Can you believe that the gift card didn’t debut until 1994? Neiman Marcus made the switch from gift certificates to cards first, but it was Blockbuster who began the practice of displaying them for purchase.
Three decades later, gift cards have gone digital. If you’re not sure what that means, an e-gift card is the same as a gift card — just without the card. Instead, the recipient receives the digital e-gift card through email.
Naturally, the e-gift card is becoming more and more popular, especially with younger generations. Fiserv reports that one in three consumers load such cards into a mobile or digital wallet.
Here are nine reasons why rewarding with a digital e-gift card makes sense now.
READ MORE: Gift Cards Are More Popular Than Ever
Unlike a physical gift card, an e-gift card has no shipping or packaging costs. Depending on the size of your program, switching to virtual cards can add up to a significant line item on your budget.
Sending a digital e-gift card through email simplifies the process of double-checking postal addresses in other countries, since the format can vary so much. Plus, with a global rewarding solution like BHN Rewards, you can automatically offer only the e-gift cards available in each recipient’s country, taking away administrative headaches for your team.
Want to give some on-the-spot recognition to an employee or need to incentivize survey responses? Recipients don’t have to wait to receive a digital reward — helping you keep pace with today’s expectations for instant gratification.
To send a digital e-gift card, you need to collect only an email address, not a full mailing address and phone number. That means there’s less contact information to upload into your system, plus the email address is typically verified, so you avoid sending to the wrong recipient.
When you make the switch from physical cards to e-gift cards, you’ll also be able to offer a greater selection of rewards. Giving more choices is ideal for incentive programs, since recipients value flexibility and options.
You can save time and hassle by automating the delivery of a digital e-gift card for survey respondents, prospects, customers, and more. With the right tools and integrations, you can take a “set it and forget it” approach to incentives.
The right rewards solution also lets you easily see exactly how many gifts were sent, who redeemed their digital e-gift card, and if needed, immediately fix any delivery errors and resend rewards. With BHN Rewards, for example, most of these actions can be done with just one click.
If you’re looking to meet your organization’s sustainability goals or attract eco-conscious consumers, an e-gift card is the greenest option. Being able to upload it to a digital or mobile device not only means there’s no plastic gift card, there’s also no email printed on paper.
The last reason to consider the switch? You’re making a statement. Popular with consumers for being eco-friendly and convenient, a digital e-gift card also simplifies and streamlines rewards management for your team.
Sending an e-gift card is a lot easier with a great rewards management platform. Learn about what to look for in our Buyer’s Guide!
BHN Rewards puts the power of digital rewards to work for marketers, researchers, and HR managers. Don't forget to check out all the great content in our Resources section!
BHN Rewards puts the power of digital rewards to work for marketers, researchers, and HR managers. Don't forget to check out all the great content in our Resources section!
