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Redeem MBBA Gift Certificates
About MBBA gift certificates
As member innkeepers, you are required to accept MBBA gift certificates. This is a beneficial arrangement as there’s no downside. Unlike some other gift certificates, you pay no commission. MBBA gift certificates are like cash to you and are easy to redeem. They provide a hassle-free experience for both you and your guests. Please fill out the form below to start accepting them.
Before agreeing to accept an MBBA gift certificate for payment, confirm that the reservation will occur before the expiration date AND that you will have time to redeem it before it expires. MBBA cannot accept expired gift certificates.
What to do about Potential situations
- If a guest who is planning to use an MBBA gift certificate cancels at the last minute, Protect yourself by collecting credit card info at the time of booking, even if the cost of the stay is less than the amount of the gift certificate. Charge the card according to your inn’s policies.
- If the gift certificate amount exceeds the amount owed, Give the guest a cash refund. You will be made whole when you redeem the gift certificate.
- The name on the gift certificate doesn’t match the guest’s name: This is not your problem. Our gift certificates are transferable.
- A guest wants to use a gift certificate to pay for the deposit: That’s okay, but they must have the certificate in hand before redeeming it.
- If A guest provided you with the gift certificate’s number when booking but forgot to bring the physical certificate, it cannot be redeemed. It’s important to remember that if you don’t collect the physical gift certificate, the holder could use it again. This ensures the security and validity of the gift certificate system.
Michigan law on gift certificates
In Michigan, a purchased gift certificate cannot expire sooner than five years. MBBA keeps meticulous records on sales and redemptions of gift certificates because those incoming funds remain an obligation on our books for five years or until redeemed, whichever comes first. Only after five years can the money be considered as revenue.
If you sell gift certificates, the above is true for you.
There’s an alternative to all that bookkeeping: Instead of selling their own gift certificates, some MBBA members refer people to buy MBBA gift certificates.
If you donate a gift certificate, that’s different. Set any expiration date.
