Gift cards continue to rank as one of the most popular gift choices for all occasions. Nearly 60% of consumers report having received a gift card in the past year. Gift cards offer the recipient the flexibility to select their books, toys, home goods, or other items from their favourite retailers like Indigo.
However, despite their widespread use, gift cards are still vulnerable to a variety of technical issues and glitches. Like any electronic payment method, problems can arise that prevent the recipient from redeeming their gift card balance. Understanding the most common gift card errors and troubleshooting tactics can help consumers quickly resolve any gift card issues.
The Causes and Effects of Common Gift Card Problems
Gift card issues typically fall within a few major categories:
- Activation failures – The gift card does not register correctly at purchase or first use. This prevents access to the pre-loaded balance.
- Balance errors – The gift card balance appears incorrect, such as deducting transactions without actually spending funds. This results in less available balance than expected.
- Fraudulent use – Unauthorized transactions show in the gift card activity without the cardholder making purchases.
- Expired cards – The gift card is not accepted after the printed expiration date, usually 1 year from purchase. This renders any remaining funds inaccessible.
- Redemption issues – Problems using the gift card to make purchases either in-store or online. This prevents spending the balance.
- Physical defects – Damage, scratches or errors that render the physical gift card unreadable by scanning devices.
Each of these common gift card problems shares the same result of preventing the recipient from successfully redeeming their thoughtful gift. The balance becomes trapped in a non-functioning payment method. Without taking steps to diagnose and troubleshoot the specific issue, the cardholder risks permanently losing the gift card’s prepaid value.
Gift card problems also negatively impact retailers like Indigo. Technical issues and customer confusion over resolving gift card glitches can harm the brand’s reputation and trust. Retailers further miss out on revenue from unredeemed card balances. By taking proactive measures to identify and tackle the root causes of gift card malfunctions, retailers can deliver better customer experiences and recapture lost sales.
Actionable Troubleshooting Strategies for Common Scenarios
While the reasons for gift card issues vary, there are practical troubleshooting strategies consumers can take themselves to quickly diagnose and resolve many problems:
Gift Card Not Activating
The most fundamental gift card problem is when a newly purchased or gifted card fails to activate during the initial registration process. Customers may encounter error messages when attempting to register online or in person. Typically, this means the card number is not being successfully recognized in the retailer’s system.
To troubleshoot, first double-check that the full gift card number, PIN code, and other information are correctly entered. Minor typos can prevent activation. Trying the activation process again in a different way, such as moving from online to in-person, may bypass any system glitches. As a last resort, customer service can manually activate any valid gift card codes.
Balance Not Updating After Purchase
A gift card holder tries to redeem their card for a purchase but the transaction history and remaining balance fail to update to reflect the debit. The card still shows the full pre-purchase balance even after successfully using a portion at the register.
Before assuming the card has glitched, first, allow up to 24 hours for the latest balance to sync across finance systems. Transactions initiated at the store level can take a short delay before reaching the gift card network. Also double double-check the paper receipt to confirm the gift card was used and deducted as expected from the payment. If the transaction still fails to post after these checks, customer service can investigate missing funds or recent purchase activity.
Expired Gift Cards
After the printed expiration date passes, usually 1 year from the original activation, a gift card is typically declined for any new transactions. Attempts to reload or spend the remaining balance fail. However, expiration policies vary by retailer and some may allow a one-time extension or partial balance recovery after expiration.
Start by checking the original gift card packaging or terms and conditions to confirm the documented expiration policy. Then contact customer service and politely request a one-time courtesy extension to allow redeeming the remaining dollars. Highlighting the intended recipient did not have a chance to fully redeem their thoughtful gift before expiration can appeal to customer loyalty teams. For retailers with strict expiration rules, quickly spend any balance before the end date.
Fraudulent Activity on Gift Card
One morning, a gift card holder logs into their account history and notices multiple strange purchases they never made. An unknown fraudster has somehow accessed and begun remotely spending funds on the account.
To protect the remaining value, the customer should immediately report the unauthorized transactions to the retailer’s fraud team. Provide detailed information on the suspicious activity to aid fraud investigations. Depending on policies and investigation outcomes, customers may qualify for a refund on stolen gift card funds and a replacement card with a new number to prevent further fraud. Adding extra password protection or registering the card to a specific name can also strengthen security.
Gift Card Not Working Online
A recipient excitedly tries to redeem their new gift card but runs into problems when purchasing online. While the card works normally at in-store checkouts, online transactions consistently fail or get rejected during checkout.
