Tell Me More: Personalized gift cards

If you want to offer credit cards to customers without the hassle of monthly statements or credit history searches, consider personalized gift cards. Companies can now create gift cards with a preset dollar amount – complete with the owner’s full name on the front – to purchase goods and services anywhere that standard credit cards are accepted.

Vendors from the major credit card companies produce personalized gift cards because it doesn’t restrict the recipient from shopping at only select retailers. Unlike standard gift cards, having the owner’s name on the front offers a new level of security. Retailers can request to see identification before the card can be used. With the help of an 800-number, the recipient could also report a card lost or stolen to recover any remaining funds on the card.

You can offer personalized gift cards for any occasion – holidays, birthdays, anniversaries, graduations, and employee incentives. The cards come in multiple eye-pleasing designs and some vendors will actually allow you to customize your own artwork for a card. Personalized gift cards typically come in different denominations – usually $25 to $500 – and owners can choose to add more money to the card when funds are depleted.