In the hope of finding the perfect birthday gift for my best friend Emily, I had been walking in and out of various shops in a mall, until I stepped into a beauty store – The Beauty Gifts. The sales lady was pleasant, she came over to ask what I was looking for, after sharing my requirements she instantly introduced me to their newly launched ‘Gift Vouchers’ in 3 various denominations. And BAM! I knew my search was over. A gift voucher was a great idea!
My biggest concern was taken care of – I did not have to think about whether Emily would like my gift or
not. She could simply shop for the products that she likes and just pay using the gift vouchers. Simple.
Today, Gift Vouchers continue to be an effective marketing tool for businesses. Gift vouchers and gift
cards have also taken the digital form such that they can be purchased online and delivered via SMS or
email, eliminating the use of a physical gift card or voucher.
The major factor that caused the growth of gift vouchers on mobile is a rise of smartphone usage and
millennials embracing everything “mobile”.
Retailers who are looking to take advantage of this steadfast growth should start offering easy-to-use
digital gift vouchers and gift cards as soon as possible
What is a Gift Voucher System?
A voucher system is a stand-alone system designed to manage the end-to-end lifecycle of vouchers, coupon codes and gift cards. Here are the types of gift vouchers that we have today:
Paper Vouchers
A paper or physical voucher is a piece of paper that entitles the holder to a discount. It may be
exchanged for goods or services and in various denominations based on how t he store wants to create it.
Physical Gift Cards
Gift cards are similar to gift vouchers but a gift card takes the form of a plastic card with an added
feature of pre-paid stored value at the point of purchase. The balance of the first purchase can also be
carried forward to the next purchase. Each gift card will be uniquely identified either by a unique
serial number or customers unique id (at the back of the gift card).
Digital Vouchers / Gift Cards
A digital voucher or mobile voucher is one that is delivered to the customer via SMS or through in-app
notifications. The functions of the digital voucher /card remain the same.
Advantages of providing Gift Cards to your business
Here are 4 advantages of using gift vouchers and an efficient gift voucher system:
1. Drive Revenue
Usually, your vouchers will be bought as thoughtful gifts for someone special. But an important fact to
note is that many gift vouchers go unredeemed. This means, your business never has to give out
service/goods for the sold gift voucher if no one redeems it, and this results in profit for your
business. Another fact is when people use gift vouchers or cards, they tend to spend more than the
actual money valued in the card.
So, regardless of the business, you are running, one of the smart strategies is to sell your
services/goods in the form of the gift voucher. Just so you can capture that extra revenue.
2. Bring In New Customers
Gift vouchers bring in new customers. In addition to driving traffic, they also encourage repeat
business and increased purchasing.
3. Creates Brand Awareness
When your gift voucher or card (physical or digital) is designed to match your company logo and brand,
it essentially works as a marketing tool in the customer’s wallet. As more and more people purchase gift
cards as presents for their friends and families, your brand continues to be spread to new customers who
never heard of you before. Furthermore, if you are able to offer personalization on your gift vouchers
and cards, it helps to create a great experience for your customers.
4. Build Customer Loyalty
Acquiring a new customer is anywhere from five to 25 times more expensive than retaining an existing
one. [4] A great way to do it is to grant incentives to your loyal customers. Make them feel special by
offering gift vouchers periodically and also to keep them coming back to you.