About the B2B Gift Card Industry

Editor's Notes

1. As one of the nation’s largest developers of Business-to-Business gift card programs, GiftCard Partners is an expert in the B2B gift card industry.
2. When managed correctly, a B2B gift card program can help retailers and merchants increase sales and profits, build market share, and strengthen their brand. Best of all, it can generate robust incremental income for almost any type of business.
3. The B2B gift card industry had a record year in 2010, with more than $32 billion in sales—over a third generated by Incentive programs alone.
4. Where are B2B gift cards used? One important channel is the Incentive Market in which employers motivate and recognize employees. According to multiple studies, employees prefer gift cards over merchandise or services. Another channel is the Loyalty/Engagement Market, in which organizations reward customers for their commitment to a brand or product. One good example is a bank program where customers can earn points and redeem them for a gift card.
5. Other channels include fundraising, sales promotion, and third-party outlets—all of which are using gift cards more and more each year. In fact, third party outlets sold more 350 million cards in last year through GiftCard Malls alone.
6. Gift cards are a true motivator. A recent study from the Incentive Federation reveals the popularity of gift cards in a variety of incentive based programs. Not only that, gift cards are recognized for their flexibility, ease of use, and low administrative costs.
7. There are different kinds of gift cards. Closed loop are gift cards issued by merchants and redeemable in their stores or online. Filtered are stored value debit cards sold via B2B channels and redeemable only at selected merchants. Virtual aren’t actual cards—they’re electronic codes issued in bulk by merchants for use in their regular channels. Mobile are virtual gift cards delivered to a mobile device and scanned or hand-keyed in stores or online. When used in the right combination in a carefully crafted program, gift cards are unbeatable at generating incremental income and building loyalty.
8. With the increasing use of e-certificates and mobile technology, the gift card industry continues to evolve, giving customers even more ways to accomplish their goals.
9. As you consider a gift card program, you’ll want to work with someone who is an expert in the industry. So contact GiftCard Partners today. Let us demonstrate how we can create and implement a B2B gift card program that will increase your sales and profits, build market share, and strengthen your brand.