Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Flip

1 2

Original poster

Panicking... can a tesco gift card be traced?

44 replies

Sunsetblv · 06/12/2023 19:07

I am panicking as was given £100 tesco gift cards by MIL with instructions not to spend until after Christmas (they were my Christmas present). But I have used them today as we are so strapped, I used them to buy groceries and washing powder etc as we are struggling so much. Is there any way she can find out? Will she get a notification to say the gift cards have been used? I'm really panicking as I don't want to upset her and I'm worried she will get a notification which shows I've spent them before Christmas. Anyone know how tesco gift works and if they're tracable etc? Thanks v much!

OP posts:

Appleofmyeye2023 · 06/12/2023 20:57

Sunsetblv · 06/12/2023 19:16

Thanks everyone! Not sure how to reply directly but I wondered if she bought them online then she may get notification to her email? I don't want to worry anyone with how much we are struggling and I know there is always others who are worse off. MIL is not mobile so does most shopping online and expect she thought you can buy everything at tesco! Or maybe she didn't buy them online, no idea! Thanks everyone.

In fairness, it wasn’t that long ago you could pretty much buy anything through Tesco website
club cards had some real value then- bought a vacuum, toaster etc etc..bloody useful

PieAndLattes · 06/12/2023 20:59

I suspect she knows you’re strapped for cash, and her directive to spend it after Christmas was to throw you off the scent. She has given you this card now because she wants you to have it now.

pizzaHeart · 06/12/2023 21:05

She won’t be able to check and we won’t tell her but tbh nice food (and by that I mean the food you’d enjoy) counts as a present so morally you are in the clear.

talentpr · 06/12/2023 21:10

No, it can’t be traced. As a matter of fact, it can be reloaded with a credit of over £500 the last time I checked.

Parentofeanda · 06/12/2023 21:10

It is traceable but not automatically you have to find out yourself by seeing the balance and if you call up they can tell you how much was spent in which store at what time and on what date. Don't think she'd bother doing that

dontgobaconmyheart · 06/12/2023 21:10

There is no facility for that OP.

You canoften check the balance of a gift card with the long number and pin on the card itself but unless she is quite legitimately unhinged and scratched it off and wrote the lot down to manually check it every day until dec 25th, which seems beyond unlikely for someone that's being generous enough to gift you £100 then I think you can just relax.

As an aside if you are struggling to that extent why not just tell her, it isn't anything to be ashamed of.

Haveallthesongsbeenwritten · 06/12/2023 21:11

Sunsetblv · 06/12/2023 19:16

Not at all. She wont know how you spend it or when or whatever

Wexone · 06/12/2023 21:12

don't think you can with tescos vouchers
but I did get notification this year of when an amazon voucher I gifted was used.
gave it to my bro for his birthday and he used it luke nearly a year later
gave him a jeering over it for letting it sit there 🤣(as if it's me would spend it straight away) but honestly didn't care when he did

TheChosenTwo · 06/12/2023 21:13

Surely you could just have made up a lie and say you’d bought yourself a xxx (whatever would have come to the amount you spent) for Christmas if she did get a notification? Which she won’t have, but if she did…

Original poster

Sunsetblv · 06/12/2023 21:17

Thank you, maybe she did have an inkling and that's why she gave it early (usually she gives gifts very close to Christmas!) I didn't think of that and it makes me feel a bit better. She clearly hadn't scratched off the pin so I feel a lot better but everyone is right, it isn't anything to be worried about and I'm sure she would understand. Phew. Panic averted!

OP posts:

FictionalCharacter · 06/12/2023 21:18

AyCaray · 06/12/2023 19:19

Can't be traced but maybe you should be honest and tell her you had to use it as you are struggling. She may eventually ask you what you bought with it and you will just feel bad if you feel you need to lie.

I agree. You shouldn’t feel you have to lie. And if she’s angry with you for buying groceries with it, she isn’t a very nice person.

Christmasss · 06/12/2023 21:28

She probably gave it to you to help your family out.

Guibhyl · 06/12/2023 21:47

If it’s bought as a gift card in a shop then no it could t be traced as it’s not linked to her details at all. However I sent an E-voucher to my nephew from Amazon recently and was quite surprised a couple of weeks later when I got an email notification to say that the voucher had been used. I had never had this before. So it’s possible that if vouchers are purchased online that the buyer does receive a notification as it’s linked to their email address.

Marleymoo42 · 06/12/2023 21:54

I'm sure this was a disguised way of helping you out. Why else go for a supermarket voucher and give it so early?
The last thing she'd want is you worrying. Don't let it take up anymore head space. I'm sorry you're having a tough time

tachycardigan · 06/12/2023 22:04

notacooldad · 06/12/2023 20:48

I’m sure if she was that fussed about you only using it after Christmas she wouldn’t have given it so early.
There's no need for that.
Why find a way of putting someone down. 🤷‍♀️

I don’t think their post was mean or putting OP down

salamirose · 06/12/2023 22:16

PieAndLattes · 06/12/2023 20:59

I suspect she knows you’re strapped for cash, and her directive to spend it after Christmas was to throw you off the scent. She has given you this card now because she wants you to have it now.

Yes me too

PinkFrogss · 06/12/2023 22:22

@notacooldad huh? I in no way meant to put OP down.

I agree with others who say it may have been an act of kindness OP, especially as you’ve said she usually gifts close to Christmas. Plus of course the fact it’s Tesco over say John Lewis or somewhere, she would have known you can get food and other things from there and not just gift items.

ExTheCheater · 07/12/2023 01:22

She can check the balance and see it's been used.

WhenLoveIsDone · 07/12/2023 20:17

I bet you a million pounds she knew you needed it now and that's why she gave it now.

I bet she gives you something extra for Christmas, too.

Grans are cunning.

Flip

1 2

Swipe left for the next trending thread