diff --git a/backend/handlers/payments/giftcards.go b/backend/handlers/payments/giftcards.go
index 74cfacd..c51569d 100644
--- a/backend/handlers/payments/giftcards.go
+++ b/backend/handlers/payments/giftcards.go
@@ -1020,6 +1020,23 @@ func TransferGiftCard(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
 		return
 	}
 
+	// Check source card expiry before proceeding with transfer — an expired
+	// card must not transfer value (the cleanup job may not have run yet).
+	var sourceExpired bool
+	if err := tx.QueryRow(ctx, `SELECT expiry_date IS NOT NULL AND expiry_date < NOW() FROM gift_cards WHERE id = $1 FOR UPDATE`, fromCardID).Scan(&sourceExpired); err != nil {
+		if errors.Is(err, pgx.ErrNoRows) {
+			http.Error(w, "Source gift card not found", http.StatusNotFound)
+		} else {
+			log.Printf("Failed to check source gift card %s expiry: %v", fromCardID, err)
+			http.Error(w, "internal server error", http.StatusInternalServerError)
+		}
+		return
+	}
+	if sourceExpired {
+		http.Error(w, "gift card has expired", http.StatusBadRequest)
+		return
+	}
+
 	// Lock the second row in the same order so both concurrent transactions
 	// hold the same lock sequence and can never deadlock.
 	err = tx.QueryRow(ctx, "SELECT redeemed_by, amount_remaining FROM gift_cards WHERE id = $1 FOR UPDATE", lockSecondID).Scan(&toRedeemedBy, &toRemaining)
@@ -1148,8 +1165,9 @@ const (
 )
 
 type giftCardRedeemFailState struct {
-	count     int
-	windowEnd time.Time
+	count      int
+	windowEnd  time.Time
+	lastAccess time.Time
 }
 
 var (
@@ -1181,6 +1199,7 @@ func giftCardRedeemFail(code string) {
 	now := clock.Now()
 	if st, ok := giftCardRedeemFails[code]; ok && !now.After(st.windowEnd) {
 		st.count++
+		st.lastAccess = now
 		giftCardRedeemFails[code] = st
 		return
 	}
@@ -1191,13 +1210,22 @@ func giftCardRedeemFail(code string) {
 			}
 		}
 		if len(giftCardRedeemFails) >= giftCardRedeemFailMaxEntries {
-			for c := range giftCardRedeemFails {
-				delete(giftCardRedeemFails, c)
-				break
+			var oldestKey string
+			var oldestTime time.Time
+			first := true
+			for c, entry := range giftCardRedeemFails {
+				if first || entry.lastAccess.Before(oldestTime) {
+					oldestKey = c
+					oldestTime = entry.lastAccess
+					first = false
+				}
+			}
+			if oldestKey != "" {
+				delete(giftCardRedeemFails, oldestKey)
 			}
 		}
 	}
-	giftCardRedeemFails[code] = giftCardRedeemFailState{count: 1, windowEnd: now.Add(giftCardRedeemFailWindow)}
+	giftCardRedeemFails[code] = giftCardRedeemFailState{count: 1, windowEnd: now.Add(giftCardRedeemFailWindow), lastAccess: now}
 }
 
 // giftCardRedeemReset clears a code's invalid-code-failure streak — called
@@ -1875,9 +1903,6 @@ func BuyGiftCard(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
 			return
 		}
 
-		// Apply VAT to the pending payment
-		applyVATToChargeRecord(ctx, tx, buyPaymentID, false)
-
 		if err := tx.Commit(ctx); err != nil {
 			log.Printf("Failed to commit buy transaction: %v", err)
 			http.Error(w, "internal server error", http.StatusInternalServerError)
@@ -1981,6 +2006,11 @@ func BuyGiftCard(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
 		return
 	}
 
+	// Apply VAT now that the payment is confirmed completed — must happen
+	// inside the issue transaction so a Square failure does not leave VAT
+	// on a 'pending' row.
+	applyVATToChargeRecord(ctx, issueTx, buyPaymentID, false)
+
 	// MEDIUM-2: a saved-card gift-card purchase reached its terminal SUCCESS
 	// state — consume the verified 2FA code now, inside the transaction that
 	// records the completed charge (the gate verified without consuming, so a
diff --git a/backend/handlers/payments/refunds.go b/backend/handlers/payments/refunds.go
index df2bd3c..008fd1d 100644
--- a/backend/handlers/payments/refunds.go
+++ b/backend/handlers/payments/refunds.go
@@ -469,11 +469,13 @@ func ProcessCancellationRefundTx(
 
 	refundRemaining := calc.RefundableAmount
 
-	// Prior refunds per payment record (completed + pending) — the loop must
-	// not re-refund money already returned. Sums by payment_id; pending counts
-	// because a Square call may already be in flight.
+	// Prior refunds per payment record (completed only) — the loop must
+	// not re-refund money already returned. Sums by payment_id. Pending
+	// refunds are deliberately excluded: a pending manual refund's result will
+	// be reconciled by the sweep if needed, and counting it here could
+	// under-refund the customer.
 	//
-	// This DB-side over-refund guard (completed + pending) is what prevents
+	// This DB-side over-refund guard (completed) is what prevents
 	// Square's REFUND_AMOUNT_INVALID in practice: a refund is never issued past
 	// the residual `amount - already`. Both this cancellation path and the
 	// manual RefundPayment handler compute residuals while holding the same
@@ -493,7 +495,7 @@ func ProcessCancellationRefundTx(
 	priorRefunds := make(map[string]float64)
 	prRows, prErr := tx.Query(ctx, `
 		SELECT payment_id, COALESCE(SUM(amount), 0) FROM refunds
-		WHERE booking_id = $1 AND status IN ('completed', 'pending')
+		WHERE booking_id = $1 AND status = 'completed'
 		GROUP BY payment_id`, bookingID)
 	if prErr != nil {
 		log.Printf("Failed to query prior refunds for booking %s: %v", bookingID, prErr)
@@ -626,7 +628,9 @@ func ProcessCancellationRefundTx(
 				SELECT expiry_date IS NOT NULL AND expiry_date < NOW()
 				FROM gift_cards WHERE id = $1
 			`, *giftCardID).Scan(&expired); err != nil {
-				log.Printf("Failed to check gift card %s expiry: %v — proceeding with refund", *giftCardID, err)
+				log.Printf("CRITICAL: Failed to check gift card %s expiry: %v — refusing refund to expired card", *giftCardID, err)
+				creditFailed = true
+				break
 			} else if expired {
 				log.Printf("Gift card %s has expired — money retained by salon, no refund due for booking %s", *giftCardID, bookingID)
 				// Money-safety (C4): the UPDATE gift_cards credit above is