6 Truths About Gift Certificate Sales in The Massage Industry

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In this Post: Massage coaches push hard the benefits of having a booming “gift-certificate seasons.” Yet, there are 6 truths about gift certificate sales in the massage industry that every massage therapist should consider before opening the floodgate!

Every massage therapist should read about these truths.

As a massage therapist and business owner, gift certificates seem like a win-win! They are a thoughtful gift and a revenue boost for your business. But over time, I’ve learned that the story is a bit more complicated than it seems.

When COVID hit, I walked away with $30,000 in outstanding massage gift certificates. I realized then I had a problem!

When you are in the beginning stages of building your massage business, gift certificates are amazing! Priceless ways to promote your business!

But as you move into what I refer to as Stage 4 and 5, Streamline Strategist and Serenity Scaler, it’s a little different story.

6 Truths About Gift Certificate Sales in The Massage Industry:

Clients Lack Emotional Investment: When someone buys a gift certificate for another person, the recipient may not have actively chosen to prioritize massage in their life. This lack of personal investment can lead to a “take it or leave it” attitude. When what we want is to build lasting relationship.
Low Rebooking Rates: Many gift certificate clients view their massage as a one-time treat rather than a recurring self-care practice. Since they didn’t pay for the service, they might not see its full value, making them less likely to rebook.
Unrealistic Expectations: Gift certificate clients may come in with unrealistic expectations. If they aren’t familiar with massage or haven’t researched your particular style they might be dissapointed expecting a luxury spa or instant results.
Scheduling Conflicts: This is a big one. These clients often want to redeem their certificates at peak times (evenings, weekends, holidays). They often give little lead time when trying to book, thus adding strain to your schedule. If your books are already full, this can result in delays that frustrate both the client, your loyal regulars, and you!
Lower Engagement with Wellness: Regular clients typically have a mindset geared toward wellness and consistency. Gift certificate clients may not fully grasp the benefits of massage or may see it as a one-off indulgence. Whereas we want clients who view massage a part of a larger self-care journey. This can be frustrating as a practitioner!
Pressure to Accommodate: If a gift certificate client is redeeming a certificate that’s been sitting unused for months or years, you might feel pressured to honor it despite price changes or business growth, potentially devaluing your services.

Your Ideal Clients

Your ideal clients are those who understand the value of your work, respect your time, and see massage as an integral part of their routine. Gift certificate clients often don’t align with these traits, making them harder to convert into loyal regulars.

Okay, so does this mean that I am suggesting NOT to sell gift certificates once you have reached a certain stage of business?

No… it just means I’m suggesting making tweaks.

For one, my suggestion is to take gift certificates off of your website. (I know this is a hard sell, anything to NOT have to actually talk on the phone, but hear me out.)

When you sell GC’s online it:

Complicates things in the event you ever want to discontinue a client/therapist relationship. And therapists, sometimes we want to terminate therapeutic relationships. But, having a gift certificate looming overhead makes it that much harder!
If something catastrophic happens, like your break your leg, you get shut down because of a world-wide pandemic, or you want to stop being a massage therapist you may be indebted to a lot of people!

When you take away the ease of purchasing a gift certificate, you are able to screen purchasers to a degree that supports the health and overall goals of your practice.

One of the things I try to do now is only sell gift certificates to or for existing clients. This way, I know they value my service and understand how my practice operates.

To purchase a gift certificate from me now, you must either be purchasing for an existing client or go through an informal interview. Here, I determine if your gift-giving needs fit into the practice I am operating.

Some other ways to approach gift certificates include:

Set Clear Policies on Gift Certificate Redemption
- Define expiration dates: While some regions have laws about gift card expiration, you can still include policies like “must be redeemed within one year” to encourage timely use.
- Limit peak-time availability: Specify that gift certificates can only be redeemed during certain days or hours to protect your prime spots.
- Enforce advance booking requirements: Require at least 2-4 weeks’ notice for scheduling to avoid last-minute rushes.
Offer dollar amount instead of service sales
- Instead of offering a certificate for a one-hour massage, sell in dollar increments. That way if you prices change, you aren’t losing money when a service is redeemed.
Implement a No-Refund Policy
- Be clear that gift certificates are non-refundable and non-transferable. This minimizes the potential for disputes if the recipient isn’t a good fit for your services.

Now I know how thrilling gift certificate sales can be! And, they can be a great way to get new clients through your door—but if your practice is beyond the beginning stages of business, you may want to consider having discretion in your certificate-selling habits.

Consider how many open spots you have each week? What type of clients you want in your practice? And don’t be afraid to take your certificates off your website and make people contact you directly if they want gifts.

Author Profile

: Ali Boehm
- Boulder College of Massage Therapy Graduate
- Nationally Certified through NCBTMB
- Colorado Licensed Massage Therapist
- Certified CranialSacral Level 1 through Upledger
- Certified Herbal Therapist through Nutrition Therapy Institute
- Certified Fujian Massage through Barefoot Masters
- Fort Lewis College - Majored in Art, Minored in Business Administration
- 6 Year Winner of Best Massage Therapist for "Best of The Boat" Competition
- Massage Business Owner Since 2008