The New Hybrid Hospitality Business
For many restaurants, cafés, and bars, the business model has expanded far beyond tables and tills. Alongside food and drink service, operators are now running e-commerce shops powered by Shopify, selling everything from coffee beans and wine bottles to branded T-shirts, sauces, and subscription boxes.
The physical venue and the digital storefront go hand in hand. A customer might enjoy dinner in a restaurant one evening and order a bottle of the house red from the online shop the next day.
But when it comes to gift cards, many businesses still face a problem: their POS system and their Shopify store don’t talk to each other.
The Problem with Separate Gift Card Systems
Most POS platforms (like Toast or Lightspeed) come with their own gift card functionality. Likewise, Shopify offers digital gift cards for online purchases. The issue is that they operate in silos.
A POS-issued gift card works when paying in-venue, but not online.
A Shopify-issued gift card works for online checkout, but staff can’t redeem it on the till.
This creates an awkward guest experience. A customer buys a card online, visits the restaurant to use it, and is told it doesn’t work there. Or they’re gifted a card in-venue, but find out later they can’t use it on the Shopify store.
From an operator’s perspective, it’s just as messy. Sales are tracked in two separate systems, redemptions don’t reconcile, and finance teams face an uphill battle to report accurately.
One Gift Card, Everywhere (The Voucher Connect Solution)
Voucher Connect bridges the gap between Shopify and your POS system, creating a single gift card that can be sold and redeemed across every channel.
Sell Anywhere: Gift cards can be purchased through your Shopify storefront or sold directly in-venue through Toast or Lightspeed POS.
Redeem Anywhere: Guests can use the same balance in-store at the till or online at checkout.
Track Everything in One Place: Every sale and redemption updates in real time, with one reporting view for finance and management.
In short: one gift card, one balance, no silos.
Real-World Use Cases
This isn’t just a technical solution — it unlocks real opportunities for hospitality operators.
Coffee roaster with cafés and subscriptions
A guest buys a €50 card. They spend €15 in the café on breakfast, then use the remaining €35 to sign up for a monthly bean subscription online.Wine bar with a bottle shop
A customer purchases a card as a gift. The recipient uses part of it to pay for an in-venue tasting menu, then spends the balance online on a curated wine case.Restaurant with merchandise
A family gives their parents a gift card for a special dinner. After the meal, the parents still have money left on the card — so they order the restaurant’s cookbook and branded wine glasses via Shopify.
Each of these examples shows how a single gift card encourages customers to engage with the business across multiple channels, rather than being confined to just one.
Why It Matters for Hospitality Brands
Hospitality is about customer experience. For guests, being told “that gift card won’t work here” undermines loyalty and damages trust. A seamless system where cards work everywhere reinforces brand strength and keeps customers coming back.
For staff, it reduces friction. There’s no confusion over which gift cards can be accepted. Redemption becomes a normal part of the till process.
For owners and finance teams, it’s a game-changer. Instead of juggling reports from Shopify and POS, everything is consolidated into one view. That means clearer accounting, easier reconciliation, and sharper insights into customer behaviour.
The Bigger Opportunity
Unified gift cards aren’t just about reducing pain points — they can actively grow revenue:
Upselling: A customer who comes in to redeem a $50 card often spends more once they’re in the venue.
Cross-channel discovery: Someone who receives a card for dinner might discover your online store and become a long-term e-commerce customer.
Seasonal campaigns: One gift card system makes it simple to run promotions like “Buy a $100 gift card, get $10 extra,” driving both in-store visits and online sales.
Conclusion
The future of hospitality is hybrid — part dining, part retail, part e-commerce. But customers don’t see channels. They see your brand. They expect one experience, one gift card, one balance.
By connecting Shopify with your POS through Voucher Connect, you can deliver exactly that: a seamless, modern gift card solution that makes life easier for staff, finance teams, and — most importantly — your guests.