What Syncube does

Syncube, operating commercially as Gift Card Hero, is a bootstrapped software company headquartered in Paphos, Cyprus, that builds a Shopify-native platform for digital and physical gift cards, store credit wallets, loyalty programs, and multistore gift card networks. The product, sold exclusively through the Shopify App Store, integrates directly with Shopify Checkout, Shopify POS, Shopify Flow, and Shopify's Customer Account API, and exposes a REST API, webhooks, and headless storefront support for developers. A separate progressive web app extends gift card balance, redemption, and activation operations to non-Shopify POS systems including Square, Clover, and Lightspeed. Feature breadth covers custom card designs, scheduled delivery, bulk CSV operations, Apple Wallet pass generation, configurable store credit expirations, and a points-based loyalty engine with VIP tiers and automated reward triggers.

The company monetizes via tiered monthly subscriptions billed through Shopify: a free tier, Pro at $19.99/month, and Shopify Plus at $39.99/month, with custom enterprise quotes available on request. Go-to-market is product-led, relying on self-serve installation from the Shopify App Store supplemented by Calendly demos and contact-sales CTAs for larger merchants. The platform reports 11,000+ active Shopify merchants, $48M+ in cumulative gift card value processed, 5M+ gift cards sold, a 4.9/5 Shopify App Store rating, and a customer roster that includes Patagonia, Porsche, Dr. Martens, Guess, Birkenstock, DraftKings, and Newcastle United. Syncube was founded in its current form in 2020 after the team shut down an earlier Magento-focused business, expanded into store credit, loyalty, and Apple Wallet by 2022, and has operated without outside funding while maintaining profitability.

Name

Syncube

Legal name

Syncube

Website

https://syncu.be

Company type

Private

Founded year

2020

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Syncube, operating as Gift Card Hero, is a bootstrapped Shopify-native platform providing gift card, store credit, loyalty, and multistore card network solutions to 11,000+ Shopify merchants, ranging from SMBs to enterprise brands like Patagonia and Porsche.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Shopify Gift Card and Loyalty Software

NAICS

Gift, Novelty, and Souvenir Retailers (45942)

SIC

Retail-Miscellaneous Shopping Goods Stores (5940)

akta.pro primary industry

Closed-Loop Gift Cards (Single-Merchant) (FSAMANAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Private-Label & Store Card Schemes (FSAMAAAE), Rewards & Loyalty Credit Cards (FSAKABAH), Multi-Merchant / Shopping Mall Gift Cards (FSAMANAC)

Keywords

• Gift card software
• Store credit platform
• Loyalty rewards platform
• Shopify app
• Retention marketing

Headquarters

HQ city

Paphos

HQ country

Cyprus

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Operations

Revenue model

1. Subscription Plans: Monthly or annual subscription tiers (Free, Pro, Shopify Plus) billed through Shopify's billing system. Plans differ by number of gift cards issued per month and access to advanced features. Multistore sync included in Pro ($19.99/mo) and Plus ($39.99/mo) plans.
2. Enterprise Custom Pricing: Enterprise-level custom quotes for high-volume merchants requiring dedicated support or custom feature requirements.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Syncube sells Gift Card Hero, a Shopify-native app that lets merchants issue and manage digital gift cards, store credit, customer loyalty programs, and cross-store gift card balances from a single dashboard. The platform also exposes a REST API and a multistore network that allows gift cards issued in one Shopify store to be redeemed across other participating stores. Pricing is freemium with paid Pro and Plus tiers per location, plus custom enterprise pricing for large merchants.

