# Sending Customer Notifications

### 🛍️ **Shopify Email**

The standard Shopify gift card email is sent. This is the same email customers receive when purchasing a gift card through your store.\
You can edit the content in **Shopify Admin → Settings → Notifications → Customer Notifications → Gift card receipt / New gift card**.\
✅ *Best for stores that want a simple, no-setup delivery option.*\
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**How it works:**

* Uses Shopify's default gift card notification email
* Sent directly from Shopify, not the app
* Uses your Shopify email settings

**When to use:**

* You want to use Shopify's native email system
* You've already customized Shopify's gift card email template
* You want consistent branding with other Shopify emails

**Setup:** You can customize the email template in Shopify Admin: Settings → Notifications → Customer notifications → Gift card created

**Note:** This uses Shopify's generic gift card email, not a birthday-specific template.

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### 📧 **App Email**

Gift cards are sent using the app’s built-in email templates. All templates are customizable via the app settings (**Email → Templates**).\
You can create your own templates using our powerful content editor with dynamic variables.\
📌 [Learn more about the templating engine and variables.](https://docs.giftcardfactory.app/misc/app-emails)\
✅ *Ideal for merchants who want custom-designed gift card emails with flexible formatting.*\
⚠️ *Requires more setup than Shopify Email.*

**How it works:**

* Gift Card Factory sends the email using the built-in birthday-gift-cards.html template
* Fully managed, no additional setup required
* Includes a beautifully designed birthday email with gift card

**When to use:**

* You want a quick, simple setup
* You're satisfied with the default birthday email design
* You don't have other email marketing tools

**What's included in the email:**

* "Happy Birthday \[Customer Name]" greeting
* Your custom gift card message
* Gift card value prominently displayed
* Gift card image
* Gift card code (formatted for easy copying)
* "Visit online store" button
* Expiration date (if applicable)
* Store contact information

**Template Selection:** Once you select App Email, choose your template

* **Default email templates** (default) - Pre-designed emails, depending on campaign
* **Custom templates** - Any custom templates you've created

**Preview Your Email:** Click the "Preview" link next to the template selector to see exactly what customers will receive.

**Email Sending Options:**

1. **Default App Domain** (<mail@giftcardfactory.app>)
   * Ready to use immediately
   * No setup required
   * May have lower deliverability than custom domains
2. **Custom Domain** (Recommended)
   * Emails sent from your own domain (e.g., <hello@yourstorename.com>)
   * Better deliverability and trust
   * Requires DNS configuration
   * [Learn how to set up custom domain](https://docs.giftcardfactory.app/misc/app-emails/sending-domain)
3. **API Keys** (SendGrid, Postmark, etc.)
   * Use your own email service provider
   * Best deliverability
   * Requires API configuration
   * Full control over email infrastructure

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### 📬 **Klaviyo**&#x20;

When this option is selected, our app sends a **metric event** to Klaviyo. You can then configure a **flow** in Klaviyo to send a custom email in response.\
To use this option, you must connect your Klaviyo account by providing your **Public API key** in the app settings.\
📌 [Learn more about Klaviyo integration.](https://docs.giftcardfactory.app/integrations/klaviyo)\
✅ *Great for advanced email marketers using Klaviyo workflows.*\
⚠️ *Requires setup both in the app and in Klaviyo.*

**How it works:**

* App sends a metric to Klaviyo
* You create a Flow in Klaviyo that responds to the metric
* Full control over email design and timing in Klaviyo

**When to use:**

* You already use Klaviyo for email marketing
* You want advanced email personalization
* You want to include birthday emails in your Klaviyo analytics

**Requirements:**

* Active Klaviyo account
* Klaviyo integration enabled in Gift Card Factory
* Flow configured to respond to "Birthday Gift Card Created" metric

**Setup Steps:**

1. Connect Klaviyo in Gift Card Factory settings
2. Create a Flow in Klaviyo triggered by the metric
3. Design your email in Klaviyo
4. [See detailed Klaviyo setup guide](https://docs.giftcardfactory.app/integrations/klaviyo/klaviyo-flows)

***

### 🔄 Shopify Flow&#x20;

The app sends a **trigger event** to Shopify Flow. You can use this to build custom workflows—like sending emails or performing actions across apps or services.\
📌 [Learn more about our Shopify Flow integration.](#shopify-flow)\
✅ *Best for stores that want full control over automation, logic, and third-party integrations.*\
⚠️ *Requires setting up flows in Shopify Flow.*\
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**How it works:**

* App sends a trigger to Shopify Flow
* You create a workflow in Shopify Flow to handle the email
* Most flexible option, can integrate with any email platform

**When to use:**

* You want to use a different email platform not listed
* You want to add additional workflow logic
* You need to send to multiple platforms
* You want to trigger other actions beyond email

**Requirements:**

* Shopify Plus plan (Flow is a Plus feature)
* Shopify Flow app installed
* Flow configured to respond to Gift Card Factory triggers

**Setup Steps:**

1. Create a new Flow in Shopify Flow
2. Use Gift Card Factory trigger
3. Add actions (send email, update customer tags, etc.)
4. [See Shopify Flow trigger documentation](https://docs.giftcardfactory.app/integrations/shopify-flow/triggers)

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**🧾 Setup Complexity Summary**

| Method            | Description                                   | Setup Complexity | Customization | Integration Required |
| ----------------- | --------------------------------------------- | ---------------- | ------------- | -------------------- |
| **Shopify Email** | Sends default Shopify gift card email         | 🟢 Easy          | 🔴 Limited    | ❌ No                 |
| **App Email**     | Sends gift card via customizable app template | 🟡 Medium        | 🟢 High       | ❌ No                 |
| **Klaviyo**       | Triggers a Klaviyo metric for email flows     | 🔴 Advanced      | 🟢 High       | ✅ Yes (Klaviyo)      |
| **Shopify Flow**  | Sends a trigger to build custom logic         | 🔴 Advanced      | 🟢 High       | ✅ Yes (Shopify Flow) |