• Check the Activation Receipt. All gift cards must be activated (and funds allocated) at the time of purchase. The system that activates the card will typically record the gift card number, or a portion of it, on an activation receipt. This receipt may be printed on the bottom of the total purchase receipt or it might be a separate piece of paper. Make every effort to find this receipt.
  
  
• Check the Purchase Receipt. If you can’t find the activation receipt, check for any information you can find on the purchase transaction. At a minimum, you should be able to identify the date, time and dollar amount of the gift card purchased. I’m hoping you’ll also find a portion of the gift card number there as well.
  
  
• Check Your Email. If you ordered the gift card from a website, then you are in luck. While your email receipt may not have the gift card number on it, a full record of the transaction should be easily accessible online.
  
  
• Check Your Bank Statement. Check the debit or credit card statement for the payment method used to purchase the gift card. Although the bank statement is not likely to have the gift card number on it, I’m hoping you’ll at least find the date, time and dollar amount of the gift card purchase.
  
  
• Check for a Partial Redemption. If you used part of the lost gift card at some point, the company may have a record of the purchase which might give you the gift card number used. If you used the gift card online, then the website you ordered from may still have your gift card number in their system (or may auto-fill the number if you return to the same website). It’s a long shot, but something you could try in desperation.
  
  
• Ask the Giver (sender). If you didn’t purchase the gift card yourself, then you’ll have to contact the person who did to get that information. I realize this may be an awkward situation so you’ll have to decide whether or not the effort is worth it. If my mom gave me a card and I lost it, I’d ask her for the card information without hesitation. If an acquaintance gave me the card, then I probably wouldn’t. This one is up to you.
  
  
• If you find the lost gift card number, then your chances of recovering the associated funds increase significantly. If you can’t find the number, don’t give up. Gather activation, purchase, and transaction data instead.

• When you make the call, explain what happened to the gift card and provide whatever information you have. The objective of the phone call is not to “find” the gift card but to find out if the gift card has been used. If the card hasn’t been used, ask if it can be canceled and a replacement gift card issued. (You may have to pay a fee for a replacement card.)
  
  
• If the card has been used, then it’s not so much “lost” as it might have been stolen. Ask the customer service representative to explain when and where the card was redeemed. In the process, you may sheepishly discover that you’re the one who used it (“Ah…that’s right, we did use the gift card on our summer vacation.”) or you may find clues as to who did. While a merchant certainly has no obligation to replace a stolen gift card, I have heard of it happening, especially if the theft mirrors a bigger fraud issue.
  
  
• If you purchased the gift card from a gift card mall (meaning somewhere other than directly from the merchant), you might need to talk to both the seller and the reseller because each party only has access to half of the transaction. The gift card reseller (gift card mall) should be able to provide information about the gift card activation (e.g. possibly even provide the gift card number), but they don’t know if the card has been used. Conversely, the merchant can tell you about transactions on the card and the remaining balance, but it can’t tell you information about the original purchase. Since both parties have a vested interest in providing a positive gifting experience, however, I expect both would be willing to help resolve the situation.

While the merchant may not be willing to replace a lost gift card without having all of the information, it doesn’t hurt to ask. If your claim is legitimate and you’ve done all the work needed to track down the card number, your efforts might be rewarded.

1. Put the Gift Card in Your Wallet:
   By putting the gift card in your wallet next to the credit and debit cards you use most often, you’re more likely to see the gift card on a regular basis. Seeing the gift card will help you use it in a timely manner. Using the card quickly prevents you from losing it.
2. Record the Gift Card Number:
   This is very old school, but simply writing the gift card number (and PIN, if it has one), on a notepad, in your smartphone or in a journal is a simple way to keep track of the gift card numbers you haven’t used. If you lose the physical plastic, you can always spend the gift card online or call the issuing gift card company to order a replacement.
3. Put the Gift Card into an App or Mobile Wallet:
   The easiest way to keep track of gift card numbers is to enter the cards into a mobile wallet or gift card app. I have used several. If you store gift cards electronically, you may be able to use the gift cards in stores without carrying the plastic plus many feature automated balance checks so I don’t have to remember how much money is on the card–the app keeps track of it for me. For this reason, I think gift card apps are useful for more than just making sure I have a way to recover a lost gift card.
4. Take a Picture of the Gift Card:
   Somewhere between writing the gift card number down on paper and entering the cards digitally into a mobile wallet is this hybrid solution that’s a mix of both–simply take a picture of the front and back of the gift card. In your camera roll, you’ll always have a copy of the card number, customer service line and PIN, if applicable. (Be sure to scratch the PIN off before taking the picture). This is just one of gift card hacks that can save you time, money and hassle!
5. Register the Gift Card:
   Even if you expect to use the gift card fairly quickly, it’s a good idea to register the gift card at the issuing company. At Giftcards.com, you can register your Visa® Gift Card when you activate it. Other companies do the same. It’s a lot easier to work with a company on replacing a card if they already have your customer information (and the card number) in their system.
6. Save the Activation Receipt:
   This isn’t my favorite thing to do when giving a gift because it looks…ugly, but I frequently tuck the activation receipt of a gift card into the gift card holder. This way, the recipient has a record of the purchase if anything goes wrong. If you receive the activation slip, hold onto it until the gift card is fully redeemed.