Gift card - Scotland Loves Local

Unbeatable local choice through one gift card

The Scotland Loves Local Gift Card is a simple idea with a powerful impact. Designed to keep lock spending into local economies, it enables people, businesses and organisations to invest directly in the communities they care about, helping to support local businesses, sustain jobs and keep more money local for longer. It is a fantastic tool to support community wealth building.

Unlike traditional gift cards, the Scotland Loves Local Gift Card can only be spent with participating local businesses which have a physical presence in communities. Every purchase helps keep money circulating locally, supporting the businesses which are at the heart of Scotland’s towns, neighbourhoods and high streets. It is a practical way for individuals to give meaningful gifts while making a positive contribution to local economic growth.

Supporting local economies

Since its launch, the Scotland Loves Local Gift Card programme has grown into one of the largest local gifting initiatives of its kind in the UK. Available across communities throughout Scotland, the programme has unlocked millions of pounds of spending for local businesses and demonstrated the significant economic impact that can be achieved when people choose to spend locally. From independent retailers and cafés to leisure venues, service providers and hospitality businesses, thousands of local enterprises have benefited from spending generated through the card.

The Scotland Loves Local Gift Card has also become an important tool for organisations looking to support local economies. Businesses, public sector bodies and community organisations use the card to reward employees, recognise achievements and deliver support schemes, ensuring that investment reaches local businesses and communities directly. By directing spending into local economies, the programme helps maximise the economic and social value of every pound invested.

Support for local made easy

As part of the wider Scotland Loves Local movement, the gift card is helping to transform the way people think about spending and gifting. It demonstrates how collective local action can create meaningful economic impact, generating income for businesses, supporting jobs and contributing to more resilient and prosperous communities.

What the Scotland Loves Local Gift Card means to us

The most successful local gift card in the UK: insight from Aberdeen on building your Scotland Loves Local Gift Card

The South Ayrshire Gift Card: Scotts at Troon Yacht Haven

Renfrewshire Gift Card: Finishing Touches

Highlands Gift Card: La Tortilla

The Glasgow Gift Card: Once Upon A Whisky Tours

The Fife Gift Card: Thistle Island

The Edinburgh Gift Card: Fabhatrix

The Argyll & Bute Gift Card: Loch Fyne Gallery

Aberdeenshire Gift Card: Largue Pharmacy & Duke Street Pharmacy

The East Renfrewshire Gift Card: Kate’s Boutique

All you need to know about the Scotland Loves Local Gift Card

General

What is the Scotland Loves Local Gift Card?

The Scotland Loves Local Gift Card is a new way of ensuring that money in your community stays local for longer in every region across Scotland. Like any other gift card, you can choose the amount of money to load on to the card. The only difference with this is that it can only be spent within the recipient’s own region – giving them an opportunity to enjoy and support the businesses around them.

How does it work?

Like any other gift card. It can be spent in businesses in your area which sign up to be part of the programme. These businesses can be of any size or type – they simply need to have a physical presence in the region. They cannot be used with online-only businesses.

Can the cards be used online?

Gift Cards feature a 16 digit MasterCard Number, CVV and Expiry date allowing them to be used online at participating online retailers, as long as that retailer has a physical ‘bricks and mortar’ presence in the local authority area.

Can I only spend it in my region?

Yes. The technology we use to run the card system means that it operates on a “closed loop”, meaning the cards are set up only to be used inside the regions for which they are branded.

How long are Scotland Loves Local Gift Cards valid for?

Scotland Loves Local Gift Cards are valid for 12 months from the date of purchase.

Is it only small, independent businesses which can be part of the scheme?

As the cards use the existing MasterCard infrastructure, Scotland Loves Local Gift Cards can be accepted by independent businesses and national retailers alike, but they need to have a physical presence in the local authority area and be making a contribution to the local economy. Local Gift Cards can also be used online, but only where that business also has a “bricks and mortar” physical presence within that local authority area.

Are there any additional costs for consumers?

There are no additional costs for customers.

What functionality is there on the card’s e-commerce website?

On the Gift Card platform, you can purchase cards, check balances, and discover where to spend the gift card by checking the list of participating businesses.

How secure is the gift card programme?

Very. The Gift Card program utilises existing payments infrastructure using the MasterCard Network. Funds are secured in a ring-fenced FCA compliant wallet.

Is the Gift Card recyclable?

The Gift Card is a coated 100% paper-based card that provides a recyclable, environmentally friendly alternative to a traditional plastic gift card.

How does the Gift Card link in with the Scotland Loves Local?

The Gift Card is a mechanism through which the Scotland Loves Local campaign seeks to realise its objectives in a more direct, material fashion. It is more than just a ‘nice extra’, but a core tool to lock spend into local economies and support local businesses.

Who administers the Scotland Loves Local Gift Card?

