GiftStubWhat's on the stub
The stub takes up about the left 29% of each piece: 2.18 in wide on US Letter and 54 mm on A4. From the top down it shows:
- Certificate number in large type, identical to the number on the certificate itself, including the prefix and zero padding.
- Issued to: the buyer, the recipient, or both.
- Date: the day you sold or gave the certificate.
- Amount: what the customer paid, which is handy when the certificate names a service rather than a dollar value.
- Redeemed: the date it came back, and your initials if several people work the counter.
Why a stub beats a notebook
Many small businesses keep gift certificate sales in a notebook by the till. That works until someone forgets to write one down. A stub is attached to the certificate until the moment of sale, so the record is created by the act of selling: you can't hand over the certificate without having the stub in your hand. If a stub is missing from your box, you know a certificate went out without being logged.
The stub also travels with the number, not with the person who sold it. Whoever is at the counter when the certificate comes back can find the matching stub, without needing to read someone else's handwriting in a ledger.
How the numbering works
You choose a prefix, a start number, how many certificates to print and how many digits to pad to. With prefix GC-, start 1 and four digits, the run reads GC-0001, GC-0002 and so on. Both the certificate and its stub are filled from the same counter in a single pass, so they always agree.
When you print another batch later, start where the last one ended. If your first run was GC-0001 to GC-0030, start the next at 31. A different prefix per year or per promotion, such as HOL- for holiday sales, keeps batches apart.
Layout and cutting
Three pieces are stacked on a portrait page, each 7.5 × 3.22 in on US Letter (185 × 88 mm on A4). Short cut marks in the margins show where to trim, and neighbouring pieces share a cut line. After you trim the page and tear off the stub, the certificate part measures 5.32 × 3.22 in (131 × 88 mm on A4).
Print at 100% or Actual size. Scaling the page to fit moves everything slightly and the cut marks will no longer meet the edges of the certificates.
Template versus a generator
A typical downloadable template shows one design with a sample number such as 0001, and you have to retype the number on every copy or set up a mail merge. A generator does the counting for you. Here the template is the design you set up in the form, and the generator turns it into as many numbered copies as you need, up to 500 per PDF.
Frequently asked questions
Why does the stub have the same number as the certificate?
So you can match them later. When a customer brings the certificate back, you look up the stub with the same number to see who bought it, when and for how much, and whether it has already been used.
Can I print the certificates without a stub?
The PDF always includes the stub, because that is what keeps your record. If you don't want it, cut along the dashed line instead of tearing. For emailed certificates, the PNG image leaves the stub off automatically.
How do I make the stub tear cleanly?
Fold along the dashed line, crease it with a fingernail or a ruler, and fold it the other way. Repeat once or twice and the stub tears off neatly. A rotary trimmer with a perforating blade makes a true perforation.
What should I do with the stubs?
Keep them in number order in one place, such as an envelope or small box at the counter. Write the redemption date on the stub when the certificate is used, and keep finished batches with your records for the year.
More templates and guides
Last updated · Written by the Rooh Sites team. General information, not legal or tax advice.