Regardless of whom you’re rewarding and why — consumers who responded to your survey, customers who made a repeat purchase, brand advocates who submitted a referral, employees who went above and beyond, etc., etc. — it’s no surprise that among all the options for international gift cards, people love Amazon and cash-equivalent prepaid cards like Mastercard and Visa.
Here at BHN Rewards, it’s really no surprise, because we mined our platform redemption data to find out what international gift cards are popular choices for recipients around the world. Rewards for Amazon sites were a favorite, although senders should keep in mind the limitations for using them internationally. Starbucks gift cards were also among the top choices in several countries — apparently people everywhere love coffee.
Beyond that, there were some international gift cards that showed up on our lists and could offer you a chance to customize your reward campaigns more for different global audiences. Here are some options to consider offering.
READ MORE: The Ins and Outs of Rewarding With International Gift Cards
Zalando is a fashion and lifestyle retailer that was founded in Germany. It has physical outlet stores throughout its home country and ships to countries across Europe. Be aware, though: Like Amazon, its gift cards are specific to each country’s designated site.
The worldwide cost-of-living crisis and high inflation mean that many reward recipients have used their international gift cards to help pay for daily essentials. Since Tesco operates thousands of supermarket and convenience store locations across the U.K., its rewards offer great access to groceries and household goods.
Tim Hortons is an institution in Canada, with nearly 4,000 coffeehouses and quick-service restaurants throughout the country. That’s more than double the number of Starbucks locations! Canadian recipients won’t have trouble finding a spot to use their Tim Hortons rewards.
FlipKart is an Indian e-commerce site that competes with Amazon in the country. Its international gift cards are popular for the same reason Amazon’s are: Recipients can use them to purchase everything from groceries to electronics to clothes — and more.
If you have a rewards program that involves recipients in multiple countries, it can be more complicated. You will have to make sure you’re sending international gift cards that can be conveniently redeemed in each location. A more versatile solution might be in order.
Mastercard and Visa prepaid options are an ideal alternative to international gift cards, since they can be redeemed in over 150 countries. Not only that, but they are routinely one of the most popular options among recipients because of the flexibility they provide: They can be spent anywhere Mastercard and Visa are accepted and can often be added to a mobile wallet like Apple Pay, which makes them easy to use online or in person.
Check out BHN Rewards’ extensive catalog of international gift cards to incorporate into your global rewards programs for research, marketing, sales, and employee engagement!
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.
