thread Re: Using eGift cards to minimise cash handling in Payments Troubleshooting

Using eGift cards to minimise cash handling

GVBnet — Sun, 21 Sep 2025 12:09:52 GMT

Using Square to enable contactless payments at a village Social Club, as part of Covid-secure operation. This is working great, but some club members still don't have cards, smartphones, email addresses so we need to take cash in some form.

My idea was to take banknotes only (which we can quarantine for 3 days) and to sell them eGift cards, then charge transactions to gift-cards-on-file via the customer name BUT I don't get the "gift cards on file" option when charging on the app, only manual entry.

Entering a 16 digit code every time they buy something is a non-starter - have I missed the way to enable gift cards on file or is that option missing from the UK app?

This option would be VERY useful helping bar staff to avoid handling cash with the associated virus transfer risk. It would also eliminate the errors we are getting with the current pen-and-paper system!

Thanks!

Re: Using eGift cards to minimise cash handling

Sam_400º — Mon, 10 Aug 2020 09:25:46 GMT

I'll add my name to the list of people thinking 'oh come on! Open up all the options for stuff like this'.

I want to see physical gift cards too.

Re: Using eGift cards to minimise cash handling

tranguyen — Thu, 08 Oct 2020 21:22:01 GMT

Hi @GVBnet and @Sam_400º, thank you for reaching out!

You should be able to save eGift Card and charge it as a card on file. To do this from your Square Point of Sale app:

1. Go to Customers

2. If it's a new customer, you can create a new profile or if it's an existing customer, you can click into their profile

3. Within the profile, navigate to Card on File > Add Card

4. Type in the 16 digits of the eGift Card - you will see the symbol changes to an eGift Card

5. Click Save

Now, when you go to complete the purchase, you can select Card on File under the Payment Types and it'll let you charge it to the eGift Card.

Update: Physical Square Gift Cards are now available! 🎉

I hope this will help!

Re: Using eGift cards to minimise cash handling

GVBnet — Mon, 10 Aug 2020 16:38:23 GMT

Thanks! That looks like it should work - will try it "live" next time we open.

Re: Using eGift cards to minimise cash handling

thecafeguy — Mon, 10 Aug 2020 21:57:30 GMT

Not sure if this is a stupid suggestion. Could you create an eGift card then create a physical card using the code it gives you on the system? Or would this not work? 😣

Re: Using eGift cards to minimise cash handling

Sam_400º — Mon, 10 Aug 2020 22:02:20 GMT

@thecafeguy I’ve tried, but the magstripe needs to

contain more info (or at least more

info than i could give it).

I reached out to Square for the i for or a set of codes i could use to make my own but there isn’t any for this side of the pond.

Re: Using eGift cards to minimise cash handling

tranguyen — Thu, 08 Oct 2020 11:26:57 GMT

Hi @GVBnet, I just want to follow up on this thread and let you know that physical gift card is now available in the UK, so it might be another way to help minimise cash handling. You can read more about the product here, but if you have any question let me know and I'll be happy to help!