Quick Start Guide

Get your restaurant selling digital gift cards in 30 minutes or less. This streamlined guide focuses on speed and simplicity.

Time to Revenue

Follow this guide and you could make your first gift card sale within 1 hour of starting!

Prerequisites

Before you begin, have these ready:

• Business email address (for account creation)
• Restaurant logo (PNG or SVG, at least 500x500px)
• Bank account info (for Stripe payout setup)
• One food/venue photo (for gift card design)

30-Minute Setup

1. Create Account 3 min

   Visit joincaramel.com/signup and complete registration:

   - Business email
   - Restaurant name
   - Phone number
   - Password (min 8 characters)

   Click the verification link sent to your email.

2. Complete Basic Profile 5 min

   Fill in essential restaurant details:

   • Restaurant Name: Your public-facing name
   • Business Address: Primary location
   • Timezone: For scheduling campaigns
   • Currency: USD, EUR, CAD, etc.
   • Logo Upload: Your brand identity

   Note

   You can add more locations and details later. Focus on getting one location live first.

3. Connect Stripe 7 min

   Click Settings → Payments → Connect Stripe

   You’ll be redirected to Stripe to:

   • Create a Stripe account (or connect existing)
   • Enter bank account for payouts
   • Verify business information
   • Accept terms

   Important

   Stripe may require additional verification for some businesses. This can add 1-2 days but you can continue setup while waiting.

4. Create Gift Card Campaign 10 min

   Navigate to Campaigns → Create Campaign

   Quick Configuration:

   Basic Info

   Campaign Name: "Holiday Gift Cards"
   Campaign Type: Gift Cards
   Status: Active
   Start Date: Today
   End Date: No end date

   Pricing

   Recommended Starter Pricing:

   • $25 card → Customer gets $25 value
   • $50 card → Customer gets $60 value (+20% bonus)
   • $100 card → Customer gets $125 value (+25% bonus)

   Why bonuses work:

   • Increases average purchase size
   • Creates urgency (“limited time bonus”)
   • Higher perceived value
   Design

   Quick Design Setup:

   1. Choose template: “Classic Elegant”
   2. Upload your food/venue photo as background
   3. Upload your logo
   4. Select brand color
   5. Preview on mobile/desktop

   Design tips:

   • Use high-contrast text
   • Keep logo clearly visible
   • Test readability on mobile

5. Configure Delivery 3 min

   Enable these delivery methods:

   • ✅ Email (instant, most popular)
   • ✅ SMS (instant, high open rate)
   • ✅ PDF (print-at-home option)
   • ✅ Digital Wallet (Apple/Google Pay integration)

   Email Template:

   Subject: Your [Restaurant Name] Gift Card 🎁
   
   [Recipient Name], you've received a gift card!
   
   From: [Sender Name]
   Amount: $[Amount]
   Message: [Personal Message]
   
   [Redeem Button]

6. Launch & Share 2 min

   Click Launch Campaign to go live!

   Your gift card URL:

   https://yourrestaurant.caramelgift.com

   Immediate Actions:

   • Share on Instagram/Facebook
   • Add to website menu
   • Email your customer list
   • Post in restaurant with QR code

Your First Sale

Share Your Gift Card Link

Social Media Post

Instagram/Facebook:

🎁 Gift cards are now available!

Give the gift of great food. Buy $50,
get $60 in value - limited time offer!

Order now: [your link]

#GiftCards #[YourRestaurant] #FoodGifts

Best practices:

• Post between 10am-2pm or 6pm-9pm
• Use food photos that look delicious
• Add story swipe-up (if available)
• Pin post to profile

Email Announcement

Subject Line Options:

• “Introducing Digital Gift Cards 🎁”
• “The Perfect Gift for Food Lovers”
• “Buy $50, Get $60 - Gift Card Launch”

Email Body:

Hi [Name],

Great news! You can now send digital
gift cards from [Restaurant Name].

LAUNCH SPECIAL:
• Buy $50 → Get $60 value
• Buy $100 → Get $125 value

Perfect for:
- Birthdays & celebrations
- Thank you gifts
- Holidays & special occasions

[Shop Gift Cards →]

Valid for 12 months. Delivered instantly
via email or text.

