How gift cards work
The balance, status, expiry and history that every gift card has.
Every card has an original value, a balance, a status, an expiry date (or none) and a history of everything that happened to it. That model explains most of GiftCard Manager.
Card statuses
| Status | What it means |
|---|---|
| Active | Can be used. Its balance can be redeemed until it reaches zero. |
| Inactive | Created but not switched on yet, usually because the order is waiting for payment. It can't be used until it is activated. |
| Blocked | Frozen, for example when a card is lost or disputed. Refused everywhere until it is unblocked. |
| Expired | Past its expiry date. Whatever was left on it can no longer be spent. |
| Deleted | Removed. It does not count anywhere. |
Tips
- The balance only ever changes through a transaction: Purchase, Activation, Redeem, Refund, Adjustment, Expiration, Top up, Block or Unblock. Every one of them is listed on the card.
- A card whose balance reaches zero stays Active. It is spent, not gone.
- Whether new cards expire, and after how long, is set under Settings. Cards that never expire simply have no expiry date.