Chapters/Indigo gift cards Announced!!!

[MikeLC]

The long wait is over for gift cards for Kobo ebooks. Beginning Dec 1st you will now beable to use Chapters/Indigo gift cards to make ebook purchases for you Kobo ereader.

However you will still need to have a registered Kobo account with a Visa or Mastercard already setup as a backup incase the gift card runs out of money.

Also on the note for Kobo users is the new ebook book gifts which is also coming up in December, you will beable to purchase ebooks as gifts and give them to people on a preset date that you decide. This is something that currently only Kobo ereaders will have the option of doing so.

[Pookeysgirl]

Originally Posted by MikeLC

The long wait is over for gift cards for Kobo ebooks. Beginning Dec 1st you will now beable to use Chapters/Indigo gift cards to make ebook purchases for you Kobo ereader.

However you will still need to have a registered Kobo account with a Visa or Mastercard already setup as a backup incase the gift card runs out of money.

Also on the note for Kobo users is the new ebook book gifts which is also coming up in December, you will beable to purchase ebooks as gifts and give them to people on a preset date that you decide. This is something that currently only Kobo ereaders will have the option of doing so.

That's awesome, thanks for the update!

[Psyke]

very good to hear considering how many chapters giftcards our 9 year old gets from family...if it were real cash,she'd be a really rich little girl

[amo]

Yea! It's my birthday in December, too, so very timely release.

[pokee]

Originally Posted by MikeLC

However you will still need to have a registered Kobo account with a Visa or Mastercard already setup as a backup incase the gift card runs out of money.

I know a lot of people are not going to like this, as some people do not have credit cards. Personally, I don't mind at all, but what about some younger folks that maybe don't have a credit card? On the Chapters website, you don't need one, and if you don't have enough money on your gift card, you simply cannot place the order. Not sure why the same sort of logic was on implemented on the Kobo website???

[JPenguin]

Originally Posted by pokee

I know a lot of people are not going to like this, as some people do not have credit cards. Personally, I don't mind at all, but what about some younger folks that maybe don't have a credit card? On the Chapters website, you don't need one, and if you don't have enough money on your gift card, you simply cannot place the order. Not sure why the same sort of logic was on implemented on the Kobo website???

It could be a geographical restriction issue, the Kobo website uses the credit card's billing address to enforce the geographical restrictions. If the Kobo website would accept Chapters gift cards without a credit card they don't know the country to associate with the account.

[Psyke]

What I would like to see next is pooling of multiple gift cards like what the chapters site has.

[Suzanna]

Originally Posted by pokee

I know a lot of people are not going to like this, as some people do not have credit cards. Personally, I don't mind at all, but what about some younger folks that maybe don't have a credit card? On the Chapters website, you don't need one, and if you don't have enough money on your gift card, you simply cannot place the order. Not sure why the same sort of logic was on implemented on the Kobo website???

I'm guessing that the Chapters/Indigo site is wired to know exactly how much money is on the gift card. Kobo doesn't share the same database - they're a separate company. They might have to go on the honor system and trust that people say they have $X left on their card, but they may not be able to actually verify that amount.

[Psyke]

Originally Posted by Sao

I'm guessing that the Chapters/Indigo site is wired to know exactly how much money is on the gift card. Kobo doesn't share the same database - they're a separate company. They might have to go on the honor system and trust that people say they have $X left on their card, but they may not be able to actually verify that amount.

that doesn't seem to be the case, because it says that it will first go to the giftcard, subtract the amount from it, and any remaining balance is removed from the credit card. I believe this is to make sure that people who use the gift card multiple times are able to use every cent on the gift card, and it will do so before going over to the visa.

Personally, I don't see this as a big deal per say in that I'll purchase a 25$ gift visa and use that as my rollover card. While I don't care for the extra charge for the gift visa's, it won't be as bad now that we can use the giftcards instead..

[Psyke]

Originally Posted by Psyke

What I would like to see next is pooling of multiple gift cards like what the chapters site has.

I just thought of something, and maybe if MikeLC can confirm this; Can I take giftcards given to me, pool them on the chapters site, then purchase another giftcard with said pooled resources and use it on the kobobooks site??


thanks!
Steph S.

[stodge]

I don't like websites that want to store my card details - they can always be hacked, quite easily I assume. I prefer sites that let me enter my card details on checkout and then discard the information.

[Pookeysgirl]

Originally Posted by stodge

I don't like websites that want to store my card details - they can always be hacked, quite easily I assume. I prefer sites that let me enter my card details on checkout and then discard the information.

You can always clear the information when you're done

[MikeLC]

Originally Posted by Psyke

I just thought of something, and maybe if MikeLC can confirm this; Can I take giftcards given to me, pool them on the chapters site, then purchase another giftcard with said pooled resources and use it on the kobobooks site??


thanks!
Steph S.

Hi sorry for the late response first off. To answer your question you can load all your gift cards on the Chapters site but that only works on Chapters purchases. If you want a new gift card with the entire balance on it I would suggest bringing it to one of our Chapters/Indigo stores and we'll give you a new one with the new balance.

[amo]

Originally Posted by MikeLC

Hi sorry for the late response first off. To answer your question you can load all your gift cards on the Chapters site but that only works on Chapters purchases. If you want a new gift card with the entire balance on it I would suggest bringing it to one of our Chapters/Indigo stores and we'll give you a new one with the new balance.

That could be inconvenient for people who live a long ways from a store and just want to shop online.

Can you apply more than one gift card to a kobo purchase? Or is it just one gift card, plus credit card for the balance, per purchase?

[JackandJessie]

I just loaded two gift certificates to my online chapters account and then transferred them to a gift card to use on kobo site. No problems, didn't have to go to a store to do it.