Managing Gift Cards Through Gravity Payments
July 12, 2026
By Jordan Lee, merchant-support documentation editor with eight years reviewing payment-system workflows (editorial persona)
Last reviewed: July 12, 2026
Gravity Payments gift cards may be managed through a separate Gift Server, an STS mobile or browser tool, or a compatible Valutec terminal. The correct route depends on the gift-card provider already attached to the merchant account, so identify that provider before replacing hardware or attempting a new login.
This independent guide is not operated by Gravity Payments and cannot activate, redeem or transfer a gift-card balance.
What Gravity Payments gift-card service includes
Gravity Payments supports physical and digital gift-card programs alongside loyalty options. Its current Merchant Logins page provides a dedicated Gift Server link for processing individual or batched gift-card transactions and reviewing transaction and balance reports.
The Gift Server is not the same as Gravity Dashboard. Dashboard is presented for statements, batch reports and the card-processing Virtual Terminal, while the Gift Server belongs to the separate gift-card workflow.
Wrong portal.
A merchant who can enter Gravity Dashboard but cannot find gift-card balances may therefore be signed into the correct payments account and the wrong operational tool.
Identify STS or Valutec first
Gravity’s support documentation names Smart Transaction Systems, abbreviated STS, and Valutec as its gift-card partners. The providers bill merchants directly, which means the provider name may be visible on a separate invoice or bank debit rather than the ordinary Gravity processing statement.
| Existing setup | Published access or replacement path |
|---|---|
| ChargeItPro Gift Server | Use the Gift Server link from Gravity’s Merchant Logins page |
| STS gift cards | STS Gift & Loyalty app or Smart Transactions WebTerminal |
| Valutec gift cards | Compatible PAX A80 or PAX A920 terminal |
| Provider unknown | Contact Gravity support to identify the account |
Gravity says merchants who cannot identify their provider can call its support team at 866-701-4700.
Do this first. Skip ordering a new terminal until Gravity or the direct gift-card invoice confirms which platform holds the existing balances.
Using the Gravity Gift Server
Gravity describes its Gift Server as a place to process gift cards individually or in batches and run reports covering transactions and card balances. The login is presented under the ChargeItPro section of the official Merchant Logins page.
That separation is easy to miss because the same page also contains Gravity Dashboard and a legacy gateway console. The legacy gateway is intended for older integrated payment solutions and provides card-transaction and batch functions; it should not be assumed to contain the gift-card ledger.
Use the Gift Server route when the task involves:
- Activating or processing gift cards
- Reviewing stored balances
- Checking gift-card transaction history
- Running gift-card reports
- Processing cards in a batch
Gravity does not publish a current password-reset sequence for the Gift Server on the reviewed page. When the saved credentials no longer work, begin from the official login page and contact the provider or Gravity support instead of creating another unrelated merchant profile.
STS mobile and browser options
Gravity says STS merchants can use the Gift & Loyalty application on an iOS or Android phone or tablet. The application turns that device into a gift-card processing tool, and Gravity’s support article states that no additional paperwork or cost is required to begin using the app.
STS merchants can also use the Smart Transactions WebTerminal from a browser. Gravity lists activation, redemption, reporting, electronic gift-card delivery, balance transfers and cardholder registration among its available functions. The company likewise says this route requires no additional paperwork or cost.
The word “free” applies to the app or browser access described on that support page. It does not establish that the wider gift-card program has no card-production, provider, customization or transaction charges.
Confirm the commercial agreement separately.
Use the app when staff need portable access. Use the WebTerminal when a browser and larger reporting screen fit the workflow better.
Valutec requires compatible hardware
Gravity says Valutec gift cards can be accepted through its PAX A80 and PAX A920 terminals. Merchants already using Valutec on an obsolete Verifone VX520 are directed to upgrade to one of those devices.
The VX520 reached the end of manufacturer security and usability updates on January 31, 2024, according to Gravity’s support notice. Gravity warns that continuing to use it creates added security and EMV fallback risk, while replacement updates are no longer available.
Replacing the terminal does not automatically move every gift-card program. Gravity says an STS merchant choosing Valutec may need to switch providers, purchase compatible hardware and convert existing gift cards. Additional fees can apply according to the number of cards being converted, and Gravity estimates conversion and onboarding at approximately two weeks.
