> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.commercelayer.io/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.commercelayer.io/core-api-reference/2026-05/gift_cards.md).

# Gift cards

The gift card object and the allowed CRUD operations on the related resource endpoint

A gift card is a store-issued payment instrument with an outstanding balance. All gift cards must be activated before use. Rechargeable gift cards can be reloaded at any time. Single-use gift cards become redeemed after the first use, regardless of how much of the balance is used.

{% hint style="info" %}
You can set an expiration date for a gift card. Expired gift cards can no longer be used, but they remain active so you can use them again once the expiration date is updated.
{% endhint %}

You can associate a gift card with a market if you want to restrict its availability to that market.

## Log information

Two attributes provide additional information:

* `balance_log` — check this attribute to browse the history of a gift card's balance changes.
* `usage_log` — check this attribute for more information about how, when, and by which order the gift card has been used.

### Log retention

Both log attributes retain only the most recent **100** entries. Older entries are dropped at write time to keep the fields compact:

* **Balance** — the most recent entries up to the cap are kept, older ones are discarded.
* **Usage** — entries are grouped by order. The cap applies globally across all orders: the most recent entries are retained regardless of which order they belong to, and orders whose entries fall entirely outside the cap are removed.

{% hint style="info" %}
The retention limit is designed to keep log payloads compact. For high-volume gift cards with a long history, only the most recent activity will be visible in these attributes.
{% endhint %}

## Using gift cards as payment

Gift card redemption is managed through [payment sessions](/core-api-reference/2026-05/payment_sessions.md). To apply a gift card to an order, create a payment session using a [gift card payment setting](/core-api-reference/2026-05/payment_setting_gift_cards.md) and provide the gift card code. The session amount is automatically capped at the gift card's available balance.

{% hint style="success" %}
Multiple gift card sessions can be combined with other payment methods to cover the full order total.
{% endhint %}


---

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