GIFT CERTIFICATE - scrip is any substitute for currency which is not legal tender. Scrip is a form of credit which was extended to any company employee who had accrued a salary. Historically scrip was designed to be used at the designated company store of the employee. There are documented instances where scrip was accepted at multiple companies and their specific communites. modern use: Scrip is now issued in the form of gift certificates, or gift cards. The two are essentially the same, except that the cards automate the checkout and accounting processes. Cards usually have a barcode or magnetic strip, which can be processed through a standard electronic credit card machine. Cards do not have any value until they are sold, at which time the cashier enters the amount which the customer wishes to put on the card. This number is rarely stored on the card, but is instead noted in the store's database. The major exception is in many public transport systems, and library photocopiers, where a simplified system (with no network) stores the value only on the card itself (a stored-value card). To thwart counterfeiting, the data is encrypted, though not very strongly given the relatively low amounts of money involved. The magstripe is also often placed differently than on credit cards, so they cannot be read or written with standard equipment. history: Traditionally, scrip has been thought of as what employees were "paid" with, particularly in the United States, where everything in a mining or logging camp was run, created and owned by the company. Workers would pay for meals and goods with scrip at a company store. While scrip was a de facto form of currency, employees were rarely paid with it. Using scrip as credit against an employees salary and placing enormous mark ups on goods in a company store, made workers completely dependent on the company, thus enforcing their "loyalty" to company. Scrip has also been created as a means of payment in times and countries where regular money is unavailable, such as remote coal towns or occupied countries in war time. in most U.S. states, the value of gift cards or certificates that have expired become "abandoned property" that must be transferred by the merchant to the state treasurer within a prescribed time (e.g., 3 years). This is because the money deposited by the purchaser of the gift card does not become the property of the merchant until (or only to the extent that) the gift card is actually used by the gift recipient. Furthermore, a merchant must separately account for money received for gift certificates, and there may be stiff criminal penalties for failing to file annual reports and turn over the money that continues to belong to others. In effect, a merchant selling a gift certificate becomes a trustee of funds owned by the holder of the certificate. This also raises interesting questions of which treasurer should receive the money from a multi-state corporation, knowing it is unlikely to be claimed. while considered a "lazy" gift by some, modern gift scrip is generally intended to be given by persons who wish to get the recipient something thoughtful, but don't know what the person wants. Some point out that trading real money for scrip is rather pointless, as it then ties up that money until it is used, and usually may only be used at one store. VISA has been issuing pre-paid cards (not connected to any bank account) that can be used anywhere that accepts VISA credit cards or debit cards (American Express has also done this), although some view this as even more pointless, as cash works almost anywhere. children's Heroes™ builds a community Shop & Earn program partnering schools, youth organizations, consumers, and merchants who care about education and children. Children's Heroes™ is the only company that offers a Scrip Fulfillment Center, our Community Scrip Card, and our Register Your Wallet Program - a bankcard registration program for supporters’ existing bankcards. scrip is any substitute for currency which is not legal tender. Scrip is a form of credit which was extended to any company employee who had accrued a salary. Historically scrip was designed to be used at the designated company store of the employee. There are documented instances where scrip was accepted at multiple companies and their specific communites. modern use: Scrip is now issued in the form of gift certificates, or gift cards. The two are essentially the same, except that the cards automate the checkout and accounting processes. Cards usually have a barcode or magnetic strip, which can be processed through a standard electronic credit card machine. Cards do not have any value until they are sold, at which time the cashier enters the amount which the customer wishes to put on the card. This number is rarely stored on the card, but is instead noted in the store's database. The major exception is in many public transport systems, and library photocopiers, where a simplified system (with no network) stores the value only on the card itself (a stored-value card). To thwart counterfeiting, the data is encrypted, though not very strongly given the relatively low amounts of money involved. The magstripe is also often placed differently than on credit cards, so they cannot be read or written with standard equipment. history: Traditionally, scrip has been thought of as what employees were "paid" with, particularly in the United States, where everything in a mining or logging camp was run, created and owned by the company. Workers would pay for meals and goods with scrip at a company store. While scrip was a de facto form of currency, employees were rarely paid with it. Using scrip as credit against an employees salary and placing enormous mark ups on goods in a company store, made workers completely dependent on the company, thus enforcing their "loyalty" to company. Scrip has also been created as a means of payment in times and countries where regular money is unavailable, such as remote coal towns or occupied countries in war time. in most U.S. states, the value of gift cards or certificates that have expired become "abandoned property" that must be transferred by the merchant to the state treasurer within a prescribed time (e.g., 3 years). This is because the money deposited by the purchaser of the gift card does not become the property of the merchant until (or only to the extent that) the gift card is actually used by the gift recipient. Furthermore, a merchant must separately account for money received for gift certificates, and there may be stiff criminal penalties for failing to file annual reports and turn over the money that continues to belong to others. In effect, a merchant selling a gift certificate becomes a trustee of funds owned by the holder of the certificate. This also raises interesting questions of which treasurer should receive the money from a multi-state corporation, knowing it is unlikely to be claimed. while considered a "lazy" gift by some, modern gift scrip is generally intended to be given by persons who wish to get the recipient something thoughtful, but don't know what the person wants. Some point out that trading real money for scrip is rather pointless, as it then ties up that money until it is used, and usually may only be used at one store. VISA has been issuing pre-paid cards (not connected to any bank account) that can be used anywhere that accepts VISA credit cards or debit cards (American Express has also done this), although some view this as even more pointless, as cash works almost anywhere. children's Heroes™ builds a community Shop & Earn program partnering schools, youth organizations, consumers, and merchants who care about education and children. Children's Heroes™ is the only company that offers a Scrip Fulfillment Center, our Community Scrip Card, and our Register Your Wallet Program - a bankcard registration program for supporters’ existing bankcards. scrip is any substitute for currency which is not legal tender. Scrip is a form of credit which was extended to any company employee who had accrued a salary. Historically scrip was designed to be used at the designated company store of the employee. There are documented instances where scrip was accepted at multiple companies and their specific communites. modern use: Scrip is now issued in the form of gift certificates, or gift cards. The two are essentially the same, except that the cards automate the checkout and accounting processes. Cards usually have a barcode or magnetic strip, which can be processed through a standard electronic credit card machine. Cards do not have any value until they are sold, at which time the cashier enters the amount which the customer wishes to put on the card. This number is rarely stored on the card, but is instead noted in the store's database. The major exception is in many public transport systems, and library photocopiers, where a simplified system (with no network) stores the value only on the card itself (a stored-value card). To thwart counterfeiting, the data is encrypted, though not very strongly given the relatively low amounts of money involved. The magstripe is also often placed differently than on credit cards, so they cannot be read or written with standard equipment. history: Traditionally, scrip has been thought of as what employees were "paid" with, particularly in the United States, where everything in a mining or logging camp was run, created and owned by the company. Workers would pay for meals and goods with scrip at a company store. While scrip was a de facto form of currency, employees were rarely paid with it. Using scrip as credit against an employees salary and placing enormous mark ups on goods in a company store, made workers completely dependent on the company, thus enforcing their "loyalty" to company. Scrip has also been created as a means of payment in times and countries where regular money is unavailable, such as remote coal towns or occupied countries in war time. in most U.S. states, the value of gift cards or certificates that have expired become "abandoned property" that must be transferred by the merchant to the state treasurer within a prescribed time (e.g., 3 years). This is because the money deposited by the purchaser of the gift card does not become the property of the merchant until (or only to the extent that) the gift card is actually used by the gift recipient. Furthermore, a merchant must separately account for money received for gift certificates, and there may be stiff criminal penalties for failing to file annual reports and turn over the money that continues to belong to others. In effect, a merchant selling a gift certificate becomes a trustee of funds owned by the holder of the certificate. This also raises interesting questions of which treasurer should receive the money from a multi-state corporation, knowing it is unlikely to be claimed. while considered a "lazy" gift by some, modern gift scrip is generally intended to be given by persons who wish to get the recipient something thoughtful, but don't know what the person wants. Some point out that trading real money for scrip is rather pointless, as it then ties up that money until it is used, and usually may only be used at one store. VISA has been issuing pre-paid cards (not connected to any bank account) that can be used anywhere that accepts VISA credit cards or debit cards (American Express has also done this), although some view this as even more pointless, as cash works almost anywhere. children's Heroes™ builds a community Shop & Earn program partnering schools, youth organizations, consumers, and merchants who care about education and children. Children's Heroes™ is the only company that offers a Scrip Fulfillment Center, our Community Scrip Card, and our Register Your Wallet Program - a bankcard registration program for supporters’ existing bankcards. scrip is any substitute for currency which is not legal tender. Scrip is a form of credit which was extended to any company employee who had accrued a salary. Historically scrip was designed to be used at the designated company store of the employee. There are documented instances where scrip was accepted at multiple companies and their specific communites.