The mall gift card goes through the mall and not through the individual stores. Though most stores in the mall will take this card, there are some of them that opt out of this service. When you are using or buying one of these cards, ask for a list of stores in that mall that will accept the card. You should find that almost 90 percent or more of the stores will take it, but some of your favorites may not. Your friend should still find all that they need in the stores on the list that will accept the card from any shopper.
Most shopping centers use the mall gift card as a way to get more people shopping in their stores. They ask stores to take them, and then the mall reimburses that store or those stores that take them for the amount of money the customer spent with the card in that store. The mall houses the stores, and the stores pay them rent to be there, but the mall also offers promotional services for these businesses. The mall gift card is just one of the ways that they can do this. If it is a big mall, you can find almost anything there, which makes it a truly welcome gift for anyone.
If you are shopping with one of these cards, stop and make a plan. You may have just enough on it to get a discount on something you really want, but if you got a card loaded up with cash, there are so many things you could get. Think about what you really want and what stores have these things. You can use the card in any amount at any store that is in the program. That means you can buy something for ten dollars in one store, move on to the next and spend three dollars, and then go on to someone else and spend fifty. It's almost like being a kid in a candy store.
Some people do not use the mall gift card up all at once. If you do not spend all of the money on the card the mall retains that money. Most do not give cash refunds for unused portions of cards, though it would not hurt to ask. If you are not sure how much you have spent, you can go to customer service and they can usually tell you how much you have left. Ask about fees and expiration dates so that you are sure you use the card before it expires, if it does.