A mismatch between the billing address and gift card account can be one simple culprit. Ensure the website checkout matches the card’s registered zip code and street number to align with fraud filters. For prepaid gift cards without a registered address, try entering the zip code for the retailer’s headquarters. Temporarily disabling enhanced verification at checkout or placing orders over the phone for manual gift card entry can also bypass triggers of fraud blocks. As a last option, customer service can add online permissions if missing.
Physical Gift Card Defects
Instead of smoothly scanning at checkout, a gift card repeatedly generates error messages and fails to process. Upon closer inspection, scratches are interfering with the barcode or numbers. Alternatively, the card may have errors like duplicates or missing digits from a production defect.
If the cardholder still has the receipt, immediately exchange the defective card for a new properly functioning one at the original place of purchase. For damaged cards or normal wear and tear, customer service can still help recover the data and transfer the balance to a replacement plastic card sent in the mail. As a temporary workaround, manually entering a damaged card’s number in-store may still allow purchases while waiting for a newly issued card.
Missing Funds from Gift Card Balance
A gift cardholder attempts to redeem their card but discovers the balance is suddenly $0 even though they didn’t make any purchases. Or the balance reflects less than the original loaded amount without any transaction history to explain where the missing funds went.
Verifying the correct initial balance and then monitoring deductions from the transaction history can help identify any unexplained discrepancies. Since balances update slowly, give up to 24 hours for pending transactions to finalize before reporting missing amounts. Customer service agents can research account activity details and trace missing dollars that may have been accidentally deducted or transferred elsewhere. If unauthorized deductions occur, request immediate refunds.
Receiving Incorrect Balance When Purchasing
A customer buys a gift card with a set amount loaded at the register. But later when the recipient checks the balance, the available funds show significantly less than the specified pre-loaded amount printed on the gift card packaging.
First carefully check the original paper receipt for the correct purchased amount to identify any discrepancy with the loaded funds. Return to the store of purchase and calmly explain the issue to the associate. They can confirm in their systems if the correct initial balance was charged and activated. If the backend logs reflect an error, customer service can swiftly reload the card to match the intended purchase amount. Always hold on to gift card receipts as proof if funds are missing.
Being Charged Fees on Gift Cards
A long-time gift card holder suddenly notices $3 monthly service fees deducted from the balance despite no mention of such fees at purchase. Or dormancy fees start applying when the card goes unused for an extended period.
Start by thoroughly checking the original terms and conditions for any disclosures about service, maintenance or dormancy fees that may legitimately apply. If the deductions seem unfair or predatory, contact customer service and politely but firmly request refunds of all fees debited. To prevent future fees, set calendar reminders to use gift card funds at least once per quarter.
Receiving Invalid or Used Gift Card
Shortly after purchasing a gift card, the recipient tries to confirm the balance only to find the card already shows a $0 value. Someone has activated and drained the dollars before the intended recipient had a chance.
Always check the gift card status immediately before leaving the store. Look for signs of prior activation and tampering. Return the card immediately and exchange it for a new unused one with a verified balance from that location. To prevent reoccurring issues of getting already spent cards, inspect packaging seals carefully and purchase cards directly from secure retailer locations rather than third-party resellers.
Buying Gift Card with Wrong Preset Amount
When reviewing the receipt, a gift card purchaser notices they were charged for a $100 card, but the physical gift card enclosed in the packaging states a face value of only $50. The stored value loaded does not match what was paid.
If catching the activation error immediately, return to the store and exchange the incorrectly loaded card for a new one with the correct denomination. Provide the receipt showing the intended $100 purchase for reference. If the card is already in the recipient’s possession, customer service can refund the overpayment and reload the additional $50 to match expectations set during purchase.
Overcharged When Buying Gift Card
At the checkout register, a gift card displays a $25 face value. But on the receipt, the customer is charged $30 with no explanation for the pricing discrepancy.
During purchase, always confirm the charged amount matches the displayed gift card value on the packaging before finalizing the transaction. If overcharged, request a refund of the difference immediately from the store associate. Explain the gift card itself does not indicate any fees or upcharges applied on top of the face value. Escalate to store management if needed until only paying the displayed pre-loaded dollar amount.
Gift Card Only Partially Redeemed
After successfully using a $100 gift card for a $75 online order, the recipient expects to see a remaining $25 balance when checking the card status later. But the full $100 value still appears instead of deducting the recent transaction.
Log into the associated online gift card account, if available, to view up-to-date transaction histories and current balances. If the redeemed amount still does not show, try making another small dollar purchase with the card to force a balance update. Or request customer service consolidate any residual amounts from partially spent cards into a single gift card with full value that can be easily redeemed in its entirety.
Store Refuses to Accept Gift Card
An Indigo gift card holder tries to pay at the checkout register but the cashier claims the card cannot be accepted at that location. Meanwhile, the same card works at other nearby Indigo stores.
