SHEIN Gift Card : Our Expert Opinion
Today, we explore the gift card program of SHEIN, a fast-fashion powerhouse that has rapidly become a major player in the online fashion industry. Known for its daily product launches, affordable prices, and mass online marketing, SHEIN’s gift card is currently in the top 3 most searched gift cards in France. Given this, we decided to take a closer look at their gift card program.
While we acknowledge that SHEIN has been a polarizing brand in France and Europe, it’s clear that its gift card is one of the most demanded by consumers, which is why it’s relevant to include it in our analysis. We’ve found a lot to discuss, so let’s dive in.
In this article, we break down our analysis into six key points: visibility of the program, the ordering process, payment, delivery, usage, and distribution through B2B or third-party platforms.
SHEIN's Gift Card: Limited Visibility on Search Engines
When searching for “SHEIN gift card” on search engines, the brand appears prominently in the first position, which is a good start. However, there are opportunities to optimize their title tags and meta descriptions. For instance, the current title tag is “Gift Cards — Money,” without any mention of the brand or potential advantages. An optimized title could be: “SHEIN Gift Card: Give the Gift of Fashion Without Limits!” to boost the click-through rate.
As for the meta description, the current one includes generic information unrelated to the gift card itself, such as: “From shoes to clothing, sportswear to accessories, discover all fashion inspiration and the latest trends at SHEIN.” Instead, the meta description should highlight the advantages of the gift card, such as: “Valid on the entire site. Free shipping. Personalization available.”
Another issue is that the balance-check page for the gift card is indexed, which shouldn’t be the case, as users typically go directly to the brand’s website for this. Additionally, the URLs that show up in search results are only those from the mobile site, whereas the desktop version, which would better utilize the full screen width, is available and should be the preferred link.
The accordion of questions that appears in Google search results related to “SHEIN gift card” suggests FAQs like “How do I buy a gift card?” or “How can I use it?” However, since SHEIN doesn’t offer a well-optimized FAQ for its gift card, other sites have taken over that space, even including negative content such as “Is this a real SHEIN gift card?” linked to an article about a gift card scam, which is damaging for the brand.
SHEIN must take back control of these results by creating and optimizing the content related to their gift card program to manage the customer experience more effectively
The SHEIN Gift Card Service is Invisible on the E-Commerce Website and Mobile App
We couldn’t find the gift card service on SHEIN’s website. There was no mention of it in the main menu or footer. Searching for “gift card” and various variations in the internal search engine didn’t yield any relevant results either.
The only way to access the gift card is via the SHEIN mobile app, where it’s buried in the user profile. From there, you can view your balance and scroll through suggestions to access the gift card service. This makes for a frustrating journey.
SHEIN needs to work on increasing the visibility of their gift card service on both search engines and their website. Why?
- We had to search extensively to find the gift card, but in reality, no customer will take that much time. Gift card buyers are not your primary target audience, so you need to make it easy for them to find the service.
- Making the gift card service visible on the website increases the chances that a regular customer will decide to buy a gift card for someone else and recommend the brand. The service should be in the main menu, the footer, and properly indexed on search engines at the very least
A Simple but Ineffective Gift Card Ordering Page
SHEIN doesn’t have an intermediary page to showcase the entire gift card program since it only offers digital cards. Instead, users are directly led to the order page.
While the page is simple and functional, it lacks some key elements to improve conversions. For instance:
- Clear benefits of the gift card service: Add reassuring details such as shipping time, where the card can be used, and its validity.
- FAQ: Add a well-optimized FAQ addressing common questions such as “How long does it take for the e-gift card to be sent?”
The description could be more detailed with bullet points, such as:
- Validity date
- Delivery time
- Where and on which products it can be used
The Ordering Journey Could Be Smoother
The order page is clear. The buyer can easily see all the steps they need to complete before proceeding to payment. A good point for SHEIN.
SHEIN offers multiple visuals for various moments and occasions (Valentine’s Day, birthdays, summer). We encourage the brand to continue in this direction by adding more visuals for Christmas, thank-you messages, congratulations, or moving, which are often in high demand by buyers.
