Setting Up Google Analytics to Track Gift Card Sales

Tracking gift card sales in Google Analytics helps you understand how gift cards contribute to revenue, which campaigns drive purchases, and how customers use them. Without tracking, you’re flying blind—like running a café without counting how many cups of coffee you sell.

Here’s how to set up Google Analytics (GA4) to track gift card sales clearly and effectively.

Why Tracking Gift Card Sales Matters

• Revenue Attribution – Know how much of your earnings come from gift card sales.
• Marketing Performance – Measure which campaigns lead to purchases.
• Customer Behavior – Understand who’s buying and redeeming gift cards.
• Redemption Trends – Spot when and how gift cards get used so you can time promotions better.

How to Set Up GA4 for Gift Card Tracking

Step 1: Configure Ecommerce Tracking in GA4

GA4 doesn’t have a simple “enable ecommerce” switch. You need to send ecommerce events manually through Google Tag Manager (GTM) or your website’s code.

Here’s the process:

• In GA4, go to Admin > Data Streams > Web > Tagging Instructions.
• Use Google Tag Manager (recommended) or gtag.js.
• Set up a data layer to send ecommerce events like purchase, add_to_cart, and view_item.
• Ensure gift card purchases trigger the purchase event and include relevant product data.

If you’re using Shopify, WooCommerce, or another platform, check if your ecommerce plugin already pushes these events—or if you need to customize it.

To clarify:

In GA4:

• You don’t set up ecommerce tracking directly from the admin interface (i.e., no toggle or data layer settings here).
• GA4 expects ecommerce events to be sent to it via:
  • Google Tag Manager (GTM), or
  • gtag.js via your website or ecommerce platform (like Shopify).

Step 2: Categorize Gift Cards as a Product Type

Inside your ecommerce platform:

• Create a product category called Gift Cards.
• Make sure all gift card SKUs fall into this category.
• This lets you filter gift card data easily in GA4 reports.

Step 3: View Gift Card Sales in GA4

Once your ecommerce tracking is active:

• Go to Reports > Business Objectives > Drive Sales > Ecommerce purchases
• Use filters to view sales by the Gift Cards category.
• Track revenue, transaction counts, and average order value (AOV) specific to gift cards.

Step 4: Set Up Conversion Tracking with GTM

To get deeper conversion insights:

1. Open Google Tag Manager.
2. Create a new GA4 Event tag.
   • Event Name: purchase
   • Include gift card-specific product data in the event parameters.
3. Set a trigger for your order confirmation page (e.g., a “thank-you” URL).
4. Save and publish your changes.

Step 5: Analyze and Optimize Performance

• Use Funnel Reports in GA4 to see the user journey before purchase.

• Track gift card performance during different promotions or seasons.
• Compare behavior between gift card buyers and regular customers.
• Use this data to improve targeting, adjust pricing, or optimize your campaign timing.

What You Can Do With This Data

With accurate tracking, you can make smart, data-backed decisions:

• Adjust gift card pricing or denominations based on performance.
• Plan promotions around top-performing timeframes.
• Identify loyal customers who redeem gift cards and return.

Ready to Make Gift Cards a Growth Channel?

Ncentiva helps businesses launch and optimize gift card programs with real analytics and real results. Whether you need help setting up the tracking, designing a campaign, or converting gift card buyers into repeat customers, our team can guide the process.

Let’s make your gift card strategy work harder for your business.

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