The Scotland Loves Local Gift card is administered by Scotland’s Towns Partnership in partnership with Miconex.

Who is Scotland's Towns Partnership?

Scotland’s Towns Partnership (STP) is the voice of the country’s towns – championing their place at the heart of the nation and advocating their pivotal part in a stronger, more sustainable future. Find out more at scotlandstowns.org.

Merchant

I run a business. What is the Scotland Loves Local Gift Card? Do I need to pay?

A Scotland Loves Local Gift Card is a prepaid Private Label MasterCard. The Card does not feature Chip and Pin and is accepted by swiping the card through the magstripe reader on your card terminal or via a Card Holder Not Present Transaction.

There are no additional costs to accept The Scotland Loves Local Gift Card, it’s charged at the same rate as a normal MasterCard Debit Card transaction.

As the payment is a MasterCard transaction, you’ll receive the funds from your acquirer for the transaction as per your Merchant Acquirer Agreement.

In order to accept the Gift Card, you will need to process a declined transaction through your card terminal. This enables us to pick up your Merchant ID and add it to a list of approved Merchant IDs. You do not need to install any software or additional hardware to accept the Gift Card.

How does my individual business receive payment?

The Gift Card is a prepaid Mastercard and payments are received via your existing merchant services agreement.

How do I take payments with a Scotland Loves Local Gift Card?

Taking payments with The Scotland Loves Local Gift Card is as simple as taking any other card payment. Payments are received via your existing merchant services agreement.

Process as a Debit MasterCard transaction, as follows:

Card machine with swipe facility

If you have a card machine with a swipe facility, swipe the customer’s Scotland Loves Local Gift Card through the machine and the sales value will be deducted from the card balance. The cards can be used for full payment or split payments.

Card machine without a swipe facility

Without a swipe facility, the gift card payment can be completed by entering the card number, expiry and CVV (The CVV Security Code is above the QR code on the reverse of the card) on your terminal to complete the sale, as you would when taking a payment over the phone.

Some payment systems, such as Sumup, allow you to send a link to the customer’s phone to transact an online payment. Details on this can be found here: iZettle / SumUp

Split payments are possible between gift cards and another form of payment. Just follow these steps:

Find out the balance on the card (detailed below)
Follow your store’s normal process for split payments for your till If the customer is paying online and the value of the item is greater than that of the gift card then they will not be able to use the gift card for that purchase if the merchant does not allow two payment types to be taken.

Can I register to accept the gift card as an online business without a PDQ machine?

Anyone that can accept MasterCard, can register to the Scotland Loves Local Gift Card programme, regardless of the provider they use. If the merchant does not have a PDQ machine, but accepts payments via a website- they should

Purchase an item from their website
Pay for the item using the programme set up card details i.e. The card details listed on the Scotland Loves Local website under Step 1.

Card number 5387700064547778
Expiry 11/25
CVC 583

The transaction will then decline.

Then the merchant must then complete Stage 2 of the registration process, the registration form listed on the Scotland Loves Local website.
The merchant will then receive an email and be asked to confirm their participation by signing the acceptance agreement.

Following the above actions will register the business to the Scotland Loves Local programme.

How long after registering will it take for my business to appear on the Scotland Gifts Local website?

Your business will appear on the site after a maximum of 5 working days – the process can often be as quick as 24 hours!

How do I check how much is on the card?

The instructions on how to check the balance on the gift card are written on the reverse of the card.

The customers can call the balance enquiry number (0121 268 3210) – Online at www.getmybalance.com
Scan the QR code to check their balance.

How do I check at the till how much is on the card?

You can check the balance by running a 1p transaction through the till using the gift card.

This will not be taken off the customer’s card but will be credited to your merchant account.

You will need to:

Run a 1p transaction through your till using the gift card as the means of payment
On the receipt that prints out, the authorisation code will show the balance
An X will usually be used to show a decimal point, so an authorisation code on the receipt of 001X45 would show funds of £1.45 left on the card

What if there is not enough money on the gift card?

If there are insufficient funds on the gift cards in relation to the value being charged then the card will decline.

If the available balance on the gift card is less than the value of the purchase, you can split the payment and take payment of the remainder via another method.

Where is the CVV number?

The CVV Security Code is above the QR code on the reverse of the card.

Can I refund back onto the card?

Yes. Process a refund in the same way you would for any Mastercard Credit or Debit Card.

I have a new terminal, do I need to do anything?

If it’s only the terminal that has changed and the Merchant ID has remained the same then no action is required.

If the Merchant ID has changed we’ll need to re-register your terminal.

Where can the customer check where to spend the card?

The customer can check this online here.

The Gift Card has declined?

If the Gift Card has declined, please contact the Merchant Support Line: UK: +44 (0) 121 268 3210.

Please note EML opening hours:

Mon – Wed: 9am – 6pm

Thurs – Sat: 9am – 9pm

Sun: 10am – 6pm