Cadeau

Overview

Cadeau is a digital gift card service for independent Canadian businesses that want to sell cards through their own websites. It suits restaurants, retailers and local service businesses looking for branded online sales without a monthly subscription. Its main trade-off is a 3% fee on every transaction.

Key features

A single script tag adds the gift card store to an existing website, including sites built with WordPress, Shopify, Angular or static HTML. That is useful for merchants who already have a web presence and want to add gift cards without a developer; Cadeau says setup can take under 10 minutes. Merchants can tailor logos, colors, fonts and card designs to match their brand.

Payments run through Stripe Connect, with payouts going directly to the merchant’s bank account. Recipients can save cards as Apple Wallet or Google Wallet passes, with balances that update in real time. Email and scheduled delivery are included, and the dashboard tracks sales, redemptions and revenue. Multi-location support helps businesses selling across locations, though Cadeau has no POS integration for merchants who need gift cards connected to in-store checkout systems.

The service supports French and English. Cadeau says personal data is stored and processed in Canadian data centres, while Twilio processes phone numbers in the United States for SMS delivery and OTP verification. Its privacy policy says data in transit uses TLS 1.2 or higher, sensitive data at rest uses AES-256, and Cadeau maintains SAQ-A PCI DSS compliance while Stripe handles card data. The FAQ says customers can contact support and will receive a response as soon as possible.

Pricing

Pay As You Go costs nothing, with no monthly fee and a 3% transaction charge. It includes unlimited gift cards and designs, the branded embed widget, Apple and Google Wallet passes, email and scheduled delivery, analytics, multi-location support and priority support. The absence of a fixed subscription suits businesses with uneven or modest gift card sales; the transaction fee still scales with sales, so merchants should account for it in their margins.

There is no free trial, but the free plan has no stated gift card or design cap. It is a leaner cost structure rather than a reduced feature tier: the plan includes the core sales, delivery, reporting and multi-location tools. Merchants needing point-of-sale integration should look elsewhere.

Platforms

Cadeau is available on Android, iOS and the web. Its online gift card store embeds into a merchant’s website; sales are digital and online rather than through a POS integration.

Who it's for

Cadeau is aimed at Canadian independent businesses such as restaurants, cafes, retailers, spas, salons, bakeries and local shops. It is strongest for businesses that already have a website, want branded digital gift cards and value wallet passes, bilingual service or support for multiple locations. It is less suitable for a merchant whose gift card workflow must be tied to a point-of-sale system.

Pros and cons

• Pros: No monthly fee keeps fixed costs down, and the plan includes unlimited gift cards and designs.
• Pros: Wallet passes with real-time balances, scheduled delivery and sales reporting cover the main online gift card workflow.
• Pros: French and English support, multi-location capability and Canadian data hosting suit the stated Canadian business audience.
• Cons: The 3% transaction charge reduces the proceeds from every sale.
• Cons: No POS integration rules it out for merchants who need gift cards connected to in-store checkout.
• Cons: Twilio processes phone numbers in the United States for SMS and OTP, despite Cadeau’s Canadian data hosting.

Alternatives

For a broader shortlist, browse Restaurant Gift Card Software.

Choose Clover Online Ordering if takeout, curbside pickup or dine-in ordering matters more than a dedicated gift card store: it has no setup or subscription fees for those ordering channels, though delivery fees may apply.

Lunchbox is another option for restaurant ordering, with free plans for 1–2 locations and a Lunchbox SMB plan described as having no sign-up or commission fees.

Consider GiftFly for gift card sales without monthly charges or upfront costs; it includes 5,000 promotional emails a month, with online Stripe processing at 2.90% + $0.30 per card transaction.

Gift Up! offers a pay-as-you-go option with no monthly or setup fee, but charges 3.49% per gift card sold and a $0.50 minimum fee per card.

Hang is another paid option for businesses comparing gift card software.

Lightspeed Restaurant is a better direction for businesses seeking a broader restaurant POS: its Starter plan is $69 a month and includes a customizable POS, menu manager, floor plans, advanced insights, offline mode and 24/7 support.

Redcat Gift Card Sales is another paid gift card sales option.

SpotOn Gift Cards may suit merchants wanting a free web-based gift card offering, with custom card design, e-gift cards, QR balance checks and simple reporting in its Access to gift cards plan.

Verdict

Cadeau is a strong fit for Canadian independent businesses that want branded online gift cards, wallet passes and sales reporting without taking on a monthly subscription. Choose it for its broad included feature set and multi-location support; look elsewhere if POS integration is essential or a 3% transaction fee would erode your margins.