Checklist template

Gift card and loyalty fraud prevention for restaurants

A ready-to-use checklist with 110 items in 6 sections, covering Gift card stock, Activation controls, Redemption, Loyalty abuse, Reports, Employee awareness. Use it as-is in Bindy, or adapt it to your own standards in minutes.

  • 6 Sections
  • 110 Items
  • 93 Yes / No checks
  • 6 Scored ratings
  • 123 Points

Use this template How audits work

1. Gift card stock 19 items

  1. Gift cards beyond the display quantity are stored in the safe or a locked office cabinet Yes / No 1 pt
  2. Gift card shipments are counted against the packing slip on arrival Yes / No 1 pt
  3. A stock log records cards received, cards moved to the display and cards on hand Yes / No 1 pt
  4. The count of stored cards during the visit matched the stock log Yes / No 1 pt
  5. Gift cards in storage at the time of the visit Number
  6. Date of the last recorded gift card stock count Date
  7. Only managers have access to the stored cards Yes / No 1 pt
  8. The gift card display is within sight of a cashier Yes / No 1 pt
  9. Cards on display were checked today for tampering Yes / No 1 pt
  10. No card on display has an exposed PIN or a scratched security panel Yes / No 1 pt
  11. No card on display has a sticker placed over its barcode Yes / No 1 pt
  12. Tampered cards are removed from sale and reported to head office Yes / No 1 pt
  13. Cards of other brands sold from a third-party rack are included in the daily tamper check Yes / No 1 pt
  14. Damaged cards are cut up Yes / No 1 pt
  15. Destroyed cards are entered in the stock log Yes / No 1 pt
  16. Promotional bonus cards are counted on their own stock log Yes / No 1 pt
  17. A bonus card is issued only with the receipt of the qualifying purchase Yes / No 1 pt
  18. Bonus cards from ended promotions have been removed from the registers Yes / No 1 pt
  19. Control of gift card stock Rating
    • Log matches count, stock locked 5 pts
    • Small count differences 3 pts
    • No log or stock unsecured 1 pt

2. Activation controls 20 items

  1. A card is activated only after the payment has been approved Yes / No 1 pt
  2. The activation receipt is handed to the customer with the card Yes / No 1 pt
  3. The point-of-sale system refuses a gift card as payment for another gift card Yes / No 1 pt
  4. Activations above the amount set by company policy require a manager's approval Yes / No 1 pt
  5. The point-of-sale system enforces a maximum value per activation Yes / No 1 pt
  6. Bulk or corporate gift card orders are referred to the head office program Yes / No 1 pt
  7. Voiding an activation requires a manager's approval Yes / No 1 pt
  8. The manager keeps the card when an activation is voided Yes / No 1 pt
  9. The balance of a voided card is confirmed at zero Yes / No 1 pt
  10. Typing a card number by hand to activate it is blocked or requires a manager Yes / No 1 pt
  11. Gift cards are not sold on payment card details given over the phone Yes / No 1 pt
  12. A customer whose payment cards are declined several times while buying gift cards is referred to the manager Yes / No 1 pt
  13. Reloading a card follows the same approval limits as activation Yes / No 1 pt
  14. An employee buying a gift card is rung up by a manager Yes / No 1 pt
  15. Complimentary cards issued by managers for service recovery are logged with the guest's name Yes / No 1 pt
  16. The complimentary card log states the reason for each card Yes / No 1 pt
  17. The value of complimentary cards issued per manager is within the limit set by company policy Yes / No 1 pt
  18. Cashiers asked know never to activate a card for a caller claiming to be from head office, IT or the card processor Yes / No 1 pt
  19. Largest single activation in the last 7 days (dollars) Number
  20. Activation practice observed or described by cashiers Rating
    • Payment first, limits known 5 pts
    • Limits not known 3 pts
    • Cards activated before payment 1 pt

3. Redemption 18 items

  1. Gift cards are swiped or scanned at redemption Yes / No 1 pt
  2. Typing a card number by hand to redeem it requires a manager Yes / No 1 pt
  3. A photo or screenshot of a card is refused unless it is shown in the company's app Yes / No 1 pt
  4. The remaining balance is printed on the receipt Yes / No 1 pt
  5. Cards with a zero balance are destroyed, not left at the register Yes / No 1 pt
  6. Gift cards left behind by guests are logged Yes / No 1 pt
  7. Found gift cards are held in the safe Yes / No 1 pt
  8. Cash is paid out for a card balance only where local regulation requires it Yes / No 1 pt
  9. A refund for a purchase paid by gift card goes back onto a gift card Yes / No 1 pt
  10. A written procedure covers gift card redemption when the card system is offline Yes / No 1 pt
  11. Cashiers asked could describe the offline redemption procedure Yes / No 1 pt
  12. Cards redeemed for a high amount on the same shift they were activated are reviewed Yes / No 1 pt
  13. Employees do not use guests' leftover card balances for their own purchases Yes / No 1 pt
  14. Balance inquiries run many times in one shift by the same cashier without a sale are reviewed Yes / No 1 pt
  15. Guests reporting a drained or zero balance are referred to gift card support Yes / No 1 pt
  16. Each report of a drained balance is logged with the card number Yes / No 1 pt
  17. Reports of drained balances in the last 30 days Number
  18. Redemption handling observed Rating
    • Scanned, balance given, used cards destroyed 5 pts
    • Scanned, but balance not given or used cards kept at the register 3 pts
    • Card numbers typed by hand without a manager 1 pt

