> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.peakcommerce.com/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.peakcommerce.com/guides/feature-guides/acquire-and-convert/guide-gift-subscriptions.md).

# Building Gift Subscriptions (Purchase & Redemption)

### Overview

A gift subscription is two flows wearing one bow: someone **buys** a subscription for someone else, and the recipient later **redeems** it and starts using the product. PeakCommerce doesn't have a dedicated "gift" object — and it doesn't need one. You compose gifting from the journey engine: a **purchase journey** the buyer completes, and a **redemption journey** the recipient opens from a code or link, funded by what the buyer paid.

This guide builds both halves and explains the one idea that makes gifting work cleanly: the buyer pays, but the recipient is the subscriber.

### The example we'll build

**Folio, a digital-magazine subscription,** lets a customer buy a friend **3 months of Premium**. The buyer checks out, names the recipient, and gets a redemption link to share. The friend opens it, creates their account, and starts Premium — with the 3 gifted months already paid for, so they owe nothing until the gift runs out.

### The key idea: buyer pays, recipient subscribes

In a normal checkout the payer and the subscriber are the same person. In a gift they're **different people**, so you split the flow in two:

1. The **buyer** pays in the purchase journey — but you do *not* start a subscription on the buyer's account.
2. You create a **redeemable entitlement** the recipient claims — most cleanly modeled as a **credit** (a prepaid balance) issued for the gifted value, delivered as a code or link.
3. The **recipient** redeems it in their own journey, which starts *their* subscription and draws the gifted credit down to cover the gifted period.

### Before you begin

* A **giftable plan** (for example Premium) and the gift durations you'll sell (3/6/12 months).
* A way to carry the gifted value to redemption — this guide uses **credits** (prepaid balances applied against payment); you'll also generate a **redemption code or link** to deliver to the recipient.

### 1. Build the gift-purchase journey

1. Go to **Content → Journeys**, click **+ New Journey**, set **Type** to **E-Commerce**, and name it (for example *Gift — Premium*).
2. Build a buyer flow:

   **Choose gift (plan + duration) → Buyer pays → Recipient & delivery → Confirmation**

   * **Choose gift** — pick the plan and length; the price is the gifted value.
   * **Buyer pays** — the **Payment** step collects from the *buyer*.
   * **Recipient & delivery** — capture the recipient's email and (optionally) a message and a send date.
   * On completion, **issue a credit** for the gifted value and generate a **redemption code/link**. Crucially, *don't* start a subscription here — the buyer isn't the subscriber.

### 2. Deliver the gift

* Email the recipient the **redemption link** (immediately, or on the buyer's chosen date), with the buyer's message.
* Put the link on a **branded host** (a subdomain mapping) so the gift arrives on your own domain — it feels more like a real gift and less like a receipt.

### 3. Build the redemption journey

1. Create a second journey — **E-Commerce** if the recipient is new, **Customer Self-Service** if they must sign in — named *Redeem a Gift*.
2. Build the recipient flow:

   **Enter/confirm gift → Create account → Start subscription → Confirmation**

   * **Enter/confirm gift** — the recipient arrives via the link (or types the code); show what they've been given.
   * **Create account** — the **Signup** role creates the recipient's organization and contact.
   * **Start subscription** — a `create_order` action starts *the recipient's* subscription on the gifted plan, with the gifted **credit applied** so the gifted period costs them nothing.
   * **Confirmation** — "Your gift is active" and what happens when it ends.

### 4. Plan for what happens when the gift ends

A gift is also an acquisition — decide how it converts:

* **Auto-convert to paid** — collect a card at redemption and continue paid when the gift runs out (highest conversion).
* **Lapse-and-win-back** — let it end and trigger a win-back offer (no card needed up front, lower friction).

Make the choice explicit on the redemption flow so the recipient knows what to expect.

### 5. Measure gifting

* Track **gifts sold vs. gifts redeemed** — a low redemption rate points at delivery (the email or link), not the purchase.
* Track **gift-to-paid conversion** when the gifted period ends — that's the real ROI of a gift program.

### Get creative

* **Gift cards / store credit.** The same credit mechanism sells a fixed-value **gift card** the recipient applies to any plan, rather than a specific subscription.
* **Scheduled delivery.** Let the buyer pick a send date (a birthday, the holidays) and deliver the redemption link then.
* **Self-gifting / promo codes.** The redemption journey is also a **promo-code** landing flow — reuse it for marketing codes, not just gifts.
* **Corporate gifting.** Let a buyer purchase many redemptions at once and hand out codes to a team.

### Tips

* **Never subscribe the buyer.** The most common gifting mistake is starting the subscription on the payer's account. The buyer pays; the *recipient* subscribes at redemption.
* **Carry the value as a credit.** Modeling the gift as a prepaid **credit** keeps redemption simple — start the subscription and apply the credit.
* **Make delivery feel like a gift.** A branded link and the buyer's message convert far better than a bare code.

### FAQ

**Is there a built-in gift feature?**

No — gifting is composed from two journeys (purchase and redemption) plus a redeemable value (modeled as a **credit** with a code/link). That's a feature, not a limitation: you control exactly how gifts are sold, delivered, and converted.

**Who ends up with the subscription?**

The **recipient**. The buyer only pays; the subscription is created on the recipient's account when they redeem, funded by the gifted credit.

**What happens when the gifted months run out?**

Your choice — auto-convert to paid (capture a card at redemption) or let it lapse and trigger a win-back. Decide up front and tell the recipient.


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