GiftCard Partners Blog

As 2025 comes to a close, HR leaders and business decision-makers are rethinking how to recognize, reward, and retain talent in a competitive market. Traditional year-end gifts—swag bags, baskets, or one-size-fits-all merchandise—are no longer enough. Employees expect something more personal, more practical, and more empowering. That’s why the Visa Reward Card is emerging as a top choice among corporate holiday rewards and prepaid card incentives for employees.

As the holiday season approaches, companies are gearing up to show appreciation to their employees and clients. Gift cards remain the most popular corporate gift—and their popularity continues to rise. In fact, the Fiserv Inc. reports that corporate gift recipients prefer to receive gift cards. 

Maintaining an engaged workforce is top of mind for many employers. Implementing effective employee reward and incentive programs with gift cards is a flexible, easy way to keep employees happy and provide positive reinforcement that fits any budget.

When selecting the gift cards to use in your program you can select either prepaid cards or branded gift cards.Prepaid cards are retailer agnostic and come primarily from Visa^® and Mastercard^® while branded gift cards are usable at one specific retailer. Both products offer flexibility, easy delivery and convenience for program administrators and program participants alike.

Recruiting and retaining participants continues to be one of the biggest challenges in clinical research. A scoping review of randomized controlled trials found that approximately 45% of trials fail to recruit the necessary number of participants within the planned time frame.

As organizations continue to adapt to the evolving landscape of remote and hybrid work, maintaining and enhancing employee engagement has become a pivotal focus. A Gallup report indicates that in 2024, only 31% of U.S. employees were engaged at work, reflecting a significant decline from previous years. This underscores the need for innovative strategies to foster connection, motivation, and satisfaction among remote teams, particularly since 73% of teams are projected to include remote employees by 2028.