Buying a gift for someone special? Gift cards are a great choice - you know that the recipient will be able to buy what they really want. And you can feel good about buying them a present. Win-win!

But what is an e-gift card? Is it that different from the ones you can buy in the store?

In this post, we’re going to explain what an e-gift card is, how it works, and our top tips for making sure purchasing them goes smoothly.

What is an e-gift card?

An e-gift card is a digital code, QR code, or barcode that can be purchased for and used to purchase things in a particular store. It is usually sent to the recipient via email (or sometimes SMS or through an app) and can be used online or in-store.

How do e-gift cards work?

E-gift cards are easy to buy and use!

Here’s a rundown of how you buy and send an e-gift card:

1. The buyer chooses which e-gift card they wish to send (a single store or a multi-retailer card) and the value of the card.
2. The buyer enters the recipient’s details, like their name and email address.
3. The buyer chooses when to send the card (immediately or scheduled for a specific date) and pays for the card.

And here’s a rundown of how the recipient receives and spends the e-gift card:

1. The recipient receives an email with details of the e-gift card.
2. The recipient follows any outlined steps in the email to claim and activate the e-gift card.
3. The recipient selects something they would like to buy online (or in-store for some cards) and goes to the checkout:
4. For online: They input the e-gift card code into the relevant checkout field (discount code section or specific gift cards payment option).
5. For in-store: They present the barcode or numbered code for the employee to enter into the register.
6. The value of the card is deducted from the overall balance. If any money is still due, they can use their own card details to make up the difference.
7. If any money remains on the card, they can keep the balance to use at a later date until the card expires (usually 24-48 months).

Can e-gift cards be used online?

E-gift cards can be used online. In fact, some can only be used online. This may be due to the T&Cs of the card or because the retailer only operates online.

The recipient’s information email will outline the details of using the e-gift card online. They may need to take steps like set up an online account before they can redeem the card.

Can e-gift cards be used in stores?

Many e-gift cards can be used in stores (as long as the retailers have a brick-and-mortar store).

When buying a gift card, you should check the T&Cs to see if they have any restrictions on where the gift card can be redeemed.

When using an e-gift card in store, you usually show a barcode, QR code, or give them a numbered/lettered code to input at the register. If you’ve got an e-gift card to spend, check the T&Cs for more information about how to use it in-store.

Is it safe to buy e-gift cards?

Buying an e-gift card is very safe! As long as you purchase from a reputable site, you can feel confident that your recipient will receive your kind gift!

You are best to stick to websites that you know and trust. You can buy from the retailer directly or from a reseller site.

Before buying, you can check a site is legitimate by:

• Checking reviews - Google My Business, TrustPilot and Feefo are good places to start.
• Using anti-virus software that pops up if a site is sketchy.
• Checking there is a padlock in the address bar - this means that the website has a valid SSL certificate and stores information about how safe the site is.
• Use Google Transparency Report to check for unsafe site content.

It is often safer to buy an e-gift card compared to a physical gift card. Scammers can tamper with gift cards on display in stores and have ways of stealing the balance before you use it.

Can you turn e-gift cards into cash?

Normally you can’t turn e-gift cards into cash. There are some websites that allow you to resell your gift cards. You could also sell it on to someone you know in person. Check the T&Cs for guidance on whether it can be refunded and converted into cash.

Top tips for sending e-gift cards

To make sure your recipient doesn’t run into any issues redeeming their e-gift card, here are a few tips for you as a sender:

• Timing - send it in plenty of time. While you can buy and send right away, you are best buying at least 24 hours ahead and scheduling so there are no delivery delays due to sketchy internet or slow behind-the-scenes card processing.
• Triple check their email address - be sure that the email address you are sending to is definitely the recipient’s current email address! Check for typos and be sure it’s not an email they used in high school and will never open anymore.
• Follow up with the recipient - we’d hope the recipient would acknowledge your generous gift, but if they don’t, check in with them to see if they have received it. It could have ended up in spam!
• Encourage the recipient to add it to their e-wallet - for easy access and so they don’t lose the details, recommend to the recipient that they add the e-gift card to their phone e-wallet.

Considering buying an e-gift card?

Looking to buy an e-gift card for someone in your life? Have you considered pitching in with friends, family, or coworkers to collect money for a gift? This way you can buy a higher value card.

Here at Givetastic, you can set up an online group collection to pool together funds to buy gifts for people celebrating birthdays, retirement, new babies, and more.

Everyone can contribute how much they like and the organizer can choose to spend it how they see fit. One of the options on Givetastic is to purchase an e-gift card for a single retailer or to buy a multi-retailer gift card to spend at their choice of 100+ retailers!

Start a group collection today and buy the lucky recipient an e-gift card to really treat themselves!