Q. Why is there a $1 transaction fee to purchase a gift card, but a department store or individual retailer doesn’t charge a fee for its cards?
A. These fees are customary when purchasing mall gift cards versus single store gift cards. The primary difference is that a department store or specialty store has one single Point of Sale (POS) system throughout their company. They collect and keep the money for the card and the software and programming for the cards is handled from their one central computer system. Because malls have on the average 150 to 200 stores all with different POS systems, malls have to use a third party provider in order to create a mall-wide card that will be accepted at participating stores. (All but a handful of stores accept the card).
The mall pays the outside provider to manage the gift card accounts, track balances, and provide necessary financial reports. We pass very little of those costs back to the customer, but because the cards are a financial services product (similar to ATM cards, credit cards or money orders) we do charge a small fee--like most malls that sell a gift card. We have actually structured our fees to be significantly lower than other Houston malls. Our fee is a simple $1 per card. Other malls charge a minimum of $1.50 per card and up. Some cards are as high as $3.95 per card--even $5.95 per card if purchased online. We do not make money on the sale of the gift cards
The plus to giving a mall gift card is that your recipient has more flexibility to spend the card in any number and type of stores within the mall. Whereas, a single store gift card is only valid for that one retailer. The cards are also more convenient than gift certificates, easily fit into a wallet, and are generally preferred by shoppers.
Q. Can my gift card be replaced if lost or stolen?
A. Another difference between gift cards and gift certificates is we have the ability to cancel and replace lost or stolen gift cards provided we have enough information about the original transaction (such as a receipt from the purchase, or record of the purchaser's phone number or name). Gift certificates are not replaceable under any circumstances because they are like cash.
Q. Does the mall charge a fee to issue me a replacement card if my card is lost or stolen?
A. If your card is lost or stolen, the mall needs to be able to verify the balance remaining on the card in order to issue you a new one. If the balance is reduced by transactions, we can cancel the old card, but we can only issue your new card for the amount remaining on your lost or stolen card once we verify its balance. To verify a balance, we would need to know the card number. Be sure and keep a record of your gift card number somewhere. (Or you can contact the purchaser of the card if you did not purchase it, and ask if they have a receipt, which shows the number of the card). Occasionally, we can find the number for your card just by having the date and approximate time the card was purchased. If you are purchasing a gift card, provide the mall with your telephone number and/or first and last name. By doing so, we can easily look up your lost card, get a balance, cancel the old card and issue you a replacement. Local malls charge up to $15 to issue replacement cards. We choose to issue such cards without a fee at this time.
Q. Does my mall gift card expire?
A. Your gift card will not expire, however, if you still have a balance left one year after purchase, $2.00 per month will be debited from the card by the gift card service provider, until such time as there is a zero balance on the card. (Please refer to the Gift Card Terms of Agreement provided with your card).
Q. Can my card be reloaded with additional funds?
A. No, the mall gift cards are not reloadable at this time, however, if you find that you still have a balance on your card after one year, you can bring your card to the Mall Information Center and the balance can be transferred onto a new card. Then you will not be subject to the automatic $2.00 deduction for another 12 months. (The deduction occurs in the thirteenth month after purchase).
Q. I still have Mall gift certificates. Will your merchants accept those?
A. Mall gift certificates are still valid, and merchants should accept them. If you have any problem trying to redeem them in a store, bring them to the Information Center. We can accept your gift certificates as a form of payment and issue you a new gift card. In this case, we will waive the $1 transaction fee.
Q. If I am purchasing gift cards in bulk, such as for a corporate order, does the $1 fee per card still apply?
A. Contact the marketing department of the mall directly to request bulk purchase information. Bulk orders may need at least 24 hours for processing. Fees may be reduced depending on the quantity of cards purchased. The marketing department can be reached at 713-827-8031
Q. I am trying to spend my gift card in one of the mall stores, but they say they cannot accept the card. What can I do to verify if this is correct?
