Using Electronic Gift Cards To Brighten Moods

As the world continues to battle with the coronavirus pandemic, stores everywhere remain closed. As long as they are considered non-essential, store owners are being asked to keep their doors shut until further notice. This is the current world we live in. Of course, no one asked for this or wants it, but we all understand what must be done to help prevent the spread of COVID-19.

With that said, there are still ways for retailers to process sales. Going the online route is pretty much a must, at this point. Therefore, we can’t think of a better time to promote electronic gift cards than right now. As you can imagine, they are ideal for online shopping. And, at a time like this, consumers can purchase them to help brighten the moods of their loved ones.

What exactly are electronic gift cards?

Instead of a physical plastic card, an electronic gift card is a code a recipient receives in electronic form. They’re also known as digital, virtual, mobile or simply e-gift cards. Recipients can get their codes by e-mail, text or messaging app. Delivery of e-gift cards is often immediate but can take up to 24 hours for some retailers. Stores are able to accept codes for redemption either online or in-store.

As the COVID-19 crisis continues, we can only imagine how happy receiving an electronic gift card would make a consumer right now. Most people are doing the right thing – self-isolating – and, as a result, not doing any physical shopping other than at grocery stores. Getting an e-gift card, however, means free online shopping!

Electronic gift cards can’t be lost.

One of the best things about electronic gift cards is that, unlike the physical kinds, they can’t go missing. If a recipient doesn’t receive the code, it can always be re-sent. Sometimes, they end up being found in junk or spam folders. If the sent code is somehow misplaced, it can be retraced. On GiftCards.com, Shelley Hunter elaborates about this benefit.

“Physical gift cards can be purchased fairly anonymously and are difficult to replace if they get lost,” she affirms, “But e-gift cards are different. These cards are typically ordered online where the buyer enters an email address, credit card number, physical address and possibly even a telephone number before completing the purchase. The recipient, who likely has to claim the code in some way, also ends up supplying contact information. With all of these identifiers, e-gift cards are easy to trace and replace if the recipient can’t find the original notification.”

Selling e-gift cards offers your store many benefits.

Firstly, they are known to increase the size of your customer base. E-gift cards that are given by loyal customers regularly entice friends and families to sample your business. The cards are ideal for promotional mailings, charitable donations, come-back rewards and other marketing programs.

Naturally, your sales and profits also increase as a result of offering electronic gift cards. Most card recipients spend 25 percent more than the value of their gift cards and there’s no cash back required. And, when used for merchandise returns, the value stays on the cards and never leaves.

For more information about the electronic gift cards available from Canadian POS, please don’t hesitate to call us at 1-877-748-2884 or email us at info@localhost.