GiftCard Partners Blog

This is a great example of using gift cards to smooth over a customer service nightmare . Approximately 8,000 Hawaiian Electric Co. customers went without power earlier this month. HECO will soon issue $50 gift cards and formal letters of apology to many of their customers who went without power for an extended period of time. Many companies say “Thank you” to their customers with gift cards via loyalty and rewards programs. Will saying “Sorry” with gift cards keep customers loyal? Let us know what you think by leaving a comment. Read the full story:
http://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/Global/story.asp?S=14259331

For the fourth year in a row, the Red Cross enters a new season of Red Cross Racing: an online blood donor rewards program designed to reward loyal donors and encourage participation in the program.

DPS offers gift cards to encourage parental involvement Detroit Public Schools officials will give a $25 Target gift card to the first 500 parents who sign up for the "I'm In" parent involvement card as a way to encourage parents to become more involved in the Detroit schools. The card will be used to track parent engagement and workshops in the district's eight parent resource centers. Every time parents use their card, they will receive points that will earn them entries into raffles and prizes. This isn't the first time DPS has used Target gift cards to encourage parental involvement. Last September, the district offered $20,000 in Target gift cards — including five $1,000 prizes — to parents who brought their children for a full day on Count Day, when attendance figures are used to determine state funding levels. From The Detroit News:
http://detnews.com/article/20110316/SCHOOLS/103160439/DPS-offers-gift-cards-to-encourage-parental-involvement#ixzz1GsYg2tZq


In today’s fast-paced, mobile-driven world, the convenience of mobile gift cards and the rise of QR codes have revolutionized how businesses connect with consumers. QR codes, those small squares with black and white pixels, have become ubiquitous across industries—from product packaging to restaurant menus—and are increasingly tied to marketing and consumer engagement strategies. As the gift card industry continues to evolve, QR codes offer new opportunities for companies looking to innovate in how they deliver value to customers and employees alike.

The use of mobile phones for utilizing gift cards and making payments has surged in recent years, reflecting a significant shift in consumer behavior. Recent data show that about 40% of mobile users use their phones to redeem digital coupons and similar digital value assets, reflecting strong engagement with mobile-based redemption and payment technologies — a trend that parallels rising mobile payments usage, with over 2 billion people using mobile payment apps worldwide and U.S. consumers averaging 11 mobile payments per month in 2024.