For many years, gift cards have been ultra-popular for both shoppers and thieves. As mobile domination has soared, the convenience of gift cards — for both sides — has grown right along with it. In an attempt to fight theft, some retailers have started to crack down on how gift cards are purchased. This move is ultimately self-defeating, if not outright suicidal. The thieves will find other tactics and the shoppers will shop elsewhere. Congrats, retailers: You’ll have succeeded in becoming less popular for all.

Let’s start with the problem. When a bad guy steals a physical payment card (or enough card details to complete purchases), he or she knows the clock is ticking. If it’s a physical card, the thief can only use that card until the customer discovers the theft and alerts the bank, which will immediately shut down the card. In a physical theft, Thieves never really know if they have minutes or hours left to use the card. If they have stolen the card details only, the clock starts from the moment of the first fraudulent use of the card. And it ends when the customer is alerted to a problematic transaction.

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