If a gift card is used in two places before Wrapped has synced the first sale, for example in store and online within seconds, both payments go through. Each redemption is recorded independently, so the balance can go below zero. Wrapped keeps the negative balance and shows it as a sync error on the card; you resolve it by adjusting the balance in Wrapped.
Why both payments go through
Wrapped uses each platform's own gift cards. Shopify, Lightspeed, Square and your other channels each hold a copy of the card and check that copy when the customer pays. After a sale, the channel tells Wrapped, and Wrapped updates every other channel, usually within a few minutes.
In the moments between the first sale and that update, the other channels still show the old balance. A second payment in that window is checked against the old balance and accepted. Even where staff look up the card in Wrapped at the register, the amount is only taken off in Wrapped when the sale is completed, so two open sales can both see the full balance.
Example
| Time | Where | What happens | Wrapped balance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10:00 | Card issued | $50 | $50 |
| 10:15 | Lightspeed register | $40 sale completed | $10 |
| 10:15 | Shopify checkout | $30 payment accepted, because Shopify hasn't received the update yet | -$20 |
| 10 | Wrapped | Tries to set -$20 in each channel. Channels can't hold a negative balance, so the card shows a sync error | -$20 |
Find and fix it
- In Gift cards › All gift cards, click All filters, set Sync errors to Has sync errors, and click Apply. Cards with a negative balance appear here.
- Open the card. Activity lists both redemptions with the sales channel, order number, location and time.
- Decide how to handle the overspend under your own policy.
- Click Adjust balance, enter the correct balance (usually 0) and a Reason, and click Apply.
Wrapped pushes the corrected balance to every channel and the sync error clears once they accept it. See Negative balances.
Common questions
Can Wrapped stop the second payment?
No. The payment is approved by the sales channel against its own copy of the balance, before Wrapped hears about the first sale.
How long is the window?
Usually a few minutes at most. Lightspeed R-Series sales are collected every couple of minutes, so the window can be slightly longer there.
Is this fraud?
Not necessarily. It's often a shared code, for example two family members using the same emailed gift card. Check the times and locations in the card's activity before deciding.
Does it happen with split payments?
No. Paying part with a gift card and the rest another way uses the card once. See Paying with a gift card and another payment method.