What Is a Postal Code on a Gift Card?
Why do gift cards ask for a postal code? Understand the reason behind this common request and what to enter for online purchases.
When attempting to use a gift card, particularly for online purchases, encountering a request for a postal code can be confusing. Unlike traditional credit or debit cards, gift cards are often not linked to a specific individual or billing address. This prompt often leads to uncertainty about what information to provide, potentially hindering transactions. This article clarifies the reasons behind such requests and offers practical guidance on how to navigate them.
Understanding the Postal Code Request
A postal code request during a gift card transaction is a security measure to protect the merchant and consumer from fraudulent activities. This practice uses the Address Verification System (AVS), a tool in the payment processing industry. AVS helps reduce fraud for “card not present” transactions by verifying the billing address provided by the customer against the address on file with the card’s issuing bank.
The system compares address components like the postal code and returns a match or mismatch result to the merchant. For standard credit and debit cards, AVS ensures the person making the purchase is the legitimate cardholder. However, gift cards often present a challenge because they are not registered to a specific name or billing address like a personal bank card. Despite this, payment systems often treat gift cards similarly to other bank cards, leading to the postal code prompt as a fraud prevention step.
Entering a Postal Code for Online Gift Card Purchases
When faced with a postal code request for an online gift card purchase, there are several strategies to consider. The most common and often successful approach is to enter your own billing postal code, the one associated with your personal address. Many online payment systems accept this as a valid entry for gift cards, allowing the transaction to proceed.
If entering your own postal code does not work, an alternative is to try the postal code of the person who originally purchased or activated the gift card, if that information is known. For physical gift cards bought in a retail store, some systems might, in rare instances, accept the postal code of the store where the card was acquired. However, this method is less consistently reliable and often harder to ascertain.
The most dependable solution for using a gift card online that requests a postal code is to register the card to a specific address through the issuer’s website. This process involves visiting the website listed on the back of the gift card and providing your name and current address, including your postal code. Once registered, use that newly linked postal code for all future online transactions. If a transaction is declined after trying these methods, contact the customer service number on the back of the gift card for further assistance.