Gift card software and systems basics

A typical gift card program includes a supply of cards, software, and a display for your cards at the point of sale. These systems can include optional gift card software to track issued gift cards that is installed remotely on your existing credit card terminal, POS system, or desktop PC.

Once a customer selects a gift card with a fixed dollar value or decides how much the card will be worth at the time of purchase, you activate the card by swiping it through a credit card terminal or PC. The card recipient can then return to the store at any time to use the value on the card with the buyer’s purchases tracked by a central database. In addition to paying for the card itself, you pay the gift card vendor a small fee each time you activate a new account, and in some cases whenever a customer uses it.

Reporting is an optional but valuable component of any gift card program. With it, you can find out exactly who your customers are and what they are buying. The gift card software generates monthly reports detailing buyer demographics, purchasing statistics, shopping patterns, and total transactions for all your active cards. Armed with this information, you can gauge consumer interest in certain products and measure the success of your gift card program.

As part of your gift card program, you also get access to customer service personnel via phone or Web for account questions and issues, and gift card software updates when available. Vendors may supply you with an array of other marketing items to promote your program throughout your location.