Scheduling Gift Card Imports

How to Schedule Gift Card Imports for Future Delivery

This guide explains how to schedule gift card imports to be created automatically at a specific future date and time.

Overview

The scheduling feature allows you to prepare gift card imports in advance and have them automatically created at a specific time. This is perfect for:

• Sending birthday gift cards at midnight
• Launching promotional campaigns at exact times
• Coordinating gift card releases with marketing campaigns
• Managing holiday gift card deliveries in advance

IMPORTANT: All scheduled times use EST (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-5) regardless of your store's location. Imports will execute within 5 minutes of the scheduled time.

Step-by-Step Scheduling Process

1. Prepare Your Gift Cards

• Import your CSV file or manually add gift cards
• Review all gift card details (names, emails, amounts, messages)
• Ensure everything is correct - you cannot edit after scheduling

2. Schedule the Import

• Click the "Schedule for Later" button (next to "Create Gift Cards")
• A scheduling modal will appear

3. Set Your Schedule Details

Fill in the required information:

4. Review & Confirm

• Double-check your date and time (remember: EST timezone)
• Verify the notification email is correct
• Note how many gift cards will be created
• Click "Schedule Import"

5. Confirmation

You'll see a success message confirming:

• The scheduled date/time
• The number of gift cards to be created
• Where the notification will be sent

Viewing Scheduled Imports

To see all your scheduled imports:

1. Click the "Scheduled" button in the main navigation
2. You'll see a table with all scheduled imports showing:

• Scheduled date and time
• Number of gift cards
• Status (Pending, Processing, Completed, Failed, Cancelled)
• Notification email
• Execution timestamp
• Action buttons

Canceling a Scheduled Import

You can only cancel imports with "Pending" status (not yet executed):

1. Go to the "Scheduled" page
2. Find the import you want to cancel
3. Click the "Cancel" button in the Actions column
4. Confirm the cancellation

Note: Once an import starts processing or completes, it cannot be cancelled.

Email Notifications

You'll receive automatic email notifications about your scheduled imports:

Success Email

Sent when the import completes successfully:

• Total cards attempted
• Successfully created count
• Any failures (if applicable)
• Scheduled time and execution time

Failure Email

Sent if the import encounters an error:

• Error details
• Total cards that were attempted
• Scheduled time
• Troubleshooting guidance

Important: These are transactional emails related to your scheduled imports. To stop receiving them, use a different email address when scheduling.

Important Notes

Timezone Requirements

• All times are in EST (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-5)
• This applies regardless of your store's location
• Convert your local time to EST before scheduling
• Example: 10:00 AM PST \= 1:00 PM EST

Execution Window

• Imports execute within 5 minutes of scheduled time
• Small delays are normal for system processing
• Do not schedule multiple imports for the same exact time

No Automatic Retries

• If an import fails, it will not automatically retry
• You'll receive a failure notification email
• Review the error and reschedule manually if needed

Email Notifications

• Gift cards are automatically emailed to customers (if email provided)
• Messages in the "Message" column are included in customer emails
• Customers receive their gift cards at the scheduled time
• Recipients see personalized messages in their email

Draft vs Schedule

• Save Draft: Saves your work, doesn't create anything
• Schedule for Later: Creates gift cards at the scheduled time
• Create Gift Cards: Creates gift cards immediately

Scheduling Window

• You can schedule imports up to 1 year in advance
• Minimum scheduling time: Tomorrow (cannot schedule for today or past dates)
• Imports execute within 5 minutes of scheduled time
• The date picker enforces these limits automatically

Best Practices

Test Your Schedule

• Schedule a test import 2-3 minutes in the future
• Use your own email to verify notifications work
• Confirm timing and execution before scheduling large batches

Plan Ahead

• Schedule important imports at least 15 minutes in advance
• Avoid scheduling during peak traffic hours if possible
• Give yourself a buffer for timezone conversion

Timezone Conversion

• Use an online timezone converter to ensure accuracy
• Remember: EST is UTC-5 (5 hours behind UTC)
• Double-check AM/PM when entering times

Email Notifications

• Use a monitored email address for notifications
• Check spam/junk folders if you don't receive emails
• Set up email filters to organize notifications

Batch Sizing

• For large imports (200+ cards), consider smaller batches
• Schedule multiple batches 10-15 minutes apart
• This prevents potential timeouts and makes tracking easier

Troubleshooting

Q: My import didn't execute at the scheduled time

A: Check the "Scheduled" page for status details. Imports execute within 5 minutes of scheduled time. If it shows "Failed", check the error message in the Actions column.

Q: I scheduled for the wrong time

A: If the import is still "Pending", go to the "Scheduled" page and click "Cancel". Then reschedule with the correct time.

Q: Can I edit a scheduled import?

A: No, scheduled imports cannot be edited. You must cancel and create a new schedule with updated details.

Q: I didn't receive an email notification

A: Check your spam/junk folder. Emails come from [email protected]   . If still missing, verify the email address you entered when scheduling.

Q: What timezone should I use?

A: All times must be entered in EST (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-5). Convert your local time to EST before scheduling.

Q: Can I schedule imports weeks in advance?

A: Yes, you can schedule up to 1 year in advance. For longer timeframes, schedule closer to the date or reach out to support.

Q: The scheduled import failed - what now?

A: Check the error message in the "Scheduled" page or your failure notification email. Common issues include authentication problems or API limitations. You can reschedule the import after reviewing the error.

Q: Can I see the gift card details before execution?

A: Gift card details are stored in the scheduled import record. To review before execution, cancel the scheduled import, which will not create the cards, and you can review your saved draft.

Example Workflow

Scenario: Schedule holiday gift cards for December 25th at 8:00 AM EST

1. December 23rd: Prepare your gift card CSV with customer names, emails, amounts, and holiday messages
2. Import the CSV into Expresso Gift Cards
3. Review all details for accuracy
4. Click "Schedule for Later"
5. Enter:

• Notification email: [email protected]   
• Date: 2025-12-25   
• Time: 08:00 AM   

1. Click "Schedule Import"
2. Receive confirmation message
3. December 25th, 8:00 AM EST: Import automatically executes
4. Customers receive their gift card emails with holiday messages
5. You receive success notification at [email protected]   
6. Review completed import on "Scheduled" page

Need more help? Contact our support team at [email protected]    or through the help beacon in the bottom-right corner of the app.