See you soon,
[Your Name]

Track Your Performance

Access your dashboard to monitor:

Sales Metrics

• Total cards sold
• Revenue generated
• Average purchase value
• Conversion rate

Customer Insights

• New vs. returning buyers
• Geographic data
• Purchase times/days
• Popular denominations

Redemption Data

• Redemption rate
• Time to redemption
• Remaining balances
• Expired cards

Quick Wins Get Results Fast

Week 1: Maximize Visibility

Day 1-2: Social Blitz

• Post gift card announcement on all channels
• Share customer testimonials
• Create Instagram story highlights
• Update bio links

Day 3-4: In-Restaurant Promotion

• Train staff to mention at checkout
• Place table tents and QR codes
• Add to menus and receipts
• Offer staff incentives for mentions

Day 5-7: Email & SMS Campaign

• Announce to full customer list
• Highlight bonus value offer
• Create urgency (“This week only”)
• Include customer success stories

Month 1: Automation Setup

Once you’re comfortable with gift cards, add automation:

1. Birthday Campaigns - Automatic gift on customer birthdays
2. Abandoned Cart - Recover lost gift card sales
3. Thank You Journey - Post-purchase engagement
4. Referral Program - Incentivize sharing

Setup Automation Guide →

Common First-Day Questions

How quickly can customers receive gift cards?

Instantly! Digital gift cards are delivered within seconds via email or SMS. Physical/printable versions are available immediately as PDF downloads.

What payment methods do you accept?

All major credit cards, debit cards, Apple Pay, and Google Pay through your Stripe integration.

Can I customize gift card amounts?

Yes! You can:

• Set fixed denominations ($25, $50, $100)
• Allow custom amounts (min/max range)
• Create special occasion amounts
• Hide/show different amounts by campaign

How do customers redeem gift cards?

Recipients get a unique code they can use:

• In-person at your restaurant (staff scans QR or enters code)
• Online when ordering (if you have online ordering)
• Via your POS system (if integrated)

What if someone loses their gift card?

Customers can:

• Resend email from their purchase confirmation
• Request resend through support
• Look up by email address
• All cards are stored in their account

Is there an expiration date?

You control expiration:

• Recommended: 12 months from purchase
• Legal minimum varies by region
• Can extend on request
• Customers get expiration reminders

Integration Options

Add to Your Website

Simple Link

Copy Your Gift Card URL:

https://yourrestaurant.caramelgift.com

Add to your website:

• Navigation menu
• Footer links
• Homepage banner
• Checkout page

Example HTML:

<a href="https://yourrestaurant.caramelgift.com"
   class="gift-card-btn">
  🎁 Buy Gift Cards
</a>

Embedded Widget

Embed gift cards directly on your site:

<iframe
  src="https://yourrestaurant.caramelgift.com/embed"
  width="100%"
  height="600px"
  frameborder="0">
</iframe>

Benefits:

• Customers stay on your site
• Matches your branding
• Faster checkout
• Better conversion

QR Code

Download your QR code from dashboard:

Settings → Marketing → QR Codes

Use QR codes for:

• Table tents in restaurant
• Printed menus
• Window displays
• Receipt inserts
• Social media posts

Pro tip: Add “Scan to buy gift cards” text below QR code

Next Steps

You're Live!

Congratulations! Your gift card program is now live. Here’s what to focus on next:

Optimize Your Campaign

Review first week performance and test different offers, designs, and messaging.

Campaign Optimization →

Set Up Automation

Create automated customer journeys to boost sales without ongoing effort.

Automation Guide →

Launch Loyalty Program

Keep customers coming back with rewards and VIP benefits.

Loyalty Setup →

Advanced Analytics

Deep dive into performance data and uncover growth opportunities.

Analytics Guide →

Troubleshooting

Stripe Connection Issues

Problem: “Unable to connect Stripe account”

Solutions:

• Clear browser cache and cookies
• Try different browser (Chrome recommended)
• Disable ad blockers
• Contact support for manual connection

Gift Cards Not Delivering

Problem: Customers not receiving email/SMS

Solutions:

• Check spam/junk folders
• Verify email address spelling
• Confirm SMS number includes country code
• Test with your own email first
• Check delivery settings in dashboard

Design Not Displaying Correctly

Problem: Logo or images appearing cut off

Solutions:

• Use minimum 500x500px images
• Save logos with transparent background
• Use JPG/PNG format (avoid GIF)
• Preview on multiple devices
• Try a different template

Get Help

Live Chat

Chat with our team 24/7 through the dashboard widget.

Video Tutorials

Watch step-by-step setup videos.

Watch Now →

Book Onboarding Call

Schedule 1-on-1 help with our success team.

Schedule →

Email Support

Send detailed questions to our team.

support@joincaramel.com

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🎉 You’re Ready to Start Selling!

Share your gift card link and watch the sales roll in. Questions? We’re here to help 24/7.

Your Gift Card URL: https://yourrestaurant.caramelgift.com

Copy this link and start sharing on social media, your website, and with customers today!