Activate a gift card

When a new gift card is issued to a shopper, the shopper cannot immediately use the card. You need to activate the gift card before the shopper can use the card for payments. While activating the gift card, you can also load an initial balance.

Gift card activation is also a fraud protection tool. If the card is not active, the shopper cannot redeem it.

Requirements

Before you begin, take into account the following requirements, limitations, and preparations.

Make an activation request

To activate a gift card:

1. Determine the card entry method:

   • If you want to scan the card, do that first and use the obtained card details in your request.
   • If you want to swipe the card or use manual keyed entry (MKE), send the request first. The payment terminal will show a prompt to swipe the card or enter the card details.

2. Make a POST Terminal API request, specifying:

   • The standard SaleToPOIRequest.MessageHeader object, with MessageClass set to Service and MessageCategory set to StoredValue.

     Parameter	Required	Description
     ProtocolVersion		3.0
     MessageClass		Service
     MessageCategory		StoredValue
     MessageType		Request
     ServiceID		Your unique ID for this request, consisting of 1-10 alphanumeric characters. Must be unique within the last 48 hours for the terminal (POIID) being used.
     SaleID		Your unique ID for the POS system component to send this request from.
     POIID		The unique ID of the terminal to send this request to. Format: [device model]-[serial number].

   • StoredValueRequest.SaleData. This includes:

     Parameter	Required	Description
     SaleTransactionID.TransactionID		Your reference to identify this activation request. We recommend using a unique value.
     SaleTransactionID.TimeStamp		Date and time of the request, in UTC format.
     SaleToAcquirerData		Optional, for Stored Value Solutions (SVS) gift cards: ssc. This is the secondary security code of the gift card, and allows up to 8 digits. For example, ssc=1111.

   • StoredValueRequest.StoredValueData. This includes:

     Parameter	Required	Description
     StoredValueTransactionType		Activate
     ItemAmount		Initial balance being loaded to the gift card. Set this as 0 if you want to activate a card with no balance.
     Currency		Currency of the initial balance.
     StoredValueAccountID		The gift card details: StoredValueAccountType: GiftCard StoredValueProvider: the gift card issuer: givex, svs, valuelink, or any Intersolve-supported card type. IdentificationType: PAN EntryMode, StoredValueID and ExpiryDate: these parameters depend on the card entry method you are using. See the following table.

     Card entry	Parameters
     Scan	EntryMode: Scanned StoredValueID: gift card number. ExpiryDate: expiry date of the gift card.
     Swipe	EntryMode: MagStripe StoredValueID: include this parameter but do not provide a value.
     MKE	EntryMode: Keyed StoredValueID: include this parameter but do not provide a value.

   The example below shows how to activate a scanned gift card, adding an initial balance of GBP 10.00.

   See the StoredValueRequest API reference.

3. In the StoredValueResponse, check the following:

   • POIData.POITransactionID.TransactionID: Transaction identifier for the gift card activation.

   • StoredValueResult:

     • StoredValueTransactionType: Activate

     • ItemAmount and Currency: current value and currency associated with the card.

   • Response.Result: Success. This indicates that the activation (StoredValueTransactionType: Activate) succeeded.

   The example below indicates that the gift card was successfully activated, and an initial balance of GBP 10.00 was loaded to the card.

   {
     "SaleToPOIResponse":{
       "StoredValueResponse":{
         "POIData":{
           "POITransactionID":{
             "TimeStamp":"2019-03-26T09:31:29.000Z",
             "TransactionID":"oLkO001522056689002.NC6HT9CRT65ZGN82"
           }
         },
         ...
         "StoredValueResult":[
           {
             "StoredValueTransactionType":"Activate",
             "ItemAmount":10.00,
             "Currency":"GBP"
           }
         ],
         "Response":{
           "Result":"Success"
         }
       },
       "MessageHeader":{
         "ProtocolVersion":"3.0",
         "SaleID":"POSSystemID12345",
         "MessageClass":"Service",
         "MessageCategory":"StoredValue",
         "ServiceID":"9264",
         "POIID":"V400m-324688179",
         "MessageType":"Response"
       }
     }
   }

   See the StoredValueResponse API reference.

See also