Gift card balance, expiry and refunds
Where guests and staff see what is left on a gift card, when it expires, and how refunds go back onto a gift card.
On this page
A gift card keeps its balance until it is spent or expires. What is not spent in one payment stays on the card for next time.
Check the balance
- Guest: in Knownbee, open Wallet › Gift cards and tap the card. It shows what is left, the original value, Valid until and the History: Received, Paid at the till, Refunded to the card and Balance corrected. Used and expired cards are listed separately.
- On the POS: after scanning the guest's gift card code on the payment screen, the card shows its balance and expiry date before you take anything.
- In the back office: open the card under Gift cards. You need Manage gift cards.
After a payment that leaves money on the card, the POS can print a balance slip for the guest. Under Settings › Gift cards, Remaining balance slip is set to Automatically, Ask the cashier (the default) or Never.
Expiry
- A sold card is valid for the number of months in Settings › Gift cards › Valid for (months), counted from the day it is sold. The default is 24 months; you can choose 1 to 120.
- A card issued in the back office uses that period unless you choose another Valid until date.
- An expired card can no longer pay: "This gift card has expired." There is no way to extend it. A manager can issue a new card for the remaining amount if you want to honour it.
Refunds and gift cards
- An order paid with a gift card: choose Put on gift card when you refund. The money goes back onto the same card, and the guest sees "Refunded to the card". You cannot put more back than was paid with gift cards on that order.
- The card used is disabled or expired, or the order was not paid by gift card: you can refund as a New gift card. Enter the guest's email or mobile number and tap Send gift card (a mobile number gets no message). A new card worth the refund goes to their Knownbee wallet.
- A voided gift card payment: the amount goes back onto the card, including any tip paid with it.
- Refunding the sale of a gift card: the card is taken back. If part of it was already spent, the refund is refused.
See Refunds for the full refund steps.
Common questions
Is VAT charged on a gift card?
Not when it is sold. VAT is charged on the items it is spent on.
The guest's balance looks wrong
Compare the card's history with the orders it was used on. A manager with Manage gift cards can correct it with Adjust balance and a reason. See Issue and manage gift cards.