One4all Gift Cards Are a Bad Call

June 24, 2025 3:30 PM

Let me save you some trouble: don’t gift a One4all Ultimate gift card from Blackhawk Network (Canada) Ltd. You’ll spot these at grocery stores or gas stations, hyped as a ticket to shop at spots like Hudson’s Bay (guess they’ll need to update that one), Cineplex or A&W. Sounds good, but it’s a bad deal in disguise. There’s no actual card—just a flimsy cardboard sleeve with a QR code, a scratch-off number, and a PIN. You’re supposed to swap it online for an e-gift card to a store, if you even like the options. I tried it, and it was a total nightmare—worse than any store card, and light-years behind the ease of cash or an e-transfer. Here’s why this thing’s a dud.

A Complete Hassle to Redeem

I got a One4all “card” and tried redeeming it on my iPhone with Safari. Complete failure. The website (redeem.giftcards.ca) wouldn’t process my choice, throwing up a vague “get in touch” error. Finding a phone number was a pain—buried in fine print under a web form. I filled out the form, waited days, and got a useless email telling me to clear my cache or check the card number. That did nothing.

Calling customer service was even more infuriating. The phone menu’s a dead end—options like “check balance” or “dispute transaction” don’t address “I can’t redeem,” and if you hit the main menu, it loops back without the “dispute transaction” option. I had to choose “dispute transaction” up front, then wade through another menu to register the card by phone just to get a person. When I finally reached a rep, they asked right away if I was using an iPhone, like they knew it was an issue but never warned anyone. That’s shady as hell. I’m not alone—folks on Reddit (r/LushCosmetics) complain about invalid codes and stores rejecting the card, despite what the website claims. It’s a hassle, especially for non-tech types. Your aunt in Regina or nephew in Swift Current will probably just toss it in a drawer.

Cash or E-Transfer: The Smart Move

Why put your loved ones through that nonsense? Cash is the best gift—simple, works everywhere, from a bar in Medicine Hat to a hardware store in Prince Albert. Hand over a twenty or a hundred, and they can buy what they want, no strings attached.

If you’re too far to pass cash—say, you’re in Calgary and they’re in Saskatoon—an e-transfer’s just as good. It’s fast, secure, and anyone with a bank account can cash it in minutes. Compare that to One4all’s maddening runaround. Even a store-specific gift card, like one for Canadian Tire or Sobeys, is a safer bet if you know their style—they work where they’re supposed to, no website drama.

Don’t Gift a Headache

In my experience, the One4all Ultimate gift card is a rotten deal. It’s harder to use than a store card and miles behind the ease of cash or an e-transfer. A gift should bring a smile, not a tech nightmare courtesy of Blackhawk Network’s clunky system. Keep it simple with cash or an e-transfer—your friends and family will thank you, and you won’t wonder if your gift got used.

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