Gift Card

Check the Gift Card API reference here.

Load money onto a store gift card (prepaid debit card), which you or the gift card's recipient can then spend at participating merchants.

A gift card is a prepaid debit card with a monetary value that is loaded with funds for future use; these can be presented both in physical and digital forms.

With PPaaS you can now start offering gift card programmes to new categories of retailers, helping to generate new revenue streams and improve overall consumer engagement.

In addition to being able to make any payments, check the balance of a gift card or deactivate it, you can also benefit from a vast configuration of card functionalities that our clients can share with their customers through a payment device.

Prerequisites

• You have registered a developer account and completed the authorization part.

• Your payment device is enabled with a gift card service subscription.

For physical card activation via QR code, card information retrieval via QR code, and card redemption via QR code, there are extra steps to check and set up before you get started.

• The consumer must have a camera on the smartphone.

• The payment device must have a camera embedded in the device.

Functionalities in gift card service

Physical gift card and refund card activation

The physical card will be available at the merchant store provided by the selected gift card service provider. The card will have no information nor amount value in it yet. Therefore, to enable the customer to spend on a physical gift card, the merchant will require to activate it.

Card activation via physical card

Card activation via physical card - sequence diagram

Digital gift card and refund issuance (SMS, e-mail, and QR code)

The digital card will be generated in real-time after the merchant has selected the delivery option and the gift card amount. A phone number and/or email are required from the customer for distribution. A gift card service provider will send the gift card directly to the given phone number or email. If the customer wishes to send the gift card later, the service allows customers to send the gift card first to themselves and then forward it to the recipient later. 

Gift card issuance via e-mail or SMS

Gift card issuance via QR code

Gift card issuance - sequence diagram

Gift card information retrieval

This functionality allows the merchant to retrieve the information for specific cards in both physical and digital card formats. The customer can request the merchant to check the card balance and expiration date of the card before proceeding with card redemption.

Card information checking via QR code

Card information checking by entering the card number

Card information retrieval - sequence diagram

Closed loop gift card redemption

Currently, PPaaS offers the closed-loop gift card service which allows the cardholder to spend through the gift card at any store of a specific merchant.

Card redemption through QR code

Card redemption by entering the card number

Card redemption - sequence diagram

Gift card types

Gift card types are key in supporting reporting and analytical purposes for merchants and PPaaS clients; allowing them to track card issuance types.

There are two types of cards:

• a gift card

• a refund card

A gift card requires the consumer to purchase it and to pay for either a physical or digital card. However, for a refund card, the consumer does not have to make any additional payment to obtain it. A refund card is a form of refund offered by a merchant instead of a cash or credit/debit refund transaction from the original purchase transaction. In sum, the only difference between a gift card and a refund card is the requirement of additional payment at the time of card issuance.

Gift card activation via physical card

Refund card activation via physical card

Card delivery options

The gift card or a refund card is received by the customer after the payment and card issuance/activation has been completed. There are four types of card delivery options:

• Physical card

• SMS (digital card)

• E-mail (digital card)

• QR code (digital card)

These options will reflect on the terminal for a merchant to present to a customer to select from.

Configure gift card functionalities and delivery options

PPaaS clients can configure the settings of the gift card intended to be shared with their customers through a payment device.

The customization parameters of the gift card functionalities and delivery options focus on the user journey displayed on the payment device. The following table lists the configuration fields, all the fields are toggle fields that the client can decide to activate or deactivate as required.