is in the original email or text message the guest received when the card was sent. If the guest cannot find it, look it up in Toast Web by navigating to Reports > Payments > Gift Card Balances or Reports > Payments > Gift Card Transactions — select the card to open Card Details and read the PIN from there.
Note: The PIN is not needed when the guest uses Toast Local or a branded app.
Resend an eGift Card or Fix a Wrong Email
If a guest never received an eGift card, lost the link, or you entered the wrong email or phone number at purchase, the resend procedures are documented in Resend Toast eGift Cards.
That article covers:
Resending an eGift card to the same email or phone
Resending an eGift card to a corrected email address using the Failed e-gift card delivery report
Resending an eGift card by SMS text message
Finding a Toast gift card by check number, credit card, or transaction date
Note: Guests sometimes do not receive an eGift card email or SMS because of spam blocking or carrier issues. Ask the guest to check their spam folder, allowlist no-reply@toasttab.com, and confirm that +1 (857) 227-9098 is not blocked on their carrier.
Add Internal Notes to a Gift Card
Toast does not support adding categories to gift cards for reporting at this time. You can, however, add internal notes to any gift card for your staff to see.
In Toast Web, navigate to Reports > Payments > Gift Card Balances.
Select any gift card to open the Card Details modal.
Select Edit next to Customer Info. [UI appearance requires validation]
Enter details in any available field, including the Notes field.
Save your changes.
Expected outcome: Your note is saved to the card and is visible to staff with access to the Card Details modal. Guests do not see this field.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I Sell or Send an eGift Card from Toast Web?
No, eGift cards can be sold on the POS or through your eGift Card Shop link only — they cannot be sold from Toast Web.
If you want to send an eGift card without taking payment, see Send a Free or Complimentary eGift Card.
Why Won't My Gift Card Activate when the Guest Uses Scan to Pay?
Gift cards do not activate when a guest pays with Scan to Pay. Have the server complete the transaction with a different payment method — card, cash, or any other tender — so the card activates.
Can I Sell an eGift Card on the POS While I'm Waiting for Physical Cards to Arrive?
Yes. As soon as your gift card module is enabled and your eGift Card Shop is published, you can sell eGift cards on the POS even if your physical card stock is on backorder. Follow the steps in Sell an eGift Card on the POS.
If you don't see the option to sell eGift Card on the POS, contact Customer Care to ensure the internal settings for selling eGift Cards on the POS is enabled.
Can a Customer Use an eGift Card Physically in the Store?
Yes. The guest opens the email or text message they received, selects the link to view the eGift card, and either shows the QR code to staff or reads the 16-digit card number out loud. Staff scan the QR code with a Toast Go® handheld or a Toast-issued scanner, or key in the card number on the POS.
Why Is My Minimum eGift Card Amount Showing as $10 when I Set It to $5?
This is most likely a publish or location-group propagation issue. After changing the minimum amount in Payments > Gift cards > Gift card setup, save your changes and select Publish All Changes in Toast Web, then refresh your eGift Card Shop link. If the minimum still shows the old value after a full publish, contact Customer Care.
What Is the Default Purchase Limit on eGift and Physical Cards?
By default, the eGift card purchase limit is $500 per transaction. Each physical card purchased in-store has a value limit of $2000. To change either default, see Adjust Your Toast Gift Card Purchase Limit.
Where Do I Upload the Image That Appears on My eGift Card Shop?
eGift Card Shop image upload is configured in your shop settings, not in the sell flow. See Set Up Your Toast eGift Card Shop for image, banner, name, and disclaimer settings.
How Do I Refund or Void an eGift Card?
Refunding or voiding an eGift card is not a standard self-service flow. For online order voids, see Void Toast Gift Card Payments on Online Orders. For an unused eGift card refund, see Adjust or Refund Gift Card Balance. For a stuck transaction, contact Customer Care.
How Do I Comp or Discount a Gift Card Purchase?
Toast supports gift card discounts through promo codes — the promo code must begin with "GC". For the full setup, see Add a Promo or Discount eGift Card Sales. To send an eGift card with no charge, see Add a Promo or Discount eGift Card Sales.
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