In January, 2021, Summit Department Store sells a gift card for $50 and receives cash. In February, 2021, the customer comes back and spends $20 of the gift card to purchase a water bottle. What would be the appropriate journal entry for the customer’s purchase of the water bottle in February?

Business · College · Tue Nov 03 2020

Answered on

The appropriate journal entry for the customer's purchase of the water bottle using the gift card in February would be:

February Entry:

  1. To record the sale of the water bottle:
  2. Debit: Gift Card Liability      $20
  3. Debit: Gift Card Liability      $20
  4. Credit: Sales Revenue      $20
  5. Credit: Sales Revenue      $20

This entry reflects the reduction in the liability associated with the gift card as the customer uses $20 of the card's value to make a purchase. The Sales Revenue account is credited for the value of the water bottle sold.

This assumes the full $50 of the gift card was previously recorded as a liability when sold in January and $20 was used by the customer in February.

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