What restaurants need to know about gift card fraud

A concern expressed by potential clients interested in learning more about our ecommerce software is fraud; especially when it comes to printed or plastic gift cards. It’s a valid concern, and one that we take very seriously at InstaGift. Accordingly, we have created some of the industry’s best virtual gift card validation tools to assure that merchants can instantly validate incoming printed, mobile and plastic gift cards.

• Barcode usage on printed and plastic gift cards: our system allows for each printed certificate or plastic gift card to have a unique barcode. The barcode can be scanned on a smartphone for instant validation; using our Instagift Merchants App (available for iPhone and Android users).
• If a smartphone is not available, you can still validate printed or plastic gift cards online by accessing your Instagift merchant dashboard, within seconds.
• Consumer smartphone usage is on the rise. By accepting mobile vouchers, you can also validate directly on customers’ smartphones.

What happens if you do receive a duplicate redemption? We have found in very small instances this can occur, it’s usually an honest mistake (not fraud) and can easily be resolved with the customer.

If the validation is done on the spot — calmly address the issue with the customer. If you find a duplicate after the shift is over and are an Instagift merchant — contact us with the gift card code number. We’ll assist you with researching the issue and following up with the customer.

Fraud is no joke. We take it very seriously. Our industry-leading validation techniques have led to fraud levels at virtually 0%.

If you are a restaurant that would like to sell gift cards using our ecommerce software, contact sales@instagift.com.