1. How to request a gift code without getting it wrong

   The five details that decide whether a code works. Get them right in the first email and nothing else needs sorting.

   3 min read

2. How to redeem a gift card code, and when not to redeem it yet

   Redeeming is usually four clicks. Choosing the right account to redeem into is the part worth thinking about.

   2 min read

3. How to check a gift card balance

   Four ways to check, ranked by how reliable they are, plus the fake balance-checker sites to stay away from.

   2 min read

4. How to use a gift card online

   Where the field hides at checkout, why it sometimes is not there, and what to do when the basket costs more than the card.

   2 min read

5. How to use a gift card in store, including digital ones

   Yes, a digital code usually works at the till. Here is how to present it and what to do if the scanner refuses.

   2 min read

6. How to split a payment between a gift card and a bank card

   Almost every checkout allows it. The order you apply things in decides whether you keep the discount.

   2 min read

7. How to give a gift card to someone else, safely

   Forwarding a code is easy. Doing it without leaving a spendable credential in a group chat takes one extra thought.

   3 min read

8. A gift code that will not redeem: what is actually wrong

   Nine causes, in the order they actually occur, with the fix for each. Work down the list before contacting anyone.

   2 min read

9. How to keep gift codes safe and actually find them again

   Codes are credentials and should be stored like credentials. A password manager solves both problems at once.

   2 min read

10. How to spend a small leftover gift card balance

    Seven ways to clear £2.40 off a card instead of losing it. One of them works at almost every retailer.

    2 min read

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