Next, the buyer selects the amount, ranging from a minimum of €30 to a maximum of €500. There are 7 options to choose from: 30, 50, 100, 200, 300, 400, and 500. This selection is very limited compared to other services in similar markets. The main advantage of gift cards is their flexibility. It’s a quick, easy gift that allows you to manage your budget to the exact euro, which is not possible here. Furthermore, SHEIN is known for its affordable pricing, so starting at €30 and quickly jumping over €100 seems illogical. As a result, the abandonment rate is likely to be high.
Finally, the buyer enters the recipient’s email, the name of the person gifting the card, and has the option to write a personalized message. There’s an opportunity for optimization here by adding the recipient's name. Doing so would enhance the gift experience and give a more personalized touch to the recipient.
We believe there are four essential options that are often appreciated by consumers:
- The ability to send the gift card on a specific date, allowing the buyer to plan ahead and send the email at the right time (e.g., on a birthday or Christmas).
- The ability to print it or send it personally: Allow the buyer to enter their own email address to receive the PDF of the e-gift card, print it for a physical handover, or send it themselves with additional customizations.
- The ability to buy a gift card for oneself. More and more people are buying gift cards for themselves, either because they're on sale, to manage their budget, or for a secure online payment method.
- The ability to purchase a gift card together with others via a group pool.
Payment and Delivery of SHEIN Gift Cards
The payment page for the gift card is well-constructed and offers enough payment methods to optimize conversions. However, before reaching this page, the buyer must have a customer account and go through the shopping cart. This means that the majority of gift card buyers who do not have a SHEIN account but want to buy a gift for someone who likes or might like the brand must go through an extra step. As we know in e-commerce, the more steps we add, the higher the risk of abandonment.
We recommend that SHEIN, and all brands offering gift card services, create an alternate purchase journey for the gift card: without a cart and without creating a customer account.
In addition to this improvement suggestion, we encountered what seems to be a bug during our shopping experience. When we left the cart to continue our shopping session and later returned to the cart, the gift card was no longer there. It appears that a user wishing to purchase a gift card and another item at the same time would not be able to do so.
Lastly, during the checkout process, while we were entering our credit card details, we received an abandonment cart email. On paper, this is a great practice, but in our case, we were in the middle of making the payment. This is likely a technical configuration issue that needs to be reviewed, so the email is triggered at the correct timing and doesn’t interrupt the customer experience.
Fast Delivery of the Gift Card
Between the payment and the delivery of the e-gift card to the recipient, less than 2 minutes passed. The timing is excellent and meets the expectations of consumers who are looking for instant delivery.
Emails for the Buyer
On the buyer's side, they receive a confirmation email for the gift card order. The content of this email caused some confusion during our tests. Phrases such as "Please confirm these details to confirm your purchase" or "You will receive a confirmation email once payment is validated" are misleading, as in reality, the email confirms the payment and order validation. This is likely a translation error.
Among the positive aspects, we appreciated the presence of a link to reorder a gift card. This is a good feature, especially considering how difficult it is to locate the service on the website. Another good point is that the buyer can change the recipient's email address and resend the gift card in case of loss. To move toward perfection, we would suggest that SHEIN send an email confirming to the buyer that the gift card has been successfully received by the recipient.
Emails for the Beneficiary
On the recipient's side, they receive an email with an attractive subject line: "Psst, surprise! Take a look at your Gift Card!". The gift card's visual, the recipient's name, and the personalized message are all clearly visible. However, the recipient's message could be highlighted more effectively.
The email includes information such as the redemption instructions, the validity date, the link to check the gift card balance, and a few general terms and conditions. However, the link to more information about the SHEIN gift card redirects to the order page rather than the help center page, which would be more useful to the recipient.
Finally, an essential element is missing: the amount of the gift card. The recipient has no other choice but to wait until they validate their cart or check the card balance on the dedicated page. In practice, displaying the amount of the gift card clearly on the email or PDF is mandatory. SHEIN will need to add this information.
