How to Create and Manage Gift Cards & E-Wallets in Odoo 18 Website

Modern e-commerce success depends on offering flexible payment options and customer rewards. Gift cards and e-wallets have become essential tools for online businesses—they drive customer acquisition, increase average order values, and create opportunities for repeat purchases. Odoo 18's Website module brings powerful gift card and e-wallet functionality that integrates seamlessly with your online store.

This comprehensive guide walks you through setting up and managing gift cards and e-wallets in Odoo 18. You'll learn how to configure these features, generate cards for customers, manage redemptions, and track balances—all within Odoo's unified platform.

Understanding Gift Cards vs E-Wallets

Step 1: Enable Gift Cards and E-Wallets

Before you can create gift cards or e-wallets, you need to enable the feature in your Odoo 18 Website settings.

1. Navigate to Website Settings: Go to Website → Configuration → Settings
2. Locate Promotions Section: Scroll down to find the Promotions section
3. Enable the Feature: Check the box for Discounts, Loyalty & Gift Card
4. Save Settings: Click Save to apply changes

Step 2: Creating a Gift Card Program

Gift card programs in Odoo 18 define how your gift cards work, including their validity, denominations, and distribution channels.

Accessing Gift Card Management

1. Navigate to Website → Gift Cards & eWallets
2. Click the New button to create a new program

Configuring Gift Card Settings

Setting Up Gift Card Products

1. Gift Card Products: In the Gift Card Products section, click Add a line
2. Select Products: Choose which products represent gift cards in your catalog
3. Email Template: Select or create an email template for sending gift cards to recipients
4. Print Report: Optionally configure a printable gift card format for POS usage

Channel Configuration

1. Company: Select which company this program belongs to
2. Point of Sale: If using with POS, select applicable POS locations
3. Website: Select which website(s) can use these gift cards
4. Save Program: Click Save to finalize the configuration

Step 3: Generating Gift Cards

Once your gift card program is configured, you can generate individual gift cards for distribution.

1. Open Program: From the Gift Cards & eWallets menu, open your created program
2. Generate Button: Click the Generate Gift Cards button
3. Configure Generation: A popup appears with the following options:
   • Generation For: Choose Selected Customers or Anonymous Customers
   • Customer: If selected customers, choose the recipient
   • Quantity: Number of gift cards to generate
   • Value: Amount loaded on each card (e.g., $50, $100, $500)
   • Valid Until: Set an expiration date or leave blank for no expiration
4. Generate: Click Generate eWallet to create the gift cards

Step 4: Sending Gift Cards to Recipients

After generating gift cards, you can send them to recipients via email or share them through URL links.

Method 1: Email Distribution

1. View Generated Cards: Click the Gift Cards smart button on your program
2. Open Card: Select the gift card you want to send
3. Send Email: Click the Send button
4. Compose Message: The email composer opens with:
   • Pre-filled recipient email address
   • Gift card code embedded in the message
   • Customizable email body
5. Send: Review and click Send to deliver the gift card

Method 2: URL Sharing

1. Share Option: From the gift card detail page, click Share
2. Generate Link: Odoo creates a shareable URL link
3. Copy Link: Copy the link to share via messaging, social media, or other channels
4. Short Link: Option to create a shortened URL for easier sharing

Step 5: Customer Redemption Process

Gift card recipients can easily redeem their cards during the checkout process on your Odoo 18 website.

How Customers Redeem Gift Cards

1. Add Products to Cart: Customer shops normally and adds items to their cart
2. Proceed to Checkout: Navigate to the shopping cart page
3. Apply Gift Card: Locate the Coupon Code or Gift Card field
4. Enter Code: Paste or type the gift card code received via email
5. Apply: Click the Apply button
6. Discount Applied: The gift card value is deducted from the order total
7. Complete Purchase: If remaining balance, complete payment. If gift card covers full amount, proceed to confirm

Step 6: Setting Up E-Wallets

E-wallets function similarly to gift cards but are tied to specific customer accounts and typically used for store credit or loyalty programs.

Creating an E-Wallet Program

1. Navigate: Go to Website → Gift Cards & eWallets → New
2. Program Type: Select eWallet instead of Gift Card
3. Configure Settings:
   • Program Name: "Customer E-Wallet" or "Store Credit Program"
   • eWallet Products: Select products that can be purchased with wallet balance
   • Email Template: Choose template for e-wallet notifications
   • Currency: Set your currency
   • Available On: Website, POS, and/or Sales
4. Save Program: Click Save

Generating E-Wallets for Customers

1. Generate Button: Click Generate eWallet on the program
2. Configure:
   • Customer: Select the customer receiving the wallet balance
   • eWallet Value: Amount to credit (e.g., $500)
   • Valid Until: Expiration date (optional)
   • Description: Note about the credit (e.g., "Refund for order #12345")
3. Generate: Click to create the e-wallet entry

Step 7: Customer E-Wallet Access

Customers can view and manage their e-wallet balance directly from their customer portal.

Viewing E-Wallet Balance

1. Customer Login: Customer logs into their Odoo portal account
2. My Account: Navigate to My Account
3. E-Wallet Section: View current e-wallet balance and transaction history
4. Available Balance: See total available credit

Using E-Wallet at Checkout

1. Shop Products: Customer adds items to cart
2. Checkout Page: At checkout, available e-wallet balance is displayed
3. Apply E-Wallet: Customer can choose to:
   • Apply full wallet balance
   • Apply partial balance
   • Use wallet code in coupon field
4. Balance Deduction: Used amount is deducted from wallet balance
5. Updated Balance: New balance shown in customer account

Managing Balances and Tracking

Monitoring Gift Card and E-Wallet Usage

Best Practices

Frequently Asked Questions

Conclusion

Gift cards and e-wallets in Odoo 18 provide powerful tools for driving sales, building customer loyalty, and offering flexible payment options. Whether you're running holiday promotions, managing customer refunds, or creating loyalty rewards programs, these features integrate seamlessly into your Odoo Website and e-commerce operations.

The unified management interface makes it easy to generate, distribute, track, and reconcile gift cards and e-wallet balances—all within Odoo's comprehensive business management platform. By implementing these features, you create more opportunities for customer engagement and repeat business.