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    Accounting & Finance

    Gift Card – Partial Redemption

    3 min read
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    One of the most common questions is how to handle partial redemption – when the guest uses only a portion of the gift card balance. The key is that each redemption event is booked separately, but the liability on 2421 only decreases by the actual redemption amount.

    These examples assume multi-purpose gift cards and food or coffee served in the restaurant at 12% VAT.

    In checkout select Presentkort → Kortkod → Hämta. Check or change Belopp att lösa in (kr) before pressing Lös in. The amount cannot exceed the card balance or the remaining amount due.

    The core principle

    On partial redemption:

    • Only the used amount is booked (debit 2421, credit the revenue account for the item's rate, for example 3002 + 2620)
    • The remaining balance stays on 2421
    • No special procedures – it's just a smaller version of full redemption

    Concrete example – 500 SEK card used 3 times

    The guest receives a 500 SEK gift card (day 1). Uses it for lunch 150 SEK (day 10), dinner 250 SEK (day 30) and coffee 100 SEK (day 60).

    Day 1 (issuance):

    • D 1580 / C 2421 – 500 SEK
    • 2421 balance: 500 SEK

    Day 10 (redemption 150 SEK, food 12%):

    • D 2421 150 / C 3002 133.93 / C 2620 16.07
    • 2421 balance: 350 SEK

    Day 30 (redemption 250 SEK, food 12%):

    • D 2421 250 / C 3002 223.21 / C 2620 26.79
    • 2421 balance: 100 SEK

    Day 60 (redemption 100 SEK, food 12%):

    • D 2421 100 / C 3002 89.29 / C 2620 10.71
    • 2421 balance: 0 SEK (card status Inlöst)

    Check: total VAT reporting

    Total consumption via gift card: 500 SEK Total revenue booked: 133.93 + 223.21 + 89.29 = 446.43 SEK Total VAT booked: 16.07 + 26.79 + 10.71 = 53.57 SEK Sum: 446.43 + 53.57 = 500.00 SEK ✓

    This matches exactly what the customer paid for the card. But VAT was triggered on three different dates (day 10, 30 and 60), not on day 1.

    Reporting: outstanding gift card liability

    At each month-end close, reconcile 2421 against the sum of remaining balance for all active gift cards. Compare the same date and scope, accounting for administrative issuance, refunds, expiry and any shared chain gift cards.

    Related articles

    • Gift card accounting – redemption
    • Gift card expiry to account 3960
    • Balance sheet account reconciliation

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