Gift Card Processing

Gift card processing is the infrastructure for issuing, activating, selling, and redeeming gift cards. Components: (1) issuance (creating card numbers, storing balances), (2) POS integration (checking balance, accepting payment at checkout), (3) fraud detection (preventing abuse), (4) reconciliation (balancing sales and redemptions). Gift cards can be digital (email-delivered code) or physical (printed card, magnetic stripe or QR code). Processing can be in-house (homegrown database) or outsourced (third-party platforms like Blackhawk, Quotient). Payment processing (Stripe, Square, PayPal) handles purchase transactions.