1,022 reviews
AI reviews summary
Pros
Cons
Verdict
The service offers a convenient and fast way to purchase and send digital gifts with a broad range of themes. However, significant reliability issues with merchant acceptance and difficult customer service make using the cards a frustrating experience for many recipients. The disparity between advertised usability and the practical reality of redeeming the cards is a recurring point of friction.
My daughter gave me two Restaurant Gift Cards (from TCN The Card Network) as a birthday present. They appeared to be an ideal restaurant card in that they claimed to be the #1 restaurant card and could be used at over 10,000 restaurants in Australia! As a precaution, when we decided to use the cards at an upmarket restaurant, I asked if they… Read more
accepted the cards, and they told me that they did accept dining cards.
Unfortunately, once we had completed our 2-course lunch with wine, etc I went to pay the bill. It was only then that the simple tap-and-go process would not accept the cards!! With credit to the restaurant, they tried every variation they could, but to no avail. The failure could not be explained, and we had to pick up the tab with our credit card.
I contacted TCN, and they were helpful in that they resolved the problem by fully refunding the total card value to my bank account. However, the whole process was embarrassing (at the restaurant) and upsetting in the process of requesting the refund.
It appears that the problem lies within the restaurant's financial processing system, in that some restaurants have a take-out facility, which TCN Restaurant Gift Cards, for some reason, will not accept that payment code. Unfortunately, the restaurants are unlikely to realise this issue (when they can accept other cards). Be very cautious when selecting this card as a gift, or selecting your restaurant to use this card.
Wish I could give no stars! Cards are impossible for older people to activate and they should not expire! Ours was out by 25 days and they still wouldn't extend... worst company ever!
Hi Kristy, We’re sorry to hear how difficult… Read more
An absolute joke.. i hate gift cards and TCN especially.. I have a KIDS gift card and I've registered it to use at baby bunting online and it can't be converted.. I've followed the steps and there's no where to convert to baby bunting unless I use in-store.. customer service only Monday to Friday..
Hi there, Thank you for sharing your… Read more (+2 replies)
Reviews with attachments
Really easy and quick to use I would definitely recommend Show reply
Fast, and very effective , great help and very easy to find I’m Show reply
Easy to order quickly delivery time and super quick activation Show reply
I would strongly recommend choosing a standard prepaid Mastercard or similar alternative that offers genuine flexibility and transparency. I am writing this review to raise serious concerns about how the “HER” gift card issued by The Card Network is marketed versus how it actually functions in practice. The packaging states that the card can be… Read more
used at “over 4500 stores.” For any reasonable consumer, especially someone purchasing this as a gift, this strongly implies broad usability across a wide range of retailers. The packaging also states "runs on Australia's eftpos. This coupled with the 4500 stores, creates a clear expectation that the card could be used in a flexible way. The card itself states "How to Use Online: Head to www.card.gift/her to swap your card for a digital option", alluding to conversion to a digital payment method for wider acceptance.
In reality, this is not the case.
Upon attempting to use the card, I discovered that it is effectively restricted to a list of approximately 76 participating retailers shown on the website. The “4500 stores” claim refers not to individual retailers, but to the total number of physical store locations operated by those limited brands. This distinction is not made clear on the packaging and is, in my view, misleading.
After repeated failed attempts to contact support through the website (which consistently returned a “Sorry, something went wrong with our server. Please try again later” error over several hours), I contacted customer service by phone. I specifically requested to have the card converted into a digital format so it could be used more broadly, consistent with what the packaging suggests.
During this call, the representative acknowledged that this issue has been raised previously and discussed with management. Despite this awareness, no solution was offered beyond selecting from the limited retailer list. It was also confirmed during this conversation that the “4500 stores” refers to store locations, not a wide network of independent retailers.
My son purchased this card in good faith based on the statement “use at over 4500 stores.” I find it difficult to believe he would be the first person to be misled by this wording.
While this product may suit consumers who already intend to shop at one of the listed retailers, it does not align with the expectations created by its marketing. Consumers should be aware that this is not a widely accepted prepaid card, nor can it be freely converted into one.
Given this experience, I can't recommend purchasing this product as a gift option. I would strongly recommend instead,choosing a standard prepaid Mastercard or similar alternative that offers genuine flexibility and transparency.
Hi there, thanks for taking the time to share… Read more
Cannot use card on line. Tried 2 different sites. Card number invalid. Does have enough money loaded on card.Sent 2 emails. No reply. One email requesting photo of card. Sent photo.
