Gift card balance questions tend to follow a pattern: a spike after a gifting occasion, then a steady trickle of one-off checks for months afterward. Here are the situations where a self-service balance checker widget is most useful for Shopify merchants.
Holiday gifting
Handle the spike in balance questions after Black Friday, Christmas and other gifting occasions.
Support deflection
Let customers answer their own balance question instead of opening a support ticket.
Mobile shoppers
Give customers a balance check that works on their phone, not just on desktop.
Checkout confirmation
On the Business plan, let shoppers confirm a balance right before they pay.
Tracking usage
Use analytics to see how often the widget is used instead of guessing.
Shopify Plus stores
Combine a storefront widget with a checkout balance checker for a complete self-service flow.
Holiday and gift-giving spikes
Gift cards are most often given as presents, which means balance questions cluster right after major shopping and gifting periods. A store that adds a storefront balance widget ahead of that spike gives customers a direct answer instead of adding to a support queue that is already busy with order questions.
Reducing repeat support tickets
Once a store sells gift cards regularly, "what's my balance" becomes one of the most common support messages. A self-service widget is built to reduce these messages by letting the customer check the balance themselves, on their own schedule, without waiting for a reply.
Works great for checking gift card balance. Also, customer support has been really good in my experience.
RX LAB, merchant review on the Shopify App StoreMobile gift card checks
Many gift card recipients check a balance from their phone, often right before or during a purchase. A widget designed to work on mobile as well as desktop means the check works wherever the customer happens to be shopping.
Checking a balance at checkout
On the Business plan, the checkout balance checker lets a Shopify Plus store show a gift card balance during checkout itself, rather than only on a separate storefront page. This fits stores where customers frequently want to confirm what is left on a card right before they apply it to an order.
New to the app? Start with the getting started guide.
Smaller gift card programs
Not every store needs unlimited checks. The Basic plan, with 100 monthly checks and basic analytics, fits a smaller or newer gift card program where balance questions are still occasional rather than constant.
Tracking how the widget performs
Analytics are included on every plan, so a merchant can see how often the widget is used. This is useful both to confirm the widget is solving the support problem it was installed for, and to decide whether to move from Basic to Advanced as usage grows.
Agencies and multi-store setups
Agencies managing several Shopify stores with gift card programs can install the same self-service widget across clients, using the Basic plan for smaller stores and Advanced or Business for larger ones with heavier gift card volume.
Pricing
| Plan | Basic | Advanced | Business |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | $4.99/month | $9/month ($90/year) | $19/month ($210/year) |
| Monthly gift card checks | 100 | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| History | Not listed | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Custom styles | No | Yes | Yes |
| Analytics | Basic | Advanced | Advanced |
| Manual sync of gift cards | No | Yes | Yes |
| Checkout balance checker | No | No | Yes (Shopify Plus exclusive) |
| Support | Standard | Priority | Priority |
| Free trial | 3 days | 3 days | 3 days |
Prices and plan limits are taken from the Shopify App Store listing at the time of writing. Check the listing for current plans.
Frequently asked questions
Is a balance checker only useful during holidays?
No, but gift card balance questions are usually highest around holidays and right after a gift-giving occasion, when a balance checker sees the most use.
Can a balance checker help at checkout?
Yes, on the Business plan, which adds a checkout balance checker for Shopify Plus stores.
Does it work for stores with a small number of gift cards?
Yes. The Basic plan covers up to 100 monthly checks, which suits smaller or newer gift card programs.