What is a gift card?¶

A gift card is prepaid value issued for spending with a particular retailer, platform, group of merchants or payment network.

Avoid the dangerous assumption¶

The dangerous assumption is that the physical card, email or code identifies the purchaser, owner or user.

A gift card may be physical or digital.

It may hold a fixed amount, be reloadable or operate through an account.

Use may require a card number, barcode, QR code, PIN, claim code or online account.

Relevant records may include purchase location, payment method, activation time, value, card or code identifier, balance history, redemptions, account linkage and delivery information.

The person who bought the gift card may give, sell or transfer it to someone else.

A code may be photographed, copied, intercepted or shared without the physical card changing hands.

Possession of the card or code therefore does not prove purchase or exclusive control.

Preserve the complete identifier, packaging, receipt, email, message and any associated account details.

Do not reveal or redeem unused value unnecessarily during examination.

Ask the issuer or retailer for purchase, activation, balance, redemption, account and device records.

Compare the gift-card history with bank or card payments, merchant records, communications and delivery or collection evidence.

A zero balance does not make the card irrelevant. The redemption history may still show where and when the value was used.

When reporting, distinguish purchase, activation, possession, transfer and redemption.

Operational takeaway¶

Treat a gift card as transferable prepaid value and trace its purchase, activation, movement and redemption separately before attributing ownership or use.