Two weeks is an estimate, not a universal completion promise.
Plan the transfer before disabling the old method. A card sold before migration may remain a customer liability even when the original terminal is no longer available.
Activation, redemption and balance transfers
Gift-card operations should be separated clearly at the register.
Activation loads value onto a new card. Redemption subtracts value when the customer purchases something. Balance inquiry checks the remaining amount without changing it. Balance transfer moves value from one card record to another when the supported provider permits it.
Gravity specifically lists activation, redemption and balance transfers as STS WebTerminal features.
Use distinct employee instructions for each action. Selecting activation instead of redemption can increase the card’s recorded value rather than collect payment. Running the same activation twice can also create a larger liability than the customer paid for.
Priority one is checking the result on the provider report. Skip a second transaction merely because the first receipt did not print.
Gift cards and loyalty cards are related, not identical
A gift card stores purchased value that can be applied toward goods or services. A loyalty program provides incentives or rewards intended to encourage repeat business. Gravity says it can help merchants create programs involving gift cards, digital rewards and combined customer-engagement options.
A customer may purchase a $50 gift card with immediate stored value. Loyalty points earned after several visits are promotional value governed by the published program terms.
That distinction matters because federal gift-card rules contain exclusions and different disclosure requirements for some loyalty, award and promotional products. A merchant should not label purchased gift value as promotional credit merely to apply a shorter deadline or different fee policy.
Federal expiration and inactivity rules
Federal Regulation E generally requires covered store gift-card funds to remain available for at least five years after initial issuance or the most recent load, whichever rule applies to the product. When the physical card expires before the funds, required disclosures and replacement procedures apply.
The regulation also restricts dormancy, inactivity and service fees. Such a fee generally cannot be imposed until there has been no card activity for one year; the amount and frequency must be disclosed, and no more than one qualifying fee may be charged during a calendar month.
Federal rules are only part of the analysis. State law may provide stronger consumer protections, including longer expiration periods, restrictions on fees or cash-redemption requirements for small remaining balances.
Confirm the rules that apply where the card is sold and redeemed. Gravity’s provider handles the technical ledger, but the merchant remains responsible for presenting accurate customer terms.
Common gift-card problems
The first common mistake is signing into Gravity Dashboard and expecting to see the gift-card ledger. Gravity publishes a separate Gift Server route.
The second is replacing an old terminal without checking whether the new device supports the existing provider. Gravity’s documented alternatives differ for STS and Valutec.
Other concrete frictions include:
- The business does not know which provider bills it.
- The browser blocks the provider’s login or WebTerminal window.
- An old physical card must be moved to a new card record.
- The employee redeems against the wrong business location.
- A provider conversion begins before existing balances are exported.
- The card expires physically while underlying funds remain valid.
Preserve reports before migration. A complete balance list is more useful than a stack of unverified plastic cards after the former system has been shut down.
FAQ
Where is the Gravity Payments gift-card login?
Use the Gift Server link on Gravity’s official Merchant Logins page.
Is the Gift Server inside Gravity Dashboard?
No.
Gravity lists Dashboard and the Gift Server as separate login routes. Dashboard handles ordinary payment reporting and Virtual Terminal functions, while the Gift Server handles gift-card transactions, balances and reports.
How do I know whether I use STS or Valutec?
Check the company billing the gift-card service. Gravity says both providers bill merchants directly. Support can also identify the provider when the account is unclear.
Can I process STS gift cards without a countertop terminal?
Gravity says STS merchants can use its Gift & Loyalty mobile app or browser-based WebTerminal. The WebTerminal supports activation, redemption, reports, e-gift cards and balance transfers.
Which Gravity terminals support Valutec?
Gravity identifies the PAX A80 and PAX A920 as compatible options in its current VX520 replacement guidance.
How long does a provider conversion take?
Gravity estimates approximately two weeks when an STS merchant moves to Valutec and converts existing cards. Fees can depend on the number of cards requiring conversion.
Can a Gravity gift-card balance expire after one year?
Covered gift-card funds generally must remain available for at least five years under federal Regulation E. Loyalty or promotional products can be treated differently, and state law may add stronger protections.
The practical sequence is to identify the provider, enter the correct Gift Server or provider tool, export existing balances before changing systems and confirm the customer-facing expiration terms before new cards are sold.