In this week's Wednesday workshop, we discussed and brainstormed ideas for selling gift certificates in your own shop. A great big thank you goes out to thankyouenjoy for taking such detailed notes on the workshop. Enjoy...

First and foremost, you must check local laws governing gift certificates. This is clearly stated in Etsy's Dos & Don'ts, as detailed below:

• Because gift certificate and gift card laws vary from state to state and from country to country, it is the seller's responsibility to determine if they are in compliance. This area of law is changing rapidly.  If you list a gift certificate on Etsy, you are taking full responsibility for this compliance.
• You must include this sentence in the item listing: "This Gift Certificate is valid only in my Etsy shop, and is only redeemable here."

If you are a U.S. seller, check out The Consumer's Union for a brief overview gift certificate laws.  This website and this article are not legal advice.  Please consult the laws of your state and/or country for more accurate, detailed, and up to date information.  Please consult an attorney for specific questions.

When offering gift certificates in your shop, be sure to create a physical gift certificate which you can mail to the buyer/recipient. This could be a traditional, formal paper certificate, notecard, sticker, moo card, or something the recipient might want to hang onto a little longer, like a sticker, coaster, patch, or badge.

Be sure to include pertinent information on your actual gift certificate and in your item listing in your shop, even if it seems obvious to you:

• the name of your shop
• the words "gift certificate"
• the amount the gift certificate is worth  
• a unique secret code, which the redeemer of the gift certificate will be instructed to type into the "message to seller" section of the checkout process (Do not include this in your item listing!)
• clear instructions on how to redeem the gift certificate (Example: Go to my Etsy shop and select the items you would like to buy with this fine gift certificate. Click the grey Checkout button. In the "message to buyer" section, please type in the code XOXO1234. I will send you a convo to confirm your order. Thanks!")

Be organized and keep track of the code of every gift certificate that is purchased and redeemed in your shop. When the gift certificate is redeemed, you may need to send a revised Paypal invoice to the buyer, if there is a remaining balance that needs to be paid on the sale.

See the gallery below for gift certificates available on Etsy.