Salon gift cards offer an easy way to generate more revenue and earn repeat business. Here are 9 salon gift card promotion ideas to help you get started.
Discount your salon or spa gift cards
At the core of many gift card promotions, you will find discounted gift card sales. The concept here is relatively simple: clients buy a gift card for a higher value than they pay. In return, your business earns upfront revenue and a guaranteed repeat visit from the client. Additionally, as clients buy these gift cards for friends or family members, you get free referrals sure to bring new faces into your studio.
So, how can you sell discounted salon gift cards? The exact process here will depend on your salon’s booking and POS software system. You can read a step-by-step guide to creating discounted gift card promotions in Mangomint with our Learning Center article here.
Service-based gift card promotions
If you want to increase sales for a particular salon service, consider boosting interest with a gift card promo. A study by BigCommerce found that, on average, beauty industry conversions more than doubled for products and services with a promotion.
Service-based gift card promotions operate similarly to traditional gift card discounts — only they are specifically geared to match a target service price. Let’s take a closer look at how you might create these deals:
When adding a new gift card, enter a service-based name (ex: “December deep conditioning discount!”
Set the gift card value to match the traditional price of your promotional service.
Adjust the sale price to a discounted rate and configure any additional settings — like a promo expiration date.
Advertise this deal online and in person (ex: “Save big on deep conditioning services with a gift card discount.”)
This gift card promotion can help turn your slowest-selling service into your most popular add-on.
Gift bags, boxes, and baskets
Gift cards are often presented as a thoughtful gesture during giving seasons. You can help increase sales by putting a bow on your salon or spa’s gift cards (literally and figuratively).
The holiday season is a busy time for salons and their customers. For your clients, complete gift sets offer one less thing to worry about — letting them cross another name off their list. Meanwhile, simply offering attractive packaging, complete gift sets, and finishing touches can help you effortlessly sell gift cards while earning a higher return. Some gift card promo ideas include:
Inventory bundles: Consider bundling discounted gift cards with your most popular inventory — like shampoos, conditioners, and other hot-selling items. Take it one step further by placing these items in a branded tote that will remind your clients to book another appointment each time they reuse their gift bag.
Gift baskets: You can create gift card baskets bundled with candy, branded items from your business, or affordable presents that match the season (like teddy bears around Valentine’s Day or balsam fir candles near Christmas).
Upgraded gift card presentation: Luxury gift certificate designs, boxes, or card holders can help a simple gift card feel like the complete package. We see this promotional upsell frequently among significant retailers — such as Amazon offering $3 - $6 gift wrapping at checkout. Amazon’s gift bags are affordable for the retailer to provide (likely earning a substantial ROI on each gift-wrapped package), and customers are eager to pay more for this finishing touch.
Holiday salon gift card promos
The holiday season is often called the “season of giving” for a reason — making this the perfect time to promote your gift cards. As the highest-spending time of the year, these gift cards can secure several months’ worth of revenue for your business. Taking advantage of a few easy promo ideas can help get your holiday gift card sales moving:
Heavily advertise your gift cards online and in your studio.
Make sure you choose or create a holiday-themed design for gift cards.
Consider offering discounts for holiday gift cards.
You can also set discounts for bulk purchases, as multiple gift card buying is most likely at this time of year.
Seasonal salon gift card promotions
When clients need your services most, a gift card promotion can ensure they choose your salon over others in your area. Beyond traditional holiday promos, you can use gift cards to leverage seasonal earning opportunities. For example, nail salons might offer a wedding season gift card discount. Other popular times of year for salons include prom, graduation, summer, and back-to-school.
Similarly, you might consider sending an exclusive promo each month to all of your clients with upcoming birthdays.
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Contrary to popular belief, gift card promos do not need to come with a discounted sale price. Instead, you might offer an incentive for clients to buy gift cards — such as a free upgrade or add-on with any gift card purchase. There are plenty of fun, unique, low-cost add-ons that can get your gift card sales moving:
Salons might offer a free brow wax, scalp massage, or blowout.
Nail technicians might include a free accent nail or paraffin dip.
A complimentary mimosa or treat can provide an extra gift card incentive for your business.
Any small, quick, and affordable service your salon or spa offers can make for a perfect gift card promo.
Salon and spa memberships, packages, and bundles
You can double your revenue potential by aligning your gift card promotions with your salon or spa membership offerings. Seamlessly increase your gift card sales and subscription sign-ups by offering an exclusive discount to members.
Clients who have been considering a membership might finally take this leap — securing reliable, recurring revenue for your salon. Meanwhile, existing members will be more likely to choose your gift cards over those from major retailers.
Similarly, you can pair a gift card discount with service packages or bundles. These deals can work in both directions, such as:
“10% off any service package when you purchase a gift card.”
“10% off any gift card purchase when you buy a service package/bundle.”
Sell memberships and packages
Learn how Mangomint can help seamlessly sell your memberships and packages with intuitive software features.
How do you promote your gift cards? While many people traditionally associate “promotions” with “deals and discounts,” a promotion is defined as any activity that creates or increases awareness. So, during financially tight times, there are ways to promote your gift card without any extra spending or lost revenue.
Create a banner on your website to ensure customers are aware that your salon or spa sells gift cards.
Add a button to make gift cards easy to buy at every stage of your customer’s online journey.
For in-person sales, keep your gift cards prominently displayed near your register for easy impulse purchases.
Gift certificate template and gift card design
Another easy and free way to promote more gift card sales is to rejuvenate your design. In a study by IPSOS, 81% of respondents reported that design appearances influenced their decisions when buying gifts.
Luckily, you can implement an attractive new gift card design at the click of a button in Mangomint. Choose from a variety of pre-designed digital gift card templates to start selling eye-catching online gift certificates without missing a beat.
For a more personalized touch, you can design and upload a custom e-gift card. It is easy to create new styles within your preferred graphic design tool, like Canva. Add your logo, brand colors, and an aesthetic that will help your gift card stand out. You can also design and print custom gift certificates perfect for in-store sales.
Try Mangomint for free
See Mangomint in action instantly with pre-populated sample data. No credit card required. Free for 21 days.
If you haven’t tried Mangomint yet, we invite you to sign up for a free trial. Alongside seamless gift card support, you will find a variety of features your salon or spa needs — including online booking, staff management, payment support, and so much more.
If you are ready to learn more, you can book a free demo with one of our team members for a one-on-one software walkthrough.
Emily Holzer is a Content Marketing Manager at Mangomint. She has a master’s degree in English and a passion for helping salons, spas, and other local beauty businesses thrive. When she is not writing, you can find her playing chess or tending to her houseplants. Fun fact: Emily has donated 8 ponytails (so far) across 5 hair loss charities in the U.S.
