---
title: "Send a Reward to a Friend: Turn Redemption Into Acquisition"
slug: "send-a-reward-to-a-friend"
url: "https://joy.so/updates/send-a-reward-to-a-friend/"
kind: "update"
author: "Thomas Nguyen"
author_url: "https://joy.so/author/thomas/"
published_at: "2026-07-23T03:54:33.000+00:00"
updated_at: "2026-10-08T08:57:59.000+00:00"
description: "Redemption doesn't have to be the finish line. See how sending a reward to a friend turns your happiest customers into your next acquisition channel."
category: "Product Updates"
tags: ["Product Updates"]
reading_time: 2
feature_image: "https://cdn-web.joy.so/cdn/image/2026/09/Send-a-Reward-to-a-Friend_-Turn-Redemption-Into-Acquisition-6e0aa6.png"
---

# Send a Reward to a Friend: Turn Redemption Into Acquisition

## Why this matters

Turn a redemption into an introduction. With [Send a reward to a friend](https://help.joy.so/reward-programs/redeeming-programs/send-a-reward-to-a-friend/), a customer who redeems a free gift or gift card can pass it to someone else by email.

### Reach new customers through a friend's gift

The friend finds the reward in the From friends section of My Rewards, even if they were never a loyalty member. They arrive with value to spend on a first order.

### Deliver gift cards that work at checkout

Joy sends a native Shopify gift card the recipient can use at your checkout right away, with no second coupon to activate. The sender can schedule the send date to match a birthday.

### Run the email through your own stack

Joy sends the gift email in-app with no setup, or fires a Shopify Flow trigger or a Klaviyo event so you build the email there. The in-app template is editable and comes with a live preview.

> **Try this**
> Turn on Send to Friend for one Gift card program. Then watch how many gifts get sent and how many recipients place a first order.

---

## How to access and use

### Step 1: Open your program

In Joy, go to **Reward programs → Redeeming programs** and open your **Free gift** or **Gift card** program.

### Step 2: Turn on Send to Friend

In the program settings, find the **Send to Friend** card and turn it on.

### Step 3: Choose an automation method

Pick **Joy in-app notification** (recommended), **Shopify Flow trigger** or **Klaviyo trigger**.

### Step 4: Customize the email

For the in-app method, edit the **Send gift to friend** template under **Notifications → Reward program** and send yourself a test.

## Setup guides

[Send a reward to a friend](https://help.joy.so/reward-programs/redeeming-programs/send-a-reward-to-a-friend/)

## Good to know

Available on the Essential, Advanced and Ultimate plans. Discount and free shipping rewards cannot be sent, and the Send to a friend button does not appear at checkout.

## Frequently asked questions

### Can a customer send a reward to their own email?

No. Sending a reward to your own email is blocked, so the feature cannot be used to double up on a reward.

### What happens to sent gifts if I turn the feature off?

They stay valid. Turning it off only hides the Send to a friend button for new redemptions.

### What if a gifted coupon expires before the friend uses it?

It is not refunded automatically. You decide whether to reissue it from the customer's profile.