While there’s no doubt that it’s convenient to buy e-gift cards online instantly to reward customers, research participants, or employees, another question remains: Is it safe? It’s a question that often concerns your recipients now, as data breaches become more sophisticated and activists call more attention to security issues. When you buy digital gift cards online, you need to make sure that your data — and that of your recipients — is well protected.
When you purchase digital gift cards as part of your rewards programs, you need to enter a range of details that could potentially expose your business and your recipients to risks. Cybercriminals are constantly trying to steal names, email addresses, bank account information, and other sensitive data. Therefore, it’s important to make your digital reward purchases through a trusted platform that can keep everything secure.
In addition, some research, marketing, and employee programs require an extra level of security. For instance, incentives for anonymous surveys, clinical research, and employee health initiatives must keep data secure not only from hackers, but also from the administrators of the program.
Here are a few security measures to look for when you choose a gift card provider for your rewards and incentives.
READ MORE: E-Gift Cards Are the Post-Pandemic Approach to Rewards
Any reputable rewards platform that lets you buy e-gift cards online instantly must comply with a number of security requirements and regulations. SOC 2 compliance, for example, ensures that the design, implementation, and operation of your business systems guarantee security and confidentiality. When you use a SOC 2-compliant platform, you know that the company has passed an extensive auditing process to see that they manage data securely and protect customers’ privacy.
Rewards programs also need to comply with any applicable privacy policies. The European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation, or GDPR, and the California Consumer Privacy Act, or CCPA, are two of the most stringent regulations that must be followed. These laws ensure that customers know and can control how the company collects and uses their personal information.
When your research or incentives program involves personal medical information, the Health Information Privacy and Accountability Act, or HIPAA, comes into play as well. Make sure your rewards platform can comply with those requirements.
A trustworthy digital gift card supplier should use a reliable and secure platform for hosting its services. Choosing a platform that uses a leading cloud services company like Amazon Web Services (AWS) helps ensure your information security. AWS’ serverless technologies allow for a highly scalable, secure, and reliable service.
A rewards platform must ensure that all data, including activity, customer data, and original files, is stored securely with strong encryption. To allow users to purchase digital rewards, it’s also a good practice for platforms to employ a third-party payment processing service that is designed to keep that information secure. That way, the rewards platform isn’t processing, storing, or transmitting payment information itself, instead relying on a proven service to handle those details.
There’s already plenty to consider when you’re rewarding your survey respondents, research participants, customers, or employees, from the best types of rewards for your audience to the gift card value that will be compelling enough to boost participation. Don’t add data security to your list of concerns. By using a digital rewards platform that prioritizes information security and recipient privacy, you can buy e-gift cards online instantly — and safely — with confidence.
What else should you look for in a digital rewards platform? Check out our Buyer’s Guides for researchers and marketers to find out!
Hannah is a reformed journalist who has more than 15 years of experience and now focuses on content marketing for innovative tech companies.
Hannah is a reformed journalist who has more than 15 years of experience and now focuses on content marketing for innovative tech companies.
