---
title: "Allocate"
method: POST
path: "/giftcards/allocate"
tags: ["Gift Cards"]
---

# Allocate

`POST /giftcards/allocate`

This function requests that a new gift card be allocated for use under a specific Program ID. The new card will be generated during the request and activated with the requested amount.

**Integration Methods:**
- Host Direct
- Locally Installed UTG
- Commerce Engine For On Premise
- Commerce Engine For Cloud

See the [Integration Methods](/guides/quickstart#integration-methods) and [URLs Section](/guides/quickstart#urls) sections of the Development Quick Start guide for details regarding each processing option.

## Headers

- `InterfaceVersion` string, required
- `InterfaceName` string, required
- `CompanyName` string, required
- `AccessToken` string, uuid, required

## Request body

- object
  - `dateTime` string, ISO 8601, required — The date and time in ISO 8601 format including the timezone offset (yyyy-mm-ddThh:mm:ss.nnn+hh:mm). Must be sent as the local date/time of the merchant. For example, a request processed at a merchant in the Pacific time zone at 9:18am on April 15th 2021 would be sent as 2021-04-15T09:18:23.283-07:00
  - `amount` AmountGC, required — Object containing information regarding the amount being added onto the card or removed from the card.
    - `total` number, required — The amount which should be added to the card's balance. Amount cannot be zero.
    - `checkTotal` number — Optional field specifying the total amount of the entire bill/invoice that this transaction is part of. It can be larger than `amount.total` in scenarios where the check is being split or if a portion of the check was already paid in cash or another form of payment.
  - `programId` string — The ID value for the program you are allocating a gift card under.
  - `transaction` object, required
    - `invoice` string, required — 10-digit invoice number assigned by the interface to identify a transaction. An invoice number serves as a unique key that identifies a transaction within a batch in Shift4's Gateway. **Note: For US and Canadian processing: Although the invoice number is sent as a JSON string it is a numeric value. No alpha characters are allowed.** **For processing outside of the US and Canada alpha characters are allowed.**

## Response `200`

Transaction was processed

- object
  - `result` object[]
    - `dateTime` string, ISO 8601 — The date and time in ISO 8601 format including the timezone offset (yyyy-mm-ddThh:mm:ss.nnn+hh:mm). Must be sent as the local date/time of the merchant. For example, a request processed at a merchant in the Pacific time zone at 9:18am on April 15th 2021 would be sent as 2021-04-15T09:18:23.283-07:00
    - `amount` AmountGCResponse — Object containing information regarding the amount being added onto the card or removed from the card.
      - `total` number, required — For [Activate](/apis/payments-platform-rest/openapi/gift-cards/activate), [Allocate](/apis/payments-platform-rest/openapi/gift-cards/allocate) or [Reload](/apis/payments-platform-rest/openapi/gift-cards/reload) requests, this is the amount which was added to the card's balance. For [Cashout](/apis/payments-platform-rest/openapi/gift-cards/cashout) requests, this is the amount of cash that should be provided to the customer.
    - `card` object
      - `number` string — The gift card number that was created during the gift card allocate request.
      - `type` 'GC' | 'YC' — An abbreviation used to specify the type of card that was used when processing a transaction. Value| Description -----|------------ GC | Gift Card YC | IT’S YOUR CARD
      - `balance` CardBalance
        - `amount` number — The balance remaining on the card. Depending on which processor is being used, the balance may be returned for a gift card, debit card, EBT card, or other stored value card.
    - `merchant` MerchantResponse
      - `mid` number — The merchant ID associated with the merchant account.
      - `name` string — The merchant’s business name as configured with Shift4.
    - `programId` string — The ID value for the program you are allocating a gift card under.
    - `server` Server
      - `name` string — The name of the server that processed the request.
    - `transaction` object
      - `invoice` string — 10-digit invoice number assigned by the interface to identify a transaction. An invoice number serves as a unique key that identifies a transaction within a batch in Shift4's Gateway. **Note: For US and Canadian processing: Although the invoice number is sent as a JSON string it is a numeric value. No alpha characters are allowed.** **For processing outside of the US and Canada alpha characters are allowed.**
      - `responseCode` 'A' | 'C' | 'D' | 'e' | 'f' | 'P' | 'R' | 'X' | 'S' | 'I' — Code indicating the Shift4 host response. Value | Description | Details -------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|-------- A | Approved | The transaction is approved. C | Approved | The transaction is approved without requiring additional authorization because it is less than or equal to a ceiling amount. (The ceiling amount is the original authorization amount multiplied by the tolerance per the merchant’s settings with Shift4.) D | Declined | The transaction is declined. <b>Note: Shift4 automatically declines AVS/CSC failures if the [POSHANDLEAVSFAIL Api Option](/guides/appendices/api-options#poshandleavsfail) was not sent in the request.</b> e | [Error](/guides/appendices/error-codes) | There is an error condition. f | [AVS or CSC failure](/guides/response-handling/understanding-avs-and-csc-verification)| An AVS or CSC failure has occurred (credit card only). <b>Note: This value will only be returned if the [POSHANDLEAVSFAIL Api Option](/guides/appendices/api-options#poshandleavsfail) was sent in the request.</b> P | [Partial approval](/guides/advanced-concepts/partial-approval) | A partial approval has occurred. Check `amount.total` for the approved amount. R | Voice referral | The transaction requires a voice referral. [blank]| Status is unknown | The approval status is unknown. X | Expired card | There is an error condition due to the card being expired. S | SCA Online PIN required | The contactless EMV transaction requires strong customer authentication to continue. The terminal must gather the online PIN if supported by the device form factor and CVM list then resubmit the transaction request. I | SCA Interface switch required | The contactless EMV transaction requires strong customer authentication to continue. The terminal must look at the form factor indicator to determine if the transaction should be declined, switched to EMV contact or tapped again using CDCVM. J | Soft decline after exemption request | Transaction was soft declined. Returned when requesting an exemption by sending `transaction.exemptionAction = 02` and the card issuer rejects the exemption.

## Other responses

- `400` — Error
- `504` — Timeout

---

[API](https://skmtc.dev/shift4/apis/shift4-payment-api.md) · [All operations](https://skmtc.dev/shift4/apis/shift4-payment-api/llms.txt) · [OpenAPI document](https://skmtc-service-production.skmtc.workers.dev/v1/apis/shift4/shift4-payment-api/revisions/2f85c87cc9e5/schema)