Product overview

Gift Card Hero is a complete gift card, store credit, and loyalty platform for Shopify merchants. The unified product portfolio consists of a core Gift Card Hero app (for creating, selling, and managing digital and physical gift cards), supported by three integrated modules: Store Credit (for converting refunds into reusable store credit wallets with Apple Wallet support), Loyalty Engine (for points-based loyalty programs with VIP tiers and automated rewards), and Multistore Network (for cross-store gift card redemption with shared balances). The platform also offers developer-facing capabilities including a REST API, webhooks, Shopify Flow integration, and headless storefront support for custom frontends. Key features include custom card designs, bulk CSV operations, multi-language support (25+ languages), balance check widgets, automated reminder emails, physical card inventory management, and native Shopify POS and Customer Account portal extensions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Gift Card Hero Gift Card Hero is Syncube's flagship Shopify app that lets merchants create, sell, and manage digital gift cards directly from Shopify. It supports multiple designs, scheduled delivery, Apple/Google Wallet passes, and integrates natively with Shopify checkout, customer accounts, and order flows. The product is targeted at Shopify merchants of all sizes from SMB to Shopify Plus.
• Store Credit Store Credit is a module within the Gift Card Hero platform that lets merchants issue digital store credit for refunds, returns, exchanges, and customer service gestures. It supports scheduled credits, manual credits, and automated rules, and is aimed at Shopify merchants that want to retain revenue through credit rather than cash refunds.
• Loyalty Engine Loyalty Engine is Syncube's loyalty and rewards module, currently in early access, that lets Shopify merchants launch points-based programs, VIP tiers, and gamified rewards. It is targeted at growth-stage Shopify merchants looking to increase repeat purchase rate and customer lifetime value.
• Multistore Network Multistore Network is a Shopify-native gifting network that keeps gift card balances relative across participating stores, so a card issued in one Shopify store can be redeemed at any other participating store. Stores in the network earn SyncCoins for every cross-store redemption, providing a customer acquisition channel.
• Gift Card REST API The Gift Card REST API is a developer-facing interface that lets merchants and partners programmatically issue, redeem, and manage gift cards and store credit from outside the Shopify admin. It targets agencies, enterprise integrators, and headless Shopify storefronts that need to integrate gift card and credit flows into custom applications.

Quantifiable outcome

• Merchants using store credit refunds retain 30% more customers
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers30 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

Yes

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration11 records

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• ShopifycoreTechnology or IntegrationCore platform partnership. Gift Card Hero is exclusively built for Shopify merchants, integrating natively with Shopify Checkout, Shopify POS, Shopify Flow, and the Shopify API. The app is distributed through the Shopify App Store and billed through Shopify's billing system.
• Shopify FlowcoreTechnology or IntegrationNative integration with Shopify Flow for workflow automation. Gift Card Hero registers triggers (card created, redeemed, reloaded, expired) and actions (create gift cards, adjust balances, send notifications) directly with Shopify Flow.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Yotpo: Yotpo is a broader commerce marketing platform with a Shopify loyalty and reviews product. It overlaps with Syncube's Loyalty Engine but operates at a larger, more diversified scale across email, SMS, reviews, and retention.
• Bold Commerce: Bold Commerce builds checkout, subscriptions, and gift card functionality for Shopify and other platforms. Its gift card and checkout customization offerings overlap with Syncube's core product, but at a broader, enterprise platform level.
• Shopify: Shopify itself ships native gift card functionality in its core platform and controls the App Store, billing, and Flow integrations on which Syncube depends. As the platform incumbent, Shopify is the most consequential competitive force — both as a channel partner and potential feature competitor.
• Stamped.io: Stamped.io offers Shopify loyalty, reviews, and referrals as part of a broader merchant marketing stack. It competes with Syncube's Loyalty Engine and is positioned as a multi-product retention suite rather than a Shopify-only specialist.

Others

• Klaviyo: Klaviyo is a core Shopify email/SMS marketing platform that Syncube already integrates with. It is an adjacent ecosystem peer rather than a direct competitor, but Klaviyo's potential expansion into loyalty/rewards would encroach on Syncube's roadmap.
• Recharge: Recharge is a leading Shopify subscription management platform that Syncube integrates with for recurring billing. It is a complementary commerce-stack peer rather than a direct gift card competitor.

Direct peers

• LoyaltyLion: LoyaltyLion is a Shopify-focused loyalty and retention platform with points-based programs and integrations. It is a direct competitor to Syncube's Loyalty Engine, particularly for mid-market and enterprise Shopify Plus merchants.
• Smile.io: Smile.io is a leading Shopify loyalty program app (points, referrals, VIP tiers) — directly competing with Syncube's Loyalty Engine module for Shopify merchant mindshare and reviews.
• Rise.ai: Rise.ai is a Shopify-native gift card, store credit, and loyalty platform with very similar positioning to Gift Card Hero. Both apps enable merchants to issue branded gift cards and operate retention programs directly inside Shopify, competing head-to-head for the same Shopify app store listings.
• Gift Up!: Gift Up! is a long-standing Shopify gift card app offering digital and physical gift cards for Shopify merchants. It overlaps directly with Gift Card Hero's core gift card sales, POS integration, and balance reload functionality.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/syncube
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/syncube

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Syncube