Some Recommended Improvements
We have two areas for improvement:
- Implement a reminder email sequence for recipients to encourage the spending of their gift cards.
- Create targeted email campaigns for both buyers and recipients around key moments in the year to push the gift card service.
By doing this, you optimize gift card usage on one side and maximize purchases on the other. It’s quick to set up, and once it’s running, it requires little maintenance.
Unable to Register the Gift Card
Currently, there is no option to register the gift card. Despite the brand's warning to save the email, it’s very easy to delete the message by accident.
Since SHEIN is a pure-play brand with a well-built mobile app, allowing the card to be registered on the app would increase the app’s adoption rate, in addition to simplifying the insertion of the gift card during the payment phase.
Another option could be allowing gift card registration on mobile wallets. The benefit? Mobile wallets provide an option to send push notifications like "Remember to spend your gift card," or "You have €10 remaining on your gift card," etc. This is a great way to engage with the recipient and potentially convert them into a customer.
Gift Card Spending
For spending, the card details—number and PIN—must be entered to validate the purchase.However, there is an issue: SHEIN treats the gift card as a promotion. This means the gift card is separated from the payment options, which is an unusual and confusing arrangement for the recipient.
Best Practice in This Case: Treat the gift card as a payment method, because that’s what it is. Therefore, it should be placed alongside other payment methods and listed on the product pages.
Finally, the balance check page for the gift card is clearly present on both the gift card order page and within the customer account. It’s very easy to find.
Should SHEIN Implement a B2B Service for its Gift Card?
SHEIN does not currently offer a dedicated order process for professionals, such as the ability to purchase multiple cards in a single order. For SHEIN, this may not be relevant. The typical B2B gift card buyers include:
- Large corporate CSEs or construction firms looking for mid-range to premium brands.
- Small and medium-sized enterprises’ HR departments and CSEs seeking mid-range brands.
- Companies running contests with broad appeal, looking for versatile brands.
- High-end brands sought by architecture, accounting, consulting firms, and real estate agencies.
Despite varying sizes and needs, these buyers share one key concern: the perceived value and brand reputation when gifting to employees or clients. While SHEIN is well-known, its low-cost positioning doesn't offer enough perceived value for B2B buyers.
We do not recommend SHEIN pursue a B2B gift card service.
SHEIN’s Gift Card Distribution
SHEIN does not distribute its gift cards across multiple partner platforms. This means it is missing the opportunity to reach new audiences. With the right strategy, network of partners, and consistent effort, a gift card distribution strategy could generate 1–3% of annual sales in the first year, and 5–7% or more at full scale.
We recommend SHEIN adopt a strategy of "ultra openness," targeting a broad range of distributors, including CE platforms, loyalty programs, marketplaces, cashback programs, etc. Amazon’s approach is a good example to follow.
However, SHEIN must be cautious of two things:
- Given its competitive pricing, it must manage commission rates to maintain profitability. However, it may adjust commissions during peak periods to boost sales.
- As an international brand, SHEIN will need to create country-specific partnerships. In Europe, each country has its own distributor network, with only a few European-wide players.
For this reason, the choice of an aggregator would be ideal. This would enable SHEIN to quickly penetrate markets by connecting with pre-established networks and receiving strategic support across commercial, legal, and financial aspects.
Final Gift Card Program Rating for SHEIN
SHEIN scores 9.7/20. The lack of visibility for the program, the order process that requires optimization, and the absence of gift card distribution through third-party platforms had a significant impact on the final score.
We note two clear priorities at this stage:
- Improve the visibility of the service on the website, app, social media, and through email campaigns.
- Open the gift card program to multidistribution by partnering with third-party platforms, using an ultra-open strategy similar to Amazon’s.
SHEIN benefits from growing recognition and solid demand, which should allow it to at least double the revenue generated by its gift card program. Now, it’s time to implement the improvements we’ve mentioned.
