11 Days Until Gift Card Program Transition

The transition of the ABA Gift Card Program from a national program to an in-store program, which began in September 2009, will become final on June 1. Over the course of the past 10 months, ABA staff has reached out to all gift card participants to help ensure a smooth changeover. Many are set to go, but a number of stores have yet to let ABA know their plans.

For those who have yet to finalize their gift card plans, here's a quick look at some of the options (complete details are available on BookWeb's Gift Card program page):

• If you are staying with the program's current processor, Givex, (even if just to redeem cards), you will need to sign a Givex Merchant Agreement and fax it as soon as possible to (416) 981-3990.

  If you have unused cards that you want to use with Givex after June 1, you will need to create a file of inactive certificate or Givex numbers.

• If you are moving your Givex card numbers to another processor, e-mail [email protected] with the name of the processor. ABA will handle the export of your numbers and provide additional instructions, if necessary.

• On June 1, the re-order site, www.jettdirect.com/aba, will no longer be in service. There are a limited amount of cards and holders still in stock. If you've forgotten your ID/password, e-mail [email protected].

• On or after June 1, if you are presented with a gift card that your store did not issue, suggest that the customer contact the issuing bookstore, or if the bookstore is out of business, the customer can mail the card to ABA for reimbursement. A downloadable sign and reimbursement form are available to help stores address these issues.

  ABA has also created generic wording for stores to sticker on the back of gift cards.

• ACH transfers: Friday, July 16, will be the last $20 monthly fee for the ABA gift card program; however, there will be one last transfer of the ABFFE Freadom card donation. Outstanding invoices for card and holder orders will be processed over the next couple of months.

• Questions about the gift card program transition should be addressed to ABA's Jill Perlstein via e-mail or phone (800-637-0037, ext. 6642) or Linda Ford (800-637-0037, ext. 6644).