STORIS supports gift card/certificate processing. You can use a hard-copy certificate system where you manually enter certificate numbers into the system, or you can use card-swiping or barcode scanning technology to automate your gift certificate processing by using gift cards. Card-swiping and barcode scanning are faster and more accurate ways to enter card numbers.
Important If you are processing credit cards via EMV Shift4 or EMV Tender Retail, you cannot swipe Gift Cards. With the current EMV processing in STORIS, gift card numbers need to be either entered manually or scanned via bar code scanners.
Generally speaking, the term "gift certificate" is synonymous with "gift card". The only difference is the card-swiping capability of gift cards. In this documentation, the terms are interchangeable except where card-swiping is involved, in which case the documentation refers exclusively to "gift cards".
Magnetic Stripe Information
When you purchase blank gift cards, the cards include an assigned card number. The magnetic stripe on the gift card must contain the gift card number of up to 16 numeric characters, in track 1.
The card swipe device needs to be programmed with a prefix of @@%B (or @@%b) and a suffix of @@.
You must provide a numeric prefix for gift card swiping at the Card Number Prefix fields on the Gift Cards and Certificates tab of Accounts Receivable Control Settings. The card number on each gift card that you swipe must begin with this prefix.
Sample Format: @@%b1000016?@@
o The prefix @@%B or @@%b identifies the data as a swipe.
o The subsequent characters are used as the gift card number (1000016 in this example).
o The card reader identifies the end of the swipe by the @@.
Barcode Information
The barcode must be generated in “3 of 9” format and contain the gift card number, numeric only.
PIN
A PIN is not applicable to STORIS.
To set up your system for gift certificate processing, use the Gift Certificate tab on the Accounts Receivable Control Settings.
To set up a validation record for gift certificates, use the Credit Card Validation Settings.
To create one or more types of gift certificates, use the Gift Certificate Payment Settings. You can also use this routine to assign a gift certificate payment type to a specific GL account. This account overrides the GL account specified in the GL Control Settings.
To specify GL accounts for gift certificates, use the Accounts Receivable tab in the General Ledger Control Settings.
To apply user restrictions to gift certificate entry, use the User/User Group Receivables Security settings.
To issue and/or add funds to gift certificates, use the Gift Certificate tab in the Enter a Customer Payment/Refund/Gift Certificate routine.
To convert customer reward points into gift certificates, use the Issue Customer Rewards routine.
To view purchased and/or redeemed gift certificates, use the View a Gift Certificate inquiry.
After you set up your system for Gift Card Processing, you next set up your chosen method of entering gift card numbers. STORIS uses gift card numbers to track gift card activity within the system. STORIS provides four ways to enter gift card numbers:
manually from a keyboard or keypad,
automatically assigning the next sequential number, established at the Next Number field in the Accounts Receivable Control Settings,
automatically via a card-swiping device (unless processing EMV – see note above),
automatically via a barcode scanning device
To use the Card-Swiping feature, you must set up your system to use the Signature Capture feature, in which you attach signature capturing, card-swiping devices to your point-of-sale machines. Then, whenever a customer wants to purchase or redeem a gift card, your operators can swipe the card to display its information on the screen, including customer, card number, and value.
To swipe a gift card, click on the Card Swipe button on the pop-up entry window, wait for the OK message to appear on the STORIS screen, then swipe the card. If the swipe is successful, the card number appears on the STORIS screen and you can perform transactions on the card.
If you have pre-purchased gift cards with bar codes, you can use a point-of-sale scanner to scan the gift card number into the system. The bar codes must be in the "3 of 9" format (see requirements above). Note that the card's number prefix must match the number entered at the Card Number Prefix field in the Accounts Receivable Control Settings.
To use the Gift Card Barcode Scanning feature, you must set up your system to use the Point of Sale Processing feature, in which you attach barcode scanners to your point-of-sale machines. Then, whenever a customer wants to purchase or redeem a gift card, the operator can scan the barcode on the card to display its information on the screen, including customer, card number, and value.
In order to use the Gift Card Barcode Scanning feature, you must leave the following fields empty in the Accounts Receivable Control Settings:
Next Number field
Require Swipe for Purchases field
Prefix for Gift Certificates field
If not using Signature Capture, you can still use a 'wedge' device to assign a number to a new gift card by swiping the card through the device when accessing the Gift Certificate Number Entry Window. Note that because Signature Capture is not active, the Swipe button is not active in that window, but if you have a wedge device properly connected to your system, you can swipe a new gift card to automatically assign the number.
Important: The Wedge Device listed on our approved hardware list is NOT PCI compliant. STORIS recommends that you use bar code scanning, card-swiping, or other PCI compliant devices for gift card processing.