Gift Card

Architecture Diagram of Gift Card Application

How Application Works

The Card Issuer loads the gift card with its initial stored value and configures its PIN and security keys before the card is issued to the customer.

The Gift Card application supports operations such as PIN authentication and balance enquiry, and updates the stored value as the card is loaded or redeemed.

For reloadable gift cards, a Reload Terminal can top up the balance based on user input, using a secure authentication protocol between the card and the terminal.

At the point of sale, the POS terminal decreases the card's balance by the purchase amount, using the same secure authentication protocol to verify the card before completing the transaction.

The Gift Card application is designed to give retail chains, restaurants and malls a complete issuance-to-redemption workflow rather than just a stored-value card. Card batches can be issued with specific denominations, branding, and validity periods, so a single deployment can support festive campaigns, corporate gifting programs and standard walk-in sales side by side. Expired or deactivated cards are automatically blocked at the POS, preventing redemption of stale or fraudulent cards.

Typical use cases include multi-outlet retail chains that need a single gift card to work across every store location, restaurant groups running promotional or loyalty-linked gift cards, and shopping malls issuing common gift cards redeemable across multiple affiliated tenants. Because balance checks and redemptions happen directly between the card and the POS terminal, transactions remain fast even during peak hours such as festive shopping seasons.

Security follows the same mutual-authentication model used across BSD Infotech's smart card applications: every POS and Reload Terminal is registered with its own keys, PIN protection guards against misuse of a lost card, and stored-value updates are cryptographically verified so balances cannot be altered outside an authorized transaction. From a business standpoint, a managed gift card program improves customer acquisition and retention, generates upfront cash flow from card sales, and produces usage data that helps evaluate campaign performance and outstanding liability.

• Batch issuance of gift cards with configurable denominations and validity
• Custom card branding for stores, chains or promotional campaigns
• Secure PIN authentication and mutual card/terminal verification
• Support for both single-load and reloadable card types
• Automatic expiry and blocking of invalid or exhausted cards
• Usage tracking and reporting across outlets for reconciliation