Company policy states physical Indigo gift cards should be redeemable across all nationwide store locations unless competitor gift cards were erroneously labelled as Indigo. Confirm directly with customer service that the specific card identification number is valid and enabled for use chainwide. Request they contact the non-accepting store on the spot to reiterate and enforce redemption policies.
Error Applying Gift Card to Purchase
At the checkout counter, a gift cardholder informs the cashier they would like to redeem their balance on the purchase. But each attempt to process the card declines with a vague error message. The card has sufficient funds but will not be deducted correctly.
First, ask the cashier to manually enter the gift card number rather than swiping where possible to bypass any machine reading issues. If that fails, request a different associate to try processing the card again to rule out system errors on that specific register. As a last option, suspend the transaction and immediately contact customer service to troubleshoot and resolve the redemption failure while at the counter.
Reporting Lost or Stolen Gift Cards
Leaving a physical gift card behind after paying or having a stored card number stolen can lead to fraudulent use of funds. After discovering a missing card, customers should immediately call to report it lost or stolen. Provide any available details about the timing and last known use. Customer service can quickly deactivate the card number and prevent additional unauthorized transactions.
Depending on the circumstances, the gift card balance may qualify for a one-time refund after reporting unauthorized activity. Reach out to customer service and request a replacement gift card with a restored balance, which they can provide after investigating details on lost and stolen card cases. Be ready to answer security questions.
To limit lost card issues, register gift cards to a name and address or set up two-factor authentication for account logins. Also, avoid openly displaying full gift card numbers in photos or recordings. Report missing cards the same day whenever possible to minimize unauthorized use.
Lost Gift Card Number
Rather than fully misplacing a gift card, sometimes only the associated card number gets lost or smudged over time. The cardholder still physically possesses the original card, but cannot read the damaged number.
Bring the unreadable card to any store location for in-person assistance. Staff can often scan the damaged barcode to pull up the associated account details. Or provide the purchaser’s name and approximate date of purchase for customer service to look in the system. If registered online, try signing in to the account to recover the card number virtually through the profile.
Worst case if the number cannot be recovered, request a balance transfer to a new replacement card to maintain access to the funds. Treat any truly lost gift cards without recoverable numbers as lost or stolen and immediately report.
Navigating Customer Service for Gift Card Issues
For any gift card problems self-troubleshooting cannot resolve, customer service agents provide a vital lifeline. However long hold times, unhelpful agents, and incorrect advice can hinder the process of getting gift card issues permanently fixed.
When contacting customer service, opt for digital channels like live chat or email tickets during peak call volumes to avoid long hold queues. If waiting on hold is unavoidable, request callbacks when estimated wait times exceed 10-15 minutes. Multitask until an agent becomes available.
If connected with a less-than-helpful agent who does not fully resolve the issue, politely end the call and try again later to get someone new. Ask for a supervisor for gift card issues requiring high-level account access or refund approvals. Emphasize loyalty and years of patronage when elevation is needed.
Any time advice seems questionable or contradictory to published policies, double-check gift card terms independently online and follow up with confirmation emails. Having the error advice documented can keep customer service accountable if incorrect suggestions lead to problems.
By knowing which channels have the shortest response times, sidestepping uncooperative agents, and confirming vague instructions, customers give themselves the best chance of getting gift card issues permanently fixed through customer service contacts.
Proactive Prevention of Gift Card Problems
While diligent troubleshooting can alleviate most gift card headaches, customers can also take preventative measures to avoid the most common issues:
- Check gift card balances and expiration dates frequently, and set calendar reminders for upcoming expirations.
- Redeem gift cards soon after receiving them to identify any activation problems early.
- Save gift card receipts or gift messaging as purchase proof.
- Register cards to online accounts for easy balance tracking.
- Thoroughly read all gift card terms and conditions when purchasing.
- Buy directly from official retailers instead of third parties.
Following this advice allows customers to catch potential gift card problems in the first days and months before funds get stranded by technical glitches or expirations. Retailers should also emphasize these prevention tips during gift card sales and on packaging.
Offering Transparent and Reliable Support
With gift card use reaching record levels, customers need retailers like Indigo to provide transparent policies and reliable issue resolution when problems inevitably arise. By troubleshooting activation failures, investigating fraudulent activity, honouring rightful expired balances, and reissuing defective cards, retailers demonstrate commitment to the customer experience.
No product, including gift cards, works perfectly 100% of the time. But the hallmark of a trusted brand is making things right when technical glitches occur. With improved prevention education, convenient self-service tools, and compassionate human support, retailers can build gift card programs that keep customers loyalty for the long term.