Malfunction stops shoppers from using Schnucks gift cards

A computer processing malfunction prevented shoppers from using their gift cards at Schnucks supermarket in Cape Girardeau for seven hours Saturday afternoon.

Store manager Dennis Marchi said the processing problem wasn't confined to his store. Marchi said a company that processes the gift card transactions reported a nationwide malfunction to the system caused by the large volume of transactions on the last Saturday before Christmas.

Marchi said the malfunction proved to be an inconvenience for shoppers, but one that his store and others had no control over.

The problem surfaced at Schnucks about noon. The system was up and running again by 7 p.m., Marchi said.