What are the innovations for gift card delivery?

The gift card service can bring many benefits if it is well thought out beforehand, and if it is well implemented in the current structure of the brand. One of the most important points to work on in this service is, without a doubt, delivery. It is proven that 75% of e-buyers check the delivery terms before an online purchase. A step that concludes the customer experience. Consequently, if there is a problem, it can negatively impact customer satisfaction. So, what are the possibilities for brands?

The specificity of the e-card

It is now possible for consumers to buy not only a physical card, but an e-gift card. The specificity of this type of card is that the delivery is done instantly, in a few seconds only. How does it work? Well, once the order is validated by the buyer, a code is generated and sent directly to the recipient’s email box. So yes, there are no longer the constraints of a physical delivery but others are added. Here are several elements to work on:

• The deliverability of the email: you must be sure that it will not be sent as a spam to the recipient’s email box. Or even that it will not be blocked by the operator. Otherwise, both the giver and the receiver of the gift card will be unsatisfied.

• Once it has arrived safely, the brand must work on the subject line and the body of the email to ensure that the recipient understands what it is about. After all, they don’t expect to receive a gift card, since it’s a “gift”.

• Finally, once they open the email, it is essential to work on the way the e-gift card is presented. It is necessary to highlight the offeror’s message, while giving the important information (amount, brand, validity date, the code…). Since it is a gift above all, the design must meet the surprise expectations.

In order to maximize the experience during delivery, the brand will work on little extras. For example, we have the deferred delivery option of the card. The offeror chooses the exact date on which the beneficiary will receive the e-card. Practical for those who want to plan ahead.

Second example: allow the recipient to thank the buyer by being able, with a simple click, to send a message (customizable if possible). It is also possible that the buyer can receive notifications that the recipient has received the email or has used the gift card. An element of reassurance to maximize satisfaction.

Physical gift cards delivery

On the e-commerce website of a brand, the consumer can have the possibility to buy a physical gift card. Here arises the question between the degree of the card personalization and the speed of delivery. It is obvious that the more customizable the card is, the longer the time between the card generation and its delivery will be.

Nothing is over yet: half of the Internet users who have made an online purchase say they are anxious about delivery. Therefore, the brand must invest in elements of reassurance, such as the guarantee of delivery on the exact day desired (birthday, Christmas day…), or at least not before, at the risk of spoiling the surprise. Allowing the customer to follow the gift card delivery in real time is also a relevant point, especially when we know that 78% of consumers want to have this information.

The gift card being part of the gift universe, the brand can work on a different delivery experience compared to the orders of regular products. For example, for tracking purposes, it can use a different vocabulary such as “The surprise will arrive at X in just a few hours!”. And to further increase the pleasure of receiving, the brand can give the recipient access to the delivery tracking, without telling him what it is. The recipient knows that he or she will receive a gift, but does not know what it contains.

Marketing and delivery of gift cards

Brands and retailers have the opportunity to use the e-gift card in their marketing, customer acquisition or loyalty strategies. Less expensive with instant delivery, the digital card is very convenient to create quick marketing campaigns.

It is perfectly possible to incorporate the electronic gift card into your marketing automation solution.

Just as it is possible to use geolocation to send the gift card. How to do this? In a phygital strategy, to attract customers in the store specifically, a brand, thanks to geolocation, can send in real time an e-gift card of a predefined amount, to current or new customers, having previously agreed to share their data with the brand.

Mobile application and social networks

The smartphone is becoming more and more important in consumers’ daily life and purchases. With this in mind, brands that have developed a mobile application can offer the recipient the option of registering their gift card directly on it when they receive it. If the brand does not have an application, it can set up a system to register the gift card on a wallet application, which has been strongly adopted by consumers.

This way, the gift card delivery marks the beginning of an exchange between the recipient and the brand. We go from a simple transaction to the creation of a customer relationship and, ultimately, to loyalty. Why? Because via the wallet application or its own application, the brand can send more relevant and targeted notifications over time.

Another more interactive and intimate way to deliver a gift card is via social networks. The brand proposes to the buyer to send the card, not on the email box, but directly via a social network private message. The buyer is assured that the recipient will receive his gift, and they can easily exchange (thank you, etc.) via this type of platform.

Gift card delivery is an integral part of the customer experience. Today, we are no longer satisfied with selling physical cards in stores. To maximize the experience and make the service more attractive, new technologies and digital are the tools of choice.