GiftCard Partners Blog

As technology keeps expanding and growing, so do our payment systems. We're starting to see forward-thinking payment trends involving everything from mobile to loyalty rewards. Here are some of the latest movements in payment technology:
Mobile Capability With so many now owning smartphones, online shopping has seen a huge jump in mobile business. Because of this jump, companies are now placing a higher focus on mobile capability payments.  Plus, now the focus goes beyond smartphones as payment systems are also being developed and tested for tablet optimization as well.
Focus on Omniconsumers While mobile functionality is a very important factor for those in the payment industries, it's not only about mobile right now. Younger users are known for paying on a variety of different platforms, meaning the highest functioning payment systems will have to cater to a variety of different channels.
A Blur Between Physical and Online Shopping Consumers are not sold on only in-person or only online shopping. Many prefer to utilize both. That means that a majority of complaints that come from these double shoppers is centered around consistency between the products offered and product pricing. Smart companies are working to create consistency between off and online, especially when it comes to utilizing coupons and coupon codes.
Loyalty Rewards Loyalty rewards are becoming tremendously popular with consumers. Now, 73 percent of consumers carry loyalty rewards cards for their favorite businesses. And they don't keep it down to just one. One out of 10 customers carry six or more loyalty cards on any given day. This only goes to show the tremendous growth that the loyalty and reward businesses are seeing and will continue to see in years, and even months, to come.
For more information, read "The Ten Hottest Trends in Payments."

Gift cards are a great incentive to get employees to perform a certain behavior at a certain time, aligning your customers to advance your business goals. A great example of gift card use for mutual consumer and retailer benefit is currently being displayed by Microsoft with relation to the phase out of Windows XP. Microsoft will cease providing support and updates for the operating system next week, so the software giant is providing gift cards to any consumers who purchases a laptop running Windows 8.1 and can prove they previously had a computer running Windows XP. The gift card is good for laptops over $599 and also include a limited amount of tech support. Windows needs consumers to phase out use of Windows XP to prevent security issues for their customers. And if you're running a computer with Windows XP, chances are you could use a new laptop. The leverage gift cards provide solve both issues, while still offering consumers a choice in which product they upgrade to and giving them a wide time range to take advantage of the offer. How could you use gift cards to leverage your consumers' behavior?
For more information on the Microsoft offer or to learn how to use gift cards to prompt consumer behavior check out this article from Incentive Magazine.

A new whitepaper is out from marketing services agency P&MM and it proves a lot of what we have previously based employee motivation initiatives on: you can't motivate employees who aren't engaged. Engaging employees is the first step toward motivation them. Engage employees in their every day work by providing employees with professional development, training and the occasional fun organization activity.

As one of the leading developers in corporate gift card programs, GiftCard Partners offer a range of innovative options for incentive, loyalty, affinity and promotion markets. We want to help our partners build profitable and effective B2B programs by offering great deals on bulk gift cards from popular brands, including Whole Foods Market. Many of our clients interested in boosting brand loyalty or workplace productivity choose to do so in a way that promotes health and wellness through Whole Foods Market gift cards. By rewarding recipients with a selection of some of the healthiest food on the market, you’re encouraging wellness and a healthier lifestyle. From corporate wellness programs to fundraising thank you gifts, Whole Foods gift cards are the perfect gift or incentive for any program. Why are the Whole Foods Market gift cards some of our most popular options?

In today's dynamic workplace, organizations are increasingly recognizing the pivotal role of professional development in fostering employee engagement and retention. Professional development encompasses various initiatives aimed at enhancing employees' skills, knowledge, and career growth. Let's explore how investing in professional growth development programs can significantly impact employee engagement and retention.