What this feature does
When enabled, Giftronaut can prompt certain US-based recipients to enter W-9 information during redemption once they cross the $2,000 USD total reward threshold within a calendar year (measured per unique email address sent through Giftronaut). Collected data is stored for your export and reconciliation.
This feature helps you gather information you may need to issue IRS Form 1099 at year-end. Giftronaut does not issue 1099s on your behalf.
- Giftronaut cannot force recipients to complete W-9 forms. If your recipient is presented a W-9 and they do not complete it, they will not be able to redeem their gift card. However, you may still be responsible for issuing a 1099.
- We do not validate whether the recipient’s provided information (e.g., TIN, address, etc.) is accurate.
- Giftronaut’s W-9 feature only collects W-9 data under specific conditions which are detailed in this article. You may have to collect W-9s from recipients who did not fill them in through our feature.
- Tax compliance is your responsibility. We provide this feature for your convenience. We cannot provide any tax advice and strongly suggest you consult with a professional.
Tax Entities
A Tax Entity represents the legal US entity your business uses for IRS reporting.
You can create up to two US Tax Entities (e.g., if you operate multiple US entities).
If you also operate non-US entities, you can only create US Tax Entities in Giftronaut for this feature.
When sending an order, select the appropriate Tax Entity so recipient totals and exports align with the correct reporting entity.
Reassigning tax entities
Totals do not merge across entities. If you move from one entity to another, prior amounts stay with the original entity. A recipient may be prompted again if they exceed $2,000 under the new entity. In such cases, you may need to collect W-9 directly from the recipient for complete records.
Understanding W-9 Collection in Giftronaut
Display criteria
Giftronaut will present a W-9 form only when all of the following are true:
The recipient’s year-to-date total ≥ $2,000 USD (tracked per recipient email) from rewards sent after W-9 collection was enabled.
The W-9 feature is turned on in your account before the reward is sent.
The recipient is redeeming from a US IP address.
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The reward is denominated in USD.
Note: For Giftronaut Choice Cards issued in USD, US recipients who exceed $2,000 in the year will be prompted.
Gated redemption: When these conditions are met, recipients must complete the required W-9 fields to proceed with redemption.
Feature options and configuration
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W-9 Collection Toggle
ON: Giftronaut automatically prompts eligible recipients once they reach the threshold.
OFF: No W-9 prompts appear.
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Currency Basis
Default: USD (aligned with US tax reporting). W-9 prompts apply to USD-denominated rewards only.
Only Super Admins can access and configure tax settings. See: How to enable the W-9 feature
Tracking
Post-enable tracking only: Threshold calculations start from the moment you enable W-9 collection for a Tax Entity. Rewards sent before enablement do not count toward the $2,000 threshold and will not appear in W-9 exports.
Per-email tracking: Totals are tracked per recipient email. Rewards sent to different emails for the same person are tracked separately.
Email updates: Giftronaut allows senders to update a recipient’s email address after a reward is sent (e.g., fixing a typo). When an admin updates the recipient email and resends, the associated totals for that reward are attributed to the latest updated email address. Future eligibility and W-9 prompting will follow the updated email.
Scope: rewards sent via Giftronaut only. Amounts paid outside of Giftronaut (or via reward links that don’t tie to an email) are not included.
Auditing
Because it is your obligation to collect W-9s from any recipient whom you send more than $2,000 in a calendar year, you may have to collect W-9s yourself in certain cases where Giftronaut wasn’t able.
Use these reports together to identify gaps and take action:
Order History exports: full list of orders by email, status, date, and amount.
W-9 submissions export: recipients (by email) for whom Giftronaut collected W-9 during redemption once the threshold was reached.
Compare these exports to your internal records. Look for:
Multiple emails for the same person.
Rewards issued via external systems or reward links.
Entity changes mid-year.
Where Giftronaut didn’t capture a W-9 due to the limits above, collect W-9 directly and update your records.
Timing matters: send date vs. redeem date
For US tax reporting, the year of taxation is based on the send date (issuance), not when the recipient redeems. However, Giftronaut will not be able to collect W-9 information until the reward is redeemed.
- Example: If you send a reward in December that pushes a recipient over $2,000, but they redeem in January, Giftronaut will not have collected their W-9 in the prior year. You are responsible for collecting W-9 directly to complete your year-end reporting.
- Once redemption occurs, the W-9 entry will appear in exports generated after redemption, aligned to the original send year.
- A reward sent in Dec 2025 and redeemed on Jan 11, 2026 would not be included in a 2025 W9 report exported on Jan 11, 2026 but would be included in one exported on Jan 12, 2026.
Accuracy and validation limits
The W-9 form requires all mandatory fields to be filled before redemption.
- Giftronaut performs basic format checks (e.g., obviously invalid SSN patterns) but does not validate the accuracy of TIN, legal name, or address with the IRS or any third party.
You are responsible for verifying the accuracy and completeness of recipient data.
No international coverage
Giftronaut's W-9 collection is for US-only. It does not address tax documentation outside the United States. For non-US jurisdictions, consult local tax advisors.
Security
Sensitive fields (e.g., TIN/EIN/SSN) are encrypted in our database.
Access to tax settings and data is limited to Super Admins.
When you export a W-9 document, you are responsible for secure handling, storage, and deletion in accordance with your internal policies.
What Giftronaut does not do
We do not issue 1099s. Unfortunately, we cannot advise you on this part of the process or make recommendations.
We do not guarantee compliance with tax laws.
We cannot force completion of a W-9 outside of the gated redemption flow. If a recipient declines to provide W-9 information, they will be unable to redeem through Giftronaut; however, you may still be responsible for issuing a Form 1099 based on your total payments.