Best Practices for a Gift Card Program

No matter the industry, there are many ways that you can use our Chesapeake Payment Systems Gift Card program. The program, which is powered by Valutec, can help you build your brand awareness, support customer loyalty, and separate your business from the competition. So we’ve put together this list of popular ways that you can use this service, along with some best practices.

Here’s how other customers are using it:

1. Satisfy unhappy customers by offering gift cards as discounted or free merchandise to resolve customer complaint issues i.e.; poor service, a bad dining experience, missed tee time or delivery, out of stock item, or other customer dissatisfaction.
2. Reward regular customers and clients for their loyalty.
3. Run exclusive online BOGO specials like “Buy a $50 gift card for a friend, get a $10 gift card for yourself,” or “Buy a gift card with at least a $50 value and we’ll give you a free X”
4. Sell pre-loaded cards to local businesses to use as rewards for their customers and employees.
5. Use gift cards for charitable donations, in kind, and “paying it forward” as requested.
6. Utilize the card in merchandise returns.
7. Pass out pre-loaded cards at special events and meetings to drive new customers to your location.
8. Pre load gift cards and send them out in direct mail, with a private letter, as invitations to your business.
9. Celebrate milestones by offering preloaded cards to the “first five” that make it in store or make reservations online.
10. Load promotional gift cards with random “Mystery” amounts so the customer has to come in to your store to find out exactly how much they have to spend with you.
11. Drive customers to your higher margin items by offering a higher value promotional gift card with “qualifying purchase.”
12. Replace your current cash rebates with a promotional card loaded with that same value so you are guaranteed they can’t spend that money anywhere but back in your store.
13. Partner with neighboring businesses in your community to offer a weekly contest or drawing that includes a prize from each of your businesses.
14. Offer store cards as a reward in contests for promoting your social media visibility.
15. Use them as part of a customer referral program.
16. Offer them as coupons on the next service, appointment, or maintenance for “non-retail” entities.
17. Run a promotion offering to load an additional 10% of the value for free “if purchased now.”
18. Don’t forget, our gift cards can be customized with your logo and artwork, so it’s also like a billboard for your business everywhere it appears. (Predesigned cards available as well.)

For best results

1. You’ll want to advertise gift card availability every chance you have like on in-store posters, online (website and social media), at events, in newsletters, etc.
2. Be sure to have them on display near the registers and check out for last-minute and impulsive shoppers.

If you have questions or would like to learn more, please contact our Chesapeake Payment Systems team at: sales@chespay.com or 757-941-1335.