Photography Vouchers

I'm an automotive photographer primarily, and I'm getting a fair amount of requests for photoshoot gift vouchers. So far I am just printing them on standard photo paper but they are a bit flimsy and not very professional looking.

I was wondering if anyone else offers vouchers, and if so what do you use? I've heard of iTunes-style cards, but also thought a purchased book of vouchers which I could tear out of with individual numbering might be a bit better? What kind of companies offer these kind of services? I've contacted a number of printers in the area but they only do photos or basic cards.

I'm also trying to determine the best way of keeping tabs on who has purchased a voucher, when they expire and what the value is. Do I need some kind of database or spreadsheet?

Any thoughts greatly appreciated!

What about printing on more of a card stock like paper, and maybe even going the extra mile and getting yourself an embossing stamp?

How many vouchers are you expecting to deal with, and how much time or money are you looking to put into it?

Also what about just custom printed business cards?

^ ^ I was thinking that, too. Most stationery suppliers have card stock with templates for printing.

I'd definitely keep track on a spreadsheet; no need for a database at this point, I would think, unless you are tracking multiple dimensions for your clients and prospective clients (e.g., contact info, shoot dates, selected shots, payments, etc.)

I noted you mentioned expiration dates -- be sure you know the rules for your jurisdiction regarding gift certificates.

I'm a geek, and have done many useful and interesting things with databases for a whole host of tasks, and I would strongly encourage everyone to learn to work with and configure a basic database. Once you learn how they can be used then you can do neat and interesting things with them.


However most normal people would call me crazy for suggesting that, and they're possibly right.

A simple spreadsheet is probably far more than enough to track what you would need with something like this. The big question is what info are you taking down with them, and how do you want them to function? Do you want them to be a variable pre-paid kind of thing? X dollars worth of your services that the customer can pick? Do you just want vouchers for X service/product?

Are you going to record any user info when you sell the voucher, in which case do you even need the physical item to hand out, rather than just getting their name and email/phone number that you can look up again when they come in for an appointment?

If you are numbering them for tracking purposes and anti-counterfeiting then consider the use of non-sequential random numbers. If you hand out 50 simple home printed cards numbered 1-50, then it is kind of easy for someone to scan their copy of card 10, and come back in later with card 25 as well. But if someone has card number 33, and the next two in the series are 39, 43, and 91, then they'll have a far harder time trying to scam you. (But honestly as the value of the cards goes up, then it makes more and more sense to do it more along the lines of pre-booking services and collecting customer info, and any card you hand out is more of just a business/advertisement​/reminder card than something with any actual value.)

AlFooteIII wrote in post #17643854
I'd definitely keep track on a spreadsheet; no need for a database at this point, I would think, unless you are tracking multiple dimensions for your clients and prospective clients (e.g., contact info, shoot dates, selected shots, payments, etc.)

I noted you mentioned expiration dates -- be sure you know the rules for your jurisdiction regarding gift certificates.

The expiry dates were more to ensure they get used, in reality I would still honour the shoot even after the expiry date. I don't want to take a customer's money and then the recipient to lose the voucher or hold onto it for so long they forget to use it.

I'll definitely look at getting some form of spreadsheet together. I most just wanted it to keep track of how many vouchers have been sold, and thus how many prospective shoot's I need to be prepared to schedule.

Moo cards....

Might I make a suggestion, always make your gift cards worth a cash amount discount, from your standard pricing. Here in the UK it is also important to ensure that you state that the voucher otherwise has zero cash value. That way you will never be out of pocket if your prices rise. This is especially important if the service offered included any tangibles, as cost prices to you may well increase. Doing it this way with an expiry date on the gift certificate, you can then happily waive that, without cost to you, making the customer doubly happy that you have done something nice for them.

In my experience of specialist retail, if the gift card is not used reasonably promptly, then it is actually quite unlikely to ever get used. It is quite surprising the number of gift certificates that will never actually get used.

Alan

BigAl007 wrote in post #17645880
Might I make a suggestion, always make your gift cards worth a cash amount discount, from your standard pricing. Here in the UK it is also important to ensure that you state that the voucher otherwise has zero cash value. That way you will never be out of pocket if your prices rise. This is especially important if the service offered included any tangibles, as cost prices to you may well increase. Doing it this way with an expiry date on the gift certificate, you can then happily waive that, without cost to you, making the customer doubly happy that you have done something nice for them.

In my experience of specialist retail, if the gift card is not used reasonably promptly, then it is actually quite unlikely to ever get used. It is quite surprising the number of gift certificates that will never actually get used.

Alan

Everyone has a junk drawer in their house. When I cleaned mine out last year when we moved to our new place, I had gift cards from 1997 in there unused.

Thanks Al, yes that has been my experience so far too. I have given out 4 vouchers this year, and had precisely one used.

So far with my vouchers I haven't included a cash amount at all, I've ensured it covers a particular shoot. This was because some people didn't like the recipient knowing how much they had spent however I like your idea of using a discount amount instead.

The problem with the voucher being good for one photoshoot is that it could put you in a bit of legal jeopardy if photoshoot isn't precisely defined. Most of your clients are unlikely to make an issue of it but it only takes one asshat to try to push the limits of what's included. So define the terms and maximum value of the voucher so some recipient doesn't try to expand the gift beyond reason. We've all had a portrait shoot where someone shows up with a friend they want included at the same price, since you're already here and set up.....

Good point, I guess I've been working off a lot of good will from connections and fellow enthusiasts. So far I have been defining the photoshoot quite thoroughly via email with the customer, however I haven't considered passing that same information on to the recipient of the voucher and just assuming that the customer will do that.