GiftCard Partners attended the 2nd annual Prepaid Congress this week, so over the coming week or so we will be posting information from the Congress. E-certifications, are an emerging closed loop gift card technology within the incentive industry that allow retailers to instantly deliver incentives to their customers through either cell phone technology, or online. According to the Mercator Group 33% of retailers in the U.S. currently offer e-certification incentives. E-certifications can save incentive companies fulfillment charges, and provide instant gratification to the customers receiving the incentives. E-certifications are opening up new markets for retailers who are able to participate because e-certifications are opening up new avenues to contact customers and deliver marketing messages. Some studies even suggest that e-certs are more effective at delivering memorable long lasting marketing messages than physical gift cards.