How to sell gift cards online: A comprehensive guide for salons and spas
Tap into new revenue with online gift cards – our guide offers social media and gift card marketing tips for salons and spas. Grow your client base and have fun doing it.

Offering gift cards online can be a major win for salons and spas. Here’s why: Apart from boosting revenue, gift cards bring new guests into your business – people who could end up becoming customers for life. Did you know that one in four people who use a gift card at salons and spas are new customers? That makes gift cards the golden ticket to expanding your client base.
How salons and spas benefit from selling gift cards online
To help you gauge what online gift cards can do for your salon or spa, here is some data for businesses selling gift cards using Zenoti software:
Gift cards – Monthly new guest acquisition and revenue impact

*Per center per month. Sept. 2023 – Aug. 2024
How to interpret the table?
Let’s take the top row. At Zenoti-powered spas, online gift cards brought 39 new customers and $5,700 in revenue per center per month, on average. Multiplied by 12, that’s a sizable $68,400 in added revenue per year.
The yearly totals for medspas and salons are nothing to sneeze at either: $25,200 (medspas) and $5,856 (salons). That's per center. So if your brand operates across a chain of locations, the revenue boost from gift cards can really add up.
Here’s even more recent data showing the top-line impact of gift cards:
- In 2024, salons nearly doubled gift card growth (up 93%), and medspas expanded gift card sales by 23%. Sales growth for gift cards touched 23% across all business types, up from 16% in 2023.
- 31% of gift card sales for Zenoti-powered salons, spas, and medical spas come from online sources.
Now that we’ve looked at the revenue potential, we’ll cover the reasons to use social media to sell gift cards, and then some fun, effective strategies to get them flying off the virtual shelves.
After that, we’ll highlight software features that make gift card program creation and management easy. We’ll wrap up with a look at three great examples of gift card sales pages.

Why use social media to sell gift cards?
With 68% of Americans using Facebook and 47% on Instagram, social media is the perfect tool to ramp up your gift card sales. Think of it as your megaphone on the internet.
- Expand your reach: Platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter have millions of users. When you promote gift cards on social media, they get a lot more exposure than selling to existing clients alone.
- Chat it up with customers: Social media is where you can have real conversations with your clients. Whether it’s through comments or DMs, building that personal touch is super important.
- Highlight what you do well: Use Instagram and Pinterest for storytelling. Great for visual content, both platforms help you show off and promote your gift cards.
- Save those dollars: Compared to traditional ads, social media offers a cost-effective way to target your ideal customers. New businesses can aim for organic reach to start, adding paid social media ads as they go.
By hopping on the social media train, you’re boosting sales and shining a light on your brand like never before.

How to sell gift cards online: 5 social media tips
Now that you’ve got the scoop on why social media is your go-to, here’s how to make the most of it:
Tip #1. Get visual and creative
For gift card marketing, create eye-catching graphics and videos that make your promotions irresistible. Use beautiful images and chatty captions to describe all the perks.

The wording in the Dermapure promotion: “Still on the hunt for the perfect gift for that special someone? Give the gift of choice with a Dermapure gift card, offering a diverse range of treatments and skincare options for a personalized journey to self-care and revitalization!”
The ad also points out the physical and digital options for gift cards with “Available in clinics and online! DERMAPURE.COM”
Here’s one more example of an Instagram reel promoting gift cards. This promotion is holiday-themed: Neroli Salon & Spa.
Other tips
- Reels under 10 seconds don’t perform as well.
- Keep the reel long enough to get your point across.
- Make the first 3 seconds as engaging as possible.
Tip #2. Partner with influencers
Find influencers who vibe with your brand and have them share your gift cards with their followers. A thumbs-up from them can do wonders for your sales, bringing in new customers. Imagine a popular beauty blogger raving about a facial at your spa, gifted via your card. The reach and authenticity they bring can help boost online gift card sales for your business.
Tip #3. Make it interactive
Engage your audience with polls, quizzes, and contests. How about a gift card giveaway where people tag friends and share your post? It’s a way to get folks talking about your gift cards. You could ask questions like “What’s your favorite spa treatment?” or “Shout out your go-to nail colors” to keep the conversation lively and engaging.
Tip #4. Share the love with testimonials
Everyone loves a good story. Share testimonials from happy customers who’ve used your gift cards. Consider creating a series titled “Gift Card Stories” where you highlight unique experiences customers have had at your spa or salon. It’s a great way to add a personal touch and make potential buyers feel the love.
Tip #5. Create a buzz with exclusive deals
Who can resist a good bargain? When you sell gift cards online, offer limited-time discounts or special deals to create a sense of urgency. This strategy is perfect during holidays or themed events when people are hunting for gifts.
See how Neroli Salon & Spa cleverly used Facebook to launch gift card marketing for Father’s Day:

The promotion includes a quirky photo and this offer: “Treat your father figure this Father’s Day with something special! Buy a $150 gift card and get a $20 bonus card for yourself. Offer ends 6/16, so don’t miss out on this amazing deal.”
Check out the Neroli Salon & Spa Facebook page for more inspiration.
Get ideas to expand beyond existing customers to sell gift cards. Read the post.
While Facebook and Instagram are popular with salons and spas, Pinterest is an option too. See how Central Wellness used Pinterest to sell spa gift cards for the holidays. Here’s a look at the page:

With five social media tips for gift cards now in your pocket, you need software to go digital.
Why use software for gift card sales at salons and spas
We rounded up four reasons why the software platforms can boost your beauty and wellness gift card programs:
1. Easy-peasy management: Whip up, sell, and manage gift cards without breaking a sweat. It’s all about making your life easier so you can focus on pampering your clients.
2. Automated magic: Send out personalized gift card offers that get people clicking and buying. It’s like having a personal assistant who never sleeps.
3. Smart insights: Learn what’s working with your customers so you can tweak your gift card strategies as you go.
4. A VIP guest experience: Offer mobile payments and online booking to make buying and using gift cards a breeze for your customers.
A look at gift card sales sites
To help you visualize your gift card store, here’s a peek at how three top brands sell gift cards online.
The Ohio-based Sky Salon went with a readymade Zenoti template in silver, black, and white. Here’s a snapshot:

Some businesses, like Mane & Mani, use their own branded gift card templates. Here’s a look at the Mane & Mani webstore:

The W Nail Bar webstore offers five different templates, including themed options like “Happy Birthday” and “To My Bestie.” Here’s a peek:

On top of selling gift cards through your website, you can offer them via your salon or spa’s mobile app, too.
Medspa leaders Julie Acarregui, Dr. Kate Dee, and Donna Simonds offer their best ideas. Read the post.
Gift cards for business transformation
Salons and spas can tap into an easy revenue channel with online gift cards – these little wonders can really shake things up by bringing in new customers and boosting your business.
Think online gift cards are complicated? The opposite is true – selling digital gift cards is easy and efficient when you have the right technology tools and social media strategies. By teaming up with influencers, crafting engaging content, and using Zenoti’s handy features, you’ll be on your way to boosting your online presence and your gift card sales.
Note: The salon and spa brands linked in this post are Zenoti customers at the time of publication.
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