Shopify Gift Card Apps Compared: Rise.ai vs Govalo vs Shopify Native
Shopify has offered free built-in gift cards since 2013. Most merchants who pay for a gift card app are paying for store credit functionality — the ability to issue and track credits that aren't tied to a specific gift card code. Here's when that matters and when it doesn't.
What Shopify's Free Gift Cards Cover
Shopify's native gift cards (available on all plans, including Basic) let you: sell digital and physical gift cards, set custom denominations, issue gift cards manually to customers, send gift card codes via email, and track balances. The gift card product appears in your store like a regular product, with its own page and checkout flow.
What native gift cards don't do: they can't issue store credit to a customer account (not tied to a code), they can't automatically give credit for returns/referrals/loyalty milestones, and they don't support expiry dates or usage restrictions. If you need these, a third-party app is required.
Pricing Comparison
| Option | Free Tier | Entry Paid | Key Add-On |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shopify Native | Yes — all plans | N/A | Code-based gift cards only |
| Rise.ai | Starter (basic) | $19.99/mo (Growth) | Store credit + cashback programs |
| Govalo | Limited free | $99/mo (Standard) | Premium gifting UX + subscriptions |
Prices as of May 2026. Rise.ai is priced by gift card revenue volume on paid tiers. Govalo is the most expensive but has the best gifting experience design.
Rise.ai
Rise.ai is the most feature-complete gift card and store credit platform for Shopify. Its differentiator over Shopify native: store credit that lives on a customer's account rather than a code. This enables use cases Shopify native can't support — automatic credit for returns (instead of issuing a refund, issue store credit), referral rewards paid as credit, cashback programs (earn 5% credit on every order), and loyalty milestone rewards.
The Growth plan ($19.99/mo) is affordable for what it provides. The Scale plan pricing is usage-based — it scales with gift card revenue processed, which can make it more expensive for high-volume gift card sellers during peak seasons.
Common use case: stores that process a lot of returns and want to offer store credit as an alternative to cash refunds. Store credit reduces cash outflow from returns, increases average order value on the next purchase (customers spend the credit plus a bit more), and retains the customer relationship. Rise.ai is the cleanest tool for this workflow.
Best for
- • Returns-as-store-credit workflow
- • Cashback / loyalty credit programs
- • Referral rewards paid as store credit
- • High gift card volume (gifting-forward brands)
Not ideal for
- • Stores only selling gift cards (native covers it)
- • Very low gift card volume (ROI thin at $19.99/mo)
- • Stores with no returns or loyalty use case
Govalo
Govalo targets brands where the gifting experience itself is a premium product feature. Rather than a simple email with a code, Govalo supports beautifully designed digital gift card delivery with personalised video messages, scheduled delivery, and recipient wish lists. For brands where gifting represents a significant revenue channel (jewellery, premium apparel, home goods), the UX quality can meaningfully increase gift card sales.
At $99/mo Standard, Govalo is the most expensive option in this category. The premium is for the gifting UX, not for store credit functionality — Rise.ai does store credit better and cheaper. Govalo is the right choice when: gift cards are a significant revenue line, the recipient experience matters to your brand, and you can attribute $99+/mo in incremental gift card sales to the improved UX.
For most stores, $99/mo is difficult to justify for gift card improvements alone. Govalo makes sense for premium gift-forward brands; for general Shopify stores, Rise.ai or native gift cards are more appropriate.
Which Option Should You Use?
Paying for a Gift Card App When Shopify's Free Version Would Do?
AppTrim scans your Shopify billing history and surfaces gift card app subscriptions where the paid features aren't being used — stores paying for Rise.ai but only using it for basic code-based gift cards, or Govalo plans with no personalised gifts sent in 60+ days. Free scan, no credit card.
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