A. Each merchant has to provide us with a signed agreement to accept gift cards. There are only a handful of stores that have not signed the agreement for one reason or another. (Stores that do not take credit cards, for example, do not have the equipment necessary to accept a gift card). If you want to verify whether a store takes the card, have the merchant contact StoreFinancial directly at the Merchant Support Number on the back of the card (866-755-2974). StoreFinancial will verify if the merchant’s paperwork is on file. If it is, then the StoreFinancial representative can walk the merchant through the proper procedures for accepting your card. Visit the Mall Information Center for a list of stores not currently accepting the mall gift card
Q. I’m trying to use multiple gift cards at a store and they have told me they can’t accept them. What are my options?
A. Most stores have the ability to do a “split transaction” where they can accept more than one form of payment; however, the mall gift card can only be one of those payment options. If you have more than one gift card to spend in a store, you can have your transactions broken up into smaller increments, so the merchant rings separate transactions for each card. Another option is to use your gift cards as payment for a store gift card. For example, if you are trying to buy a $100 item and you have two $50 gift cards, have the store associate accept each of your mall gift cards as payment for a store gift card. Most store POS systems can accept multiple gift cards from their store. Once you have purchased the two $50 store gift cards with your mall gift cards, the associate can then ring up your purchase which you will pay for with your store gift cards. If a store refuses to do this for some reason, bring your gift cards to the Information Center and they can transfer both amounts onto a new gift card and re-issue you a single card in place of your multiple cards.
Q. The amount on my gift card is less than the total amount of my purchase. What can I do to be able to use my gift card to pay for part of the purchase?
A. Most stores’ Point of Sale systems are set up to handle multiple forms of payment, or “split transactions.” If, for example, your purchase totaled $100, but you only had a $60.75 balance on your gift card, you would first need to advise the store associate of the exact balance of your card (to the penny). Call 800-755-0085 if you need help with this, for a recorded message that gives you the card balance. Next, advise the store associate to ring up a “split transaction.” Tell the sales associate how you will pay for the difference between the purchase price and the balance on the card (in this case, an additional $39.25). Let’s say you are going to pay cash for the difference. You would give the merchant $39.25 in cash, and then give them the gift card which they will swipe for the remaining $60.75 due on the purchase. (When accepting multiple forms of payment, the merchant should always swipe the mall gift card last). Some stores will not be able to accept a credit/debit card for the difference, but they can accept check, cash, store credit card or store gift card. So if you try to pay by a combination of mall gift card and credit/debit card the sale may not go through. In that case, you can follow the above instructions (from the previous question) and purchase a store gift card with your mall gift card, then use that, plus one other form of payment (cash, credit card or debit card) for the remaining amount of the purchase
Q. The store associate has repeatedly swiped my card, and keeps getting a “card declined” or similar message even though I know I have a balance left on my card that is lower than the amount I am trying to spend. What do I do now?
A. There is employee turnover in the retail business, so it’s entirely possible that you will run across store personnel that do not know how to accept a mall gift card. A couple things might have happened in the above scenario, but the quickest way to resolve your problem is to ask the merchant to call the Merchant Support number on the back of the card. Make sure they do not call the Balance Info number because that is only a recorded message. To reach a live person, they need to call 866-755-2974. This will connect them to StoreFinancial (the company that provides and supports the mall gift card program). A StoreFinancial representative can look at the transactions on the card and help the merchant understand what went wrong. If they accidentally debited your card without completing the transaction, StoreFinancial can immediately void the transaction and reload your card. If you wish to continue with the purchase, the StoreFinancial representative can help the store associate process the transaction and get you on your way.
If by chance you were incorrect about your balance, StoreFinancial can give you the list of places you used your card so you can verify previous purchases. Be sure and track your card balance by using the convenient boxes on the back of the card after each purchase. If in doubt, call 800-755-0085 to check your balance at any time. It’s also possible that a previous retailer debited your card by accident, and you did not realize it. If that occurred on the same day, StoreFinancial can correct it immediately. If it happened at another time, it will be a 5-7 business day period before the funds will be returned to your card, once they have contacted the retailer to verify the transaction error.
If a store associate will not take the time to call Merchant Support, please contact Mall Management via the Information Center located next to the Clock Tower, near the Food Court. Management personnel will assist you and contact the store on your behalf.
Q. I just received this gift card and it has a balance listed on the back, but when I try to use it, the card is declined. When I called to get a balance, the recording tells me I have a “$0” balance. What happened?
A. Occasionally a card will be issued, but not activated. Take the card to the Information Center where an associate can verify that the card is a part of their current inventory and should have been activated. It is helpful to know when the card was purchased, so if you have that information, please provide it.
Q. How do I check the balance on my card?
A. You can check the balance on your card at any time simply by calling 800-755-2974 or going to www.getmybalance.com. You must know your card number.
