Creating records for gift cards with third-party barcodes

One way for exhibitors to increase revenue is to allow third-party retailers to sell gift cards on their behalf. To allow gift cards to be recognised by both the third-party's and exhibitor's systems, barcodes can comprise two sets of digits. One set is processed by the third party and the other by the cinema. The voucher code within the third party's portion is recorded in Vista as an alias voucher code.

For example: Gift cards sold through a supermarket may have a 30-digit barcode, with only the first 15 being read when swiped for purchase. When scanned at the cinema, Vista reads the full 30-digit barcode. Vouchers and Gift Cards recognises the alias voucher code, and uses its associated serial positioning to identify the cinema barcode.

You can create a record in your system for gift cards with alias voucher codes, allowing moviegoers to redeem and top them up through your sales channels.

1. In Voucher Manager, create and save a new Voucher Type record to represent gift cards being sold by the third party.

   Note: This automatically generates the required Items in Back Office.

2. Open Vouchers and Gift Cards, and go to Voucher Types.
3. Open your newly-created gift card.
4. On the Voucher Type tab, clear Randomise Barcodes, and click Save.
5. In Voucher Manager, reopen the gift card record.
6. Select Use alias code and serial position.

   Note: This option is only available for non-randomised gift cards.

7. In the Voucher code column in the grid that appears below, enter the alias voucher codes for the gift card.

   This is a string of characters within the third-party portion of the barcode. It's determined by the Vouchers and Gift Cards system setting VoucherBarcodePrefixLength.

   Setting

   Example value

   Description

   VoucherBarcodePrefixLength

   1,5

   Specifies the start and end positions (inclusive) of the voucher type code (voucher prefix).

   For example: 1,5 means the voucher type code starts in position 1 and is 5 characters long.

8. In the Serial start and Serial end columns, enter the serial position for the cinema barcode.

   Note: The length of the serial must match the value of the Vouchers and Gift Cards system setting VoucherBarcodeNoLength.

   Setting

   Example value

   Description

   VoucherBarcodeNumberLength

   6,12

   Specifies the start and end positions (inclusive) of the serial within the barcode.

   For example: 6,12 means the serial starts in position 6 and is 7 characters long.

9. Save the gift card record.
10. Open Back Office, and go to Items.
11. Open the Items used for selling and recharging these gift cards.
12. For each Item record, go to the Barcodes and Vouchers tab and enter the alias voucher codes into the Barcode field.
13. Save each item record.

    Your system is now configured to process gift cards with alias voucher codes.