Gift Cards - A Growing Opportunity

Gift Card Designs

Gift Cards stimulate sales and increase profits

Gift Cards are reported to increase prepaid gift sales from 10% to 1,000%. Issuing a Gift Card to your customers is an easy way to build brand awareness for your business. More than half of your Gift Card customers will spend more than the card value at your business. Until the complete value of a Gift Card is actually used, your business has the use of the remaining balance on the card. Gift Cards can be re-loaded with more value, continuing the stream of sales and other benefits. Gift Cards used together with other marketing promotions can significantly increase the impact of those promotions (see additional information below). Gift Cards can amplify seasonal and holiday sales, when promoted as a substitute for an "ordinary" gift. Finally, the consumer psychology of Gift Cards treats these cards as "found money" - consumers are simply more likely to spend the value of a Gift Card on an "impulse" buy.

Gift Cards save costs and reduce losses

Viewed as a replacement for traditional paper gift certificates, Gift Cards are the clear winner when it comes to saving costs and reducing losses. Issuance, tracking, adding additional value, and other control functions are all automated. Our Gift Card programs come with detailed reporting features that allow you to audit every aspect of your Gift Card program.

Since Gift Card issuance and Gift Card value additions are all controlled by security features, they are fundamentally more secure than paper gift certificates. Gift Cards cannot be photocopied or otherwise reproduced. If lost or stolen, they can be cancelled remotely, eliminating customer losses and complaints.

The special impact of Gift Cards for Restaurants, Specialty Retailers, Spas, and Salons

Consumers are now accustomed to being able to purchase Gift Cards from their favorite restaurants, specialty retailers, spas, and salons. Many customers view the availability of Gift Cards as an indicator of the quality or prestige of the business.

In addition, these personal service oriented businesses find that their best customers are anxious to share their experience with friends, family, and co-workers. Gift Cards provide these high value customers with an easy and effective way to introduce others to their favorite Merchants.

Well organized Gift Card sales programs and promotions are perceived by valued customers as an additional benefit of patronizing “high touch” businesses. They provide these customers with convenient tools for their own personal expenditures and gift giving needs.

Using Gift Cards with other promotions

Major retailers like Target have found that combining Gift Cards with other promotions increases the overall impact of the promotion. With sales events, new product or service launches, extended hours, and other promotional activities, smart Merchants make sure to include the availability of Gift Cards as a part of the promotion. In particular, seasonal promotions are ideal for coordinating with Gift Card sales.

Our Gift Card programs are incredibly flexible, with lots of features you and your customers will appreciate:

Immediate Activation

Gift Cards are activated immediately on purchase at your location – no activation call needed – purchases can begin immediately

NO Expiration Date

Your gift cards do not expire – no tracking expiration dates, issuing replacement cards, or other expiration date problems

Value is set at purchase

Your customer decides what dollar value to purchase (cards do not have pre-set values) – you encode the value onto the card using your card reader device

Adding value

Your customers can purchase additional dollar values at any time

Tracking remaining value is easy

The remaining value is shown on every receipt for transactions made with the card – you can also print a special receipt for customers requesting the balance only (no sales transaction required)

Toll Free value verification

The remaining value can also be obtained by dialing an automated Toll Free number

Daily usage

Any individual Gift Card can be used up to 99 times in a single day – great flexibility for return visits to your location

Easy transaction cancellation

Customers change their minds – you can cancel/void any customer transaction that’s in your current batch

Multiple location settlement options

If your business has multiple locations, you can choose either of two custom settlement options – you know what accounting approach makes sense for your business

Great reporting

Print-outs with your POS device, details on the web, and monthly summary information on your consolidated Sterling merchant statement

Minimum card values are no problem

Even a penny works

Up to $1,000 on a card

Your Gift Cards can have values up to $1,000.00

Cancellation/Reactivation

You can cancel Gift Cards reported lost/stolen and reactivate them when found

Our Gift Cards were created with strong graphic designs to provide you with the same quality that was previously available only to major retailers. Reproduced below are our six standard designs. Each card is imprinted with your business name or logo.

We can completely customize your gift cards using your designs.