I purchased a Teen Gift Card from The Card Network for my daughter because the packaging specifically stated that it could be redeemed at SHEIN. SHEIN was the only retailer she was interested in, so this was the reason I chose this gift card. When she went to use the $20 gift card, we discovered that it cannot actually be redeemed directly at… Read more
SHEIN. The only option available was to swap it for a SHEIN voucher, but the minimum voucher denomination is $30, meaning the $20 gift card is effectively unusable for the retailer it was advertised for.
This limitation was not clearly disclosed on the packaging or at the time of purchase. Had I known that a $20 card could not be used for SHEIN, I would not have bought it.
I contacted The Card Network, but they advised that this is due to a limitation with SHEIN and would not provide a refund or a $20 SHEIN voucher. However, my purchase was made from The Card Network, and I believe they have a responsibility to accurately represent what their product can actually be used for.
Very disappointing experience. A gift card should do what it claims it can do, and any important restrictions should be clearly communicated before purchase.
Hi HMJ, We’re sorry for the frustration.… Read more
If you're sending someone one of their E-gift cards via email, your money will disappear from your account, the person who was to receive the E-gift card won't receive it and when you ring over 24 hours later they'll tell you it's still in review while they've happily taken money from your account. DO NOT TRUST THIS BUSINESS !! * As an addendum … Read more
They cancelled the transaction After speaking with them via phone and having them tell me it's still in review over 24 hours from purchase, I respectfully said I was not happy and would escalate if the recipient hadn't received it within the next 24 hours. Given that they most likely recorded the phone conversation for "training purposes" I'm happy for them to release that call to the Public. Once again, do not buy through this Company. That is my experience
Hi Sam, Thank you for taking the time to share… Read more
I don't know what's happened, to be honest. My daughter tells me one thing after I Googled TCN to discover something else, that you can only buy from participating stores. Why do I have a Digital Visa Card?
Hi Lee, thank you for taking the time to share… Read more
I ordered an Uber eats gift card for a friend in NSW .My friend has been going through Chemo I'm in WA and wanted to do something practical for her . The money was pending in my bank account and that afternoon 5 hours after placing my order .The order was cancelled and I was issued with a notice that my gift card purchase was flagged as… Read more
suspicious or fraudulent .I was really upset as I had sent my friend the order to tell her I was thinking about her and sending her some support to ease her load . I will never use card.gift again that was a completely insulting experience . Zero stars
Hi Ann, we're really sorry to hear about your… Read more
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Couldn't use my card in a participating store. Had to use cash. Activated card online, checked the balance and expiry, shopped at a listed retailer, still no luck. Customer service could not be any worse....phone calls are automatically terminated at 15 minutes forcing you to contact via email. They don't respond to emails either so no chance of resolving your issue. Avoid at all costs.
Hi Derek, thank you for your review. We're sorry… Read more
Got a gift card for Christmas. Went to convert to JB card. Pulled the bit off that covers the PIN, and it ripped half the pin number off too. Unbelievable. Then when I go the website to raise the issue, they actually have a drop down box with "pin scratched off" to choose from - indicating this must happen so often, they are prepared for it. Why… Read more
have you not fixed this then?? Had plans to download a game from xbox store - won't be today though. Tried to submit the online report on their website, which kept timing out the Captcha as it got stuck on "submitting". Writing reviews for rubbish products on Christmas day. Winning. Do better TCN!
Hi John, thanks for sharing your experience, and… Read more
Latest follow-ups
Terrible cards that don't always work and worse customer service. Had a gift card that I redeemed for an instore only retailer. When I went to use it it failed to tap over 10 times so I ended up paying cash. When I contacted customer support they… Read more
just said "we've already sent them the money and it should work in store" and that's when they stopped responding.
Follow-up · No additional follow-up following responses. As expected.
Hi Edward, Thank you for taking the time to… Read more (+1 reply)
Redeemed my gift card on the Thursday, website states will be emailed within 24hrs. Waited the 24 hrs, and more, followed up with customer support, radio silence. I called the following Monday to be told they had issues with emails being sent to… Read more
outlook and Gmail, but could send straight away now I was on the phone. I already made my purchase over the weekend whilst they failed to respond to my follow up. Refuse to re-allocate my gift card to a store I will be able to use at. Apparently the fact that their system (I still received plenty of other emails over the weekend with no issue) was not working, it is my problem and I’m sat with a gift card I cannot use. Terrible customer service.
Follow-up · No follow up given from The Card Network. They sent a response with the same repeated excuse that I was now stuck with a gift card I won’t use.