4. Loyalty abuse 19 items

  1. Cashiers ask for the guest's loyalty account before totaling the order Yes / No 1 pt
  2. Points are credited only to the account the guest presents Yes / No 1 pt
  3. No loyalty barcode or phone number is taped at a register or drive-thru window Yes / No 1 pt
  4. Employees do not scan their own loyalty account on a guest's purchase Yes / No 1 pt
  5. The loyalty system limits the number of earning transactions per account per day Yes / No 1 pt
  6. Accounts reaching the daily transaction limit at this site are reviewed each week Yes / No 1 pt
  7. Employee loyalty accounts are declared as company policy requires Yes / No 1 pt
  8. Points are not earned on meals rung with the employee discount Yes / No 1 pt
  9. Adding points manually requires a manager login Yes / No 1 pt
  10. Each manual point adjustment is logged with a reason Yes / No 1 pt
  11. Rewards are rung under the reward code, not as a discount or void Yes / No 1 pt
  12. The item handed out matches the reward redeemed in size Yes / No 1 pt
  13. Receipts left behind by guests are discarded so that their point codes cannot be claimed Yes / No 1 pt
  14. Survey reward codes are validated in the point-of-sale system before the free item is given Yes / No 1 pt
  15. App offers are scanned live from the app, not from a screenshot, where the system can tell the difference Yes / No 1 pt
  16. A single-use offer code tested during the visit was rejected on its second use Yes / No 1 pt
  17. The point-of-sale system blocks combining offers that are not meant to be combined Yes / No 1 pt
  18. Manual point adjustments in the last 30 days Number
  19. Loyalty handling at the register during the visit Rating
    • Guest account requested and scanned every time 5 pts
    • Not always requested 3 pts
    • Points credited to an account not presented by the guest 1 pt

5. Reports 16 items

  1. The manager reviews the gift card activation report every day Yes / No 1 pt
  2. Activations are compared with gift card sales tendered in the point-of-sale system Yes / No 1 pt
  3. The report of voided activations is reviewed weekly Yes / No 1 pt
  4. Gift card redemptions are reviewed by cashier Yes / No 1 pt
  5. Loyalty transactions are reviewed by cashier for repeated use of one account Yes / No 1 pt
  6. Refunds issued onto gift cards are reviewed by cashier each week Yes / No 1 pt
  7. Reward redemptions are compared with the number of loyalty transactions each period Yes / No 1 pt
  8. The district manager reviews the complimentary card log Yes / No 1 pt
  9. Exceptions found in the reports are investigated in writing Yes / No 1 pt
  10. Camera footage is checked for flagged gift card or loyalty transactions Yes / No 1 pt
  11. Confirmed cases are escalated to loss prevention or head office Yes / No 1 pt
  12. Reviewed reports are initialed by the manager Yes / No 1 pt
  13. Gift card activations in the last 7 days (dollars) Number
  14. Voided activations in the last 7 days Number
  15. Date of the last gift card report review Date
  16. Review of gift card and loyalty reports Rating
    • Reviewed on schedule with follow-up 5 pts
    • Reviewed without follow-up 3 pts
    • Not reviewed 1 pt

6. Employee awareness 18 items

  1. Gift card rules are covered in cashier training Yes / No 1 pt
  2. Loyalty program rules are covered in cashier training Yes / No 1 pt
  3. Cashiers have signed the gift card and loyalty policy Yes / No 1 pt
  4. Cashiers are trained to alert the manager when a guest buys several high-value cards while on the phone Yes / No 1 pt
  5. A notice warning guests about gift card scams is posted at the display Yes / No 1 pt
  6. Cashiers asked know that no manager will ask for card numbers or PINs by phone or text Yes / No 1 pt
  7. Cashiers asked know that crediting a guest's purchase to a personal loyalty account is treated as theft Yes / No 1 pt
  8. Employees asked can name the confidential line or contact for reporting suspected fraud Yes / No 1 pt
  9. New hires of the last 90 days have completed the gift card and loyalty module Yes / No 1 pt
  10. Shift managers asked could state the activation approval limit Yes / No 1 pt
  11. A cashier asked could show where to look for tampering on a card Yes / No 1 pt
  12. Fraud alerts from head office are posted in the office Yes / No 1 pt
  13. Gift card or loyalty fraud incidents at this site are documented Yes / No 1 pt
  14. Gift card or loyalty fraud incidents in the last 12 months Number
  15. Corrective actions from the previous gift card and loyalty review have been completed Yes / No 1 pt
  16. Name of the manager on duty Short text
  17. Overall control of gift card and loyalty fraud Rating
    • Stock, activations and point adjustments logged and reviewed 5 pts
    • Controls in place, but reports not reviewed on schedule 3 pts
    • Cards unsecured, or activations and points unchecked 1 pt
  18. Corrective actions required Comments

About this template

This checklist is part of the Bindy template library. Yes / No checks score 1 point when met; ratings score the points shown for each option. The overall score is the percentage of points earned, with N/A answers excluded. In Bindy you can add photos, assign corrective actions, require sign-off and compare results across sites.

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