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Participants are the people enrolled in one store. Each has a Balance to spend there: their gift card funds, plus their points when the store runs a loyalty program. Balance is applied at checkout automatically, points first. The page has two tabs, Gift cards and Participants.

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Creating gift cards

Create gift card opens the Create a new gift card dialog.
The Create a new gift card dialog for a single use card, with amount, code, number of gift cards and expiration date
Every participant who redeems a multi-use card gets its full amount, and each participant can redeem a given card once. Create does not send anything. Give the code to your customers, and they enter it on the storefront under Redeem a gift card.
Storefront view of the Redeem a gift card dialog

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Welcome gift card

Welcome gift card appears once the store has an allowed domain under Gated access. It issues a gift card for the amount you set to anyone who joins through an allowed email domain. Leave it at $0.00 to issue none.
The Welcome gift card dialog with an amount entered

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Inviting participants

Invite on the Participants tab opens a chooser with two tiles. Email invite takes one address and a Starting balance. Upload CSV imports a file with an email column and an optional amount column. A nonzero starting balance issues that participant a gift card for it. Every invite emails a sign-in link.
The Invite participants chooser with the Email invite and Upload CSV tiles

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Loyalty program

Loyalty program is a switch under Add-ons in the store’s settings. It lets participants earn points on what they pay and spend them in the store. A store runs either the loyalty program or Buy now pay later, not both. Earn rate is points per dollar spent and is required. 1 point is worth 1 cent, and the line under the field shows what $100.00 earns.
Add-ons with Loyalty program on, an earn rate of 2 points per dollar, and the preview of what a purchase earns
With it on, the Participants tab shows a Points column and Adjust points, in each row’s menu and in the toolbar that appears when you select participants. Points are not earned on the part of an order paid with Balance.
Refunding an order returns money only. Balance spent on the order is not restored, and points earned on it are removed on a full refund.

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Gated access

Gated access is a switch under Add-ons in the store’s settings. A gated store shows Access restricted instead of its products, and people get in one of three ways.
Add-ons with Gated access on and itemstores.com entered under Allowed domains
Returning participants use I already joined and receive a sign-in link by email. There is no password.
Storefront view of the Access restricted screen, naming the allowed email domain, with Join by email or gift card

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Gift cards list

The list shows active cards first, then used up, unredeemed and expired. Filters narrows it by Status, Source, Holder and Issued. Select a code to copy it.
The Gift cards tab with status tabs, Filters, and cards showing amount, remaining, holders and status
Select a row to open its history: when it was issued or redeemed, each order it was spent on, and what remains. A multi-use card first lists its holders.
The Gift card history sheet for a single use card: issued, spent on an order, and the remaining amount
A row’s menu holds Edit, which changes the expiration date and, until someone redeems the card, its amount. Resend email appears on cards issued to a person, and Delete only on cards nobody has redeemed. Selecting cards reveals a toolbar with Edit expiry, Download CSV and Delete.

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Participants list

Each row shows a participant’s points, gift card funds, Balance, and how they joined. Select a row to see their balance history.
The Participants tab with points, gift card funds, balance and source for each participant
A row’s menu holds Send email, Adjust points and Remove. Selecting participants reveals a toolbar with Adjust points, Send email, Download CSV and Delete. For setting one up end to end, see Run a gift card store.