Hi Rhian, thank you for taking the time to share… Read more (+2 replies)
I would not buy a gift card from The Card Network. My daughter brought a cinema gift card, and during that 36mths I tried to use it but it was rejected by the local cinema. Shortly after that, I was diagnosed with major health issues over the rest… Read more
of that period. When checking the balance of course it has expired. So, this company The Card Network makes another $100 clear profit, from unforeseen circumstances. I sent an email to their site explaining the situation I received only a automatic response back with no understanding or satisfaction. I also understand a number of other customers from the reviews, are also discussed with the Card Network.
Follow-up · Nothing from the card network to fix the problem
Hi Lorraine, thank you for your feedback. We're… Read more (+2 replies)
Positive reviews
These site is the easiest and most simplist site I've used. They were quick with giving the card and quick with delivery to my email as I got a E-Digital card All in all best gift card site highly recommend Show reply
Super easy process and loved that I could choose when the digital gift card would be emailed to the recipient. The home gift card has so many store options to purchase from ! Show reply
I love love LOVE the convenience and reliability of the card network! It’s so much easier than other sites I have used in the past and they have great customer service if you do need some help!! It’s great!!! Show reply
Negative reviews
I use the site every week to get things like bills paid however I do wish that I didn't have to 24 hours waiting to get approved though that's the only thing/draw back otherwise I would recommend it. I usually also never leave reviews what's so ever so if I do on the very rare occasion then I think it was worth the mention
Follow-up · One of the worst sites ever to use you try to make a purchase and they continue to reject it you share your problems with them about it as well as your circumstances and they do nothing about it. Thinking about jumping ship to another site because it's gotten beyond a joke and completely ridiculous now. Would rate it 0 stars if I could.
Hi there, We understand how frustrating delays… Read more
Find out how The Card Network compares to other Flowers & Gift Shops
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Worst gift ever. It's not a gift it's an administrative task for the person who receives it. Looks like it's super easy for the person giving it to buy it- but when you receive it you have to cold call salons to see if they'll actually accept it which most of them won't. What a joke. I notice you can't even give a review on their website because they are so bad they wouldn't want anyone to easily find out how bad they are.
Hi Rachel, Thank you for taking the time to… Read more
Was given a card for my birthday, went to use it in store so scratched off the PIN - only two numbers are available. The card is useless now, I cannot get the PIN. Reading further reviews, can see this has happened to others as well. Not really great customer service when an issue has been highlighted and it is allowed to continue happening.
Hi Talei, Thank you for taking the time to… Read more
Recent reviews
Terrible to deal with. My gift card had no expiry written on the card. I contacted them around mid June to enquire and It apparantly expired 31st May. I asked if they could extend it but they blatantly refused to do so even when I pointed out there was no details in the card about expiry date and even sent them a photo as requested. Horrible customer service - horrible card. Avoid.
Hi there, Thank you for taking the time to… Read more
Cardboard wastage – Crappy eftpos cardboard cards. Once damaged it will not swipe to be able to use it. Update! Customer service was good and easy to deal with. Just need to get rid of the cardboard cards and just do digital with something like a QR code load up to an APP or something then can just tap and go
Hi Daniel, thank you for taking the time to… Read more
I lost $50 _ my dad is in another state and he can't use it he is computer illerete _ i thought it would be attached to his email to print off like every other e card I have bought for him
Hi Alan, we're sorry to hear about your… Read more
Ordered a digital card and am waiting days for it to be fulfilled - [Content Removed]? Very poor service which is slow re enquiries - am now trying to cancel the order - still waiting, waiting, waiting - DO Not BUY from The Card Network
Hi Cat, thank you for your feedback. We're… Read more (+4 replies)
I have found the card network to be really easy to use and super handy. There are a variety of gift cards to choose from and one for every occasion. Checkout options are shopper friendly, its my go to shopping app for sure! Show reply
This service is invaluable to me. I am in charge of team birthdays at work(at least one per month) I can collect the funds from the team and purchase and have it back in no more than an hour tops(great for emergency gifts too) There is a wide range to choose from to suit demographics across the team or just Visa to purchase what they would like.… Read more · 2
My team all get approx $70 each to spend on their choosing, we make a big deal and ask them what they bought. We get the digital so in their inbox ready to go! I have used others personally and at work and this one is the best and quickest! I don't know what I would do without it! Today its happy Birthday to Kyle, we made him a card so all done and dusted! in one swoop!
Hi Dave, Thank you for sharing such a detailed… Read more