Start of validity
In the package, under When do credits become available?, you set when the validity of a prepaid card begins. This determines when the card expires if you have set a validity period in the package.
You find the setting in the package under Manager → Prepaid Card → Package → Edit, in the Validity section.
The three options for the start
| Setting | When validity begins |
|---|---|
| Immediately after purchase | With the purchase |
| On first use | When the customer uses credits from this card for the first time |
| Fixed start date | On a date you enter in the package |
Start immediately after purchase
Validity begins with the purchase. If a validity period is set, it runs from that moment. This is the default setting for new packages.
Example: purchase on March 15, validity 30 days. The card expires on April 14.
Start on first use
Validity only begins when the customer uses the card for a booking for the first time. Until then, the card has no expiry date. The customer sees "Activates with your first booking" on the card.
As soon as credits are deducted from the card for the first time, Bookicorn sets the start to that moment and calculates the expiry date from the package's validity period.
With this start, Bookicorn always calculates the validity period from the first use, even if From purchase is set in the package.
Example: purchase on March 1, first booking with the card on March 20, validity 3 months. Validity begins on March 20.
As long as the card hasn't been used yet, it comes after the cards with an expiry date when credits are deducted. See Which card is used first.
Start on a fixed date
Validity begins on the date you enter in the package under Fixed start date. This suits packages that fit a certain period, for example a package for one semester. If From start with a duration is set in the package, Bookicorn calculates the expiry date from this date.
When booking, Bookicorn currently doesn't check the start date. Credits on such a card can therefore already be used before the start date.
Start for cards you grant yourself
When you give a customer credits manually in the customer profile, you also choose a Start type: Active immediately, Fixed start date or On first use. See Manage a customer's credits.
Frequently asked questions
When does "On first use" make sense? When customers buy a card in advance, for example as a gift, and the term should only begin with their first visit.
If I change the package, does the start change for cards that have already been sold? No. Each card keeps the settings that applied at purchase.
The customer sees "Activates with your first booking". Can they still book? Yes. Validity begins with the first booking.
Can I change the start of a sold card afterwards? Not the start. You change the expiry date of an individual card in the customer profile with Extend validity or Edit credit card.