Set up gift card ID mapping

Gift card ID mapping lets you attach an extra identifier to each gift card, on top of its card number. Once mapped, that identifier finds the gift card when it's scanned or typed at the point of sale, searched for in the dashboard, or entered when linking a card to a new gift card.

When to use it

Every Loopz gift card is identified by its card number and, on physical cards, the QR code printed on it. Some merchants also have a second identifier for the same card that comes from outside Loopz:

• A 1D barcode on the card: physical cards printed with a barcode (for example a Code 128 or EAN number) alongside the Loopz QR code. Staff scan the barcode with the POS scanner instead of the QR code.
• Card numbers from a previous provider: cards that were issued by another gift card system and imported into Loopz keep the number your customers and staff already know.
• Member or account numbers: a loyalty, student or member ID that you want to use to pull up someone's gift card.

Map these identifiers to your gift cards and any of them resolves the gift card, without staff needing the Loopz card number.

How lookups use the mapped ID

Once an ID is mapped to a gift card, it's checked wherever a gift card is looked up:

• Clover POS: when a scanned or typed value in the Loopz Gift Cards app doesn't match a card number or QR code, the mapped ID is checked next.
• Shopify POS: the Loopz gift card tiles on Shopify POS check the mapped ID in the same way when a scan or entry doesn't match a card number or QR code.
• Dashboard search: searching the Gift Cards list for the mapped ID finds the gift card.
• Linking a card: when creating a gift card in the dashboard and linking it to an existing card, the mapped ID can be entered in place of the card number.

A mapped ID only resolves a gift card when it's unique within your account. If two cards carry the same ID, neither is found by it.

Before you start

• The gift cards you want to map must already exist in your program. Mapping doesn't create gift cards; see importing your existing gift cards if they're not in Loopz yet.
• Prepare a CSV or Excel file with two columns: the Loopz card number of each gift card and the ID to assign to it. A header row is optional. Column headers such as Card Number and Barcode, Student ID or External ID are recognized automatically; without a header, the first column is read as the card number and the second as the ID.
• Every card number and every ID in the file must be unique.

An example file:

Card Number	Barcode
6039123456781234	401234567890
6039123456785678	401234567891

Where to find it

In the dashboard sidebar, open Settings → Gift Card ID Mapping. The screen has two sections: the label used for the mapped ID, and the upload that assigns IDs to your gift cards.

Choose a label for the ID

By default the dashboard calls the mapped identifier the External ID. Rename it to match what your staff call it, for example Barcode or Legacy Card Number:

1. In the External ID Label section, enter the label (up to 36 characters).
2. Click Update.

The label is then used wherever the dashboard shows or asks for the ID, such as on a gift card's details and in the search box. Clear the field and click Update to return to the default.

Upload the mapping file

1. In the Gift Card ID Mapping section, click Upload to open the mapping workflow.
2. In the Upload step, drop your CSV or Excel file or click to select it. The file is read and each row is validated: the card number must belong to a gift card in your program, and card numbers and IDs must be unique in the file and not already in use by another card.
3. In the Mappings step, review the rows found in the file. Rows with a problem are marked and list what's wrong. Remove them with remove or Remove invalid rows, or fix the file and upload it again. You can't continue while invalid rows remain.
4. In the Review step, check the number of gift cards that will be updated and how many already have an ID that will be replaced, then click Apply.
5. The IDs are applied in the background. The Processing step shows the progress and, when finished, how many gift cards were updated. Any mapping that couldn't be applied is listed with the reason.

Uploading a new file later replaces the IDs of the cards it lists and leaves other cards unchanged.

Set or change the ID of a single gift card

To map one card without a file, open the gift card from the Gift Cards list and click the ID button in its action bar (it carries the label you chose above). Enter the new ID, or leave the field empty to clear it, and confirm. The current ID is shown under the card number on the gift card's details.

FAQ

• Does mapping an ID change the card number or QR code? No. The card number and QR code keep working as before. The mapped ID is an additional way to find the same gift card.
• Can I map an ID to a card that isn't linked to a gift card yet? The upload only maps cards that already belong to a gift card in your program. Unlinked cards from a card order can be mapped once they're activated.
• Can two gift cards share an ID? No. The upload rejects duplicate IDs, and an ID already in use by another card in your account can't be assigned again.
• Is the ID case sensitive? Yes. Scanned and typed values must match the mapped ID exactly, apart from surrounding spaces.
• How long does the upload take? Files are processed within a few seconds for a few hundred rows. The dashboard also lists the update under your tasks until it completes.