GIFT CARDS: Making Transactions a Breeze

Gift cards are a simple and flexible way for guests to experience The Grove—whether they’re treating themselves or someone else. Our goal is to make the process smooth, efficient, and hassle-free for both guests and the team.

**Remember, GIFT CARDS are like CASH, so if they are lost, they are lost, and there isn't much we can do.

Ideally, customers can purchase gift cards online at my-grove-hotel.myshopify.com/collections/gift-cards-1/gift-card. When handling phone inquiries, always direct guests to this link for purchasing (they can find it via www.TheGrove.Rocks, "SHOP".

🚨 Important: All gift card purchases result in a physical gift card being mailed—there is a small delay before the recipient receives it. If a guest needs something immediately (hello, last-minute shoppers!), we can provide an email certificate upon request. However, this is not the actual gift card, just a printable placeholder.

Because we’ve used different systems over the years, handling gift cards correctly depends on when and how they were issued. This policy outlines everything you need to know to sell, redeem, and troubleshoot gift cards like a pro.

Why It Matters:

• Clear processes prevent confusion—we’ve used multiple systems, so knowing how to handle them is key.

• Ensures proper payment tracking so guests can redeem their gift cards without issues.

• Provides solutions for common guest questions about balances, lost codes, and redemption.

Who This Applies To:

• Front Desk & Retail Team Members—responsible for selling and processing gift cards.

• Management Team—handles troubleshooting and approval for exceptions.

GIFT CARD TYPES & HOW TO PROCESS THEM

1️⃣ Paper Gift Certificates (The OGs)

📜 Issued: Early Grove days with a 3-digit code for promos.

📍 Tracked in: The Guest Info Binder.

💳 How to Redeem:

• Before accepting, verify with a senior team member—confirm the name, event, and 3-digit code.

• Most of these have been redeemed or expired, but if determined valid, process as a manual payment in WebRez.

  
  

2️⃣ Moneris Plastic Gift Cards (Pre-Square Era)

💳 Issued: Before we switched to Square—these are plastic gift cards that look different from our current ones.

📍 Tracked in: Moneris system (not directly in Square or WebRez).

💳 How to Redeem:

• Do not attempt to process on Square.

• Contact Jennifer with the gift card details (number and amount, if available) and she will provide redemption instructions.

3️⃣ Shopify + WRP Gift Certificates

🛍 Issued: When we converted online Shopify purchases into WebRez Gift Certificates.

📍 Tracked in: Shopify & WebRez (WRP).

💳 How to Redeem:

• If the guest does not have their code, search Shopify:

  • Dashboard → Products → Gift Cards → Search Last 4 Digits.

• In WebRez, search by Reservation Number under the guest profile.

• If needed, do a historical search: POS/GC → Active Gift GCs → Ctrl + F to find the reference number.

4️⃣ Square Gift Cards (Current System)

🎉 Issued: The current system used for all new gift cards.

📍 Accepted At: The Grove Hotel, The Grove Motel, and both JOE. Hot + Cold.

💳 How to Sell a Gift Card:

• Select “Gift Card” in Square.

• Swipe the card and enter the amount the guest wants to purchase.

• Process payment and confirm.

💳 How to Check a Balance:

• Select “Gift Card” in Square and swipe the card.

💳 How to Redeem for Payment:

• Enter the pre-tax amount of the purchase.

• Select “Gift Card” as the payment method.

• If the gift card doesn’t cover the full amount, process the remaining balance on a credit card.

• Add a note in WebRez with the gift card details & balance used.

What to Do When the Guest Advises They Have a Gift Card To Use (because we ask):

• If the guest advises us pre-arrival that they have a gift card to use, this should be clearly noted on the reservation and the EMAIL TEMPLATE requesting a photo of the gift card should be sent. **We take these steps so we are address any "issues" prior to arrival, but we will not process until check-in in the event of a change or cancellation.

• If a photo of the gift card is returned, reply with a "thank you" to the guest and let them know that we will require the actual gift card at check-in.

• Take steps to confirm the validity of the card, but DO NOT apply payment until the day of check-in, when the gift card is presented. If you are unable to confirm the balance, speak to a member of the leadership team. 

• On the day of arrival, we WILL NOT process payment on the credit card, but we will await their arrival to use the gift card first.

• If there is a remaining balance on the gift card, the gift card should be returned to the guest. If there is a shortfall, the remaining payment is processed by credit card and we keep the gift card for reuse.

GIFT CARD TROUBLESHOOTING & SPECIAL CASES

📌 If a Guest Wants a Gift Card for a Future Stay, but asks about the amount to buy (Dynamic Pricing Issue)

• Since room rates fluctuate daily, we cannot guarantee that a gift card will cover a specific room in the future.

• Best solution: Encourage guests to purchase a gift card for a set amount rather than a specific room type.

• **A value of $250-$300/night is a standard that will usually cover most of our rooms, at a given time - reassure them that any overage can be used at JOE. or for additional stay add-ons (or they can pay the difference).

📌 What to Do When the Guest Advises They Have a Gift Card To Use or if They Have Already Paid by Credit Card But Wants to Use a Gift Card Instead

• If we were unaware of the gift card, and the credit card payment is already processed, we will process payment on the gift card (FIRST) and refund the credit card for the same amount.

• Document the entire transaction properly in WebRez notes so we understand why a refund was issued.

📌 If a Guest Requests an Email Gift Certificate (for the procrastinator!)

• We offer this as a courtesy - Jennifer provides these, so just ask with the details.

• The email certificate is not the actual gift card—it’s just a printable card that says, “Coming Soon!”

• The physical gift card will still be mailed to them.

  
  

FINAL NOTES FOR THE TEAM:

✅ Be confident with gift card transactions—guests expect a smooth process.

✅ Always verify older gift certificates before redeeming them.

✅ If in doubt, escalate to Jennifer—but gather all details first.

✅ Make the experience hassle-free for guests—our job is to WOW them!

Let’s keep gift cards simple, seamless, and stress-free! 🚀