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It’s true: consumers love gift cards. After all, who doesn’t love to receive cash to spend in their favorite store? According to the research, a lot of people do. Data shows that the global gift card market is expected to reach a value of $4.2 trillion by the end of 2032. Using the holiday season to zero in on these sales can be great for business.
Capital One found that the gift card market will generate $324.5 billion in 2024. And since 85% of gift cards are redeemed in the first 60 days after they’re received, selling them at your store during the holidays can give your business a nice boost in sales and help with cash flow at the beginning of the new year.
Square makes it easy to sell gift cards, whether in your brick-and-mortar location, online, or both. There’s no subscription or redemption fee to run a gift card program with Square, and you can sell, redeem, track, and reload without any additional tools. It’s all integrated into your POS. You can also work with predesigned templates for both physical and eGift cards or create your own custom look.
If you’ve never offered gift cards before — or if you already offer them but need some ideas to jumpstart sales — here are some gift card promotion ideas to help you sell a ton this holiday season.
How to sell gift cards in your brick-and-mortar store or restaurant
At your brick-and-mortar location, there are plenty of opportunities to showcase and promote your holiday gift card offerings. Here are a few ideas to get you started:
- Use visual displays and signage: Give your gift cards prime real estate next to the register to maximize gift card sales. You can set them up on hostess stands, on the pickup counter, or in window displays. You can also showcase them on your menu boards or sidewalk signs.
- Utilize receipts: Include a callout to your gift cards by customizing a message in your Dashboard.
- Go omnichannel: If you offer Square eGift cards, consider posting signs to let customers know that they can purchase those online.
- Offer a deal: Sweeten a purchase by offering a gift for the person buying the gift card. For example, “Buy a $50 gift card and get a candle for yourself” or “Buy a $25 gift card and upgrade your combo for free.” You can also offer a discount for the gift card itself, such as selling a $100 gift card for $80. Another option is to use gift cards of a smaller amount as an add-on to a purchase. For example, “Buy two large combos and get a $10 gift card.” These gifts can be perfect for those who want to add a little something special to their stocking stuffers.
- Partner with other businesses: Create a gift card co-op with businesses in your community to promote shopping local and to get new customers into your shop.
- Be bold: Make gift card designs that stand out. Try a bright interpretation of your logo or a fun image, or purchase holiday-themed cards for the season.
How to sell gift cards online
If you have a website, ensure your Square eGift cards are in a prominent space for shoppers to see. You might even consider adding a banner or a simple pop-up message to encourage clicks and garner interest. If your website includes eCommerce, add a link to your Square eGift cards order page. On checkout pages for online orders or purchases, make sure you leave the option to add them to the order at the last minute. With the option to send eGift cards as text messages or via email, they’re easy, low-hanging fruit for shoppers looking to reach loved ones instantly. You might also create discounts and promo codes for your Square eGift cards to make them an even more attractive buy.
Businesses that sell Square eGift cards are also added to the Square Give and Get Local directory, where consumers can look up stores in their surrounding area that sell online and in-store gift cards. This makes dabbling in eGift cards even more beneficial for your business.
In addition to selling gift cards on your own website, you can sell them on social media channels such as Facebook or Instagram or on marketplace sites such as Etsy. These sites are especially good if your own website doesn’t have eCommerce capabilities.
It’s important to be strategic about which sites make the most sense for your brand, customers, and products. When you post, ensure that your gift cards get visibility in relevant searches by tagging your ad with keywords and phrases — or hashtags on social media — that shoppers might use to find your products or services.
How to promote gift cards on other channels
The advice above works if you can get someone to your store, your website, or your profiles on social networks and marketplaces. But if your customers don’t know you offer gift cards, they can’t buy them. So consider creating a gift card strategy and investing in promotions and marketing.
Get the word out to your current customers through your social media channels and through email marketing. Create fun campaigns that include photos of your gift cards with your products, and mention any upcoming promotions.
If you want to use your customers to get the word out about gift cards, try a social campaign that gives away gift cards. Invite people to submit some kind of holiday content. This can vary based on what your business is. Have them use a hashtag specific to your business or photos of what they would purchase with their gift card. Then award the best submissions.
If you want to offer exclusive or special, unbeatable gift card deals, consider marketing them to your loyal customers through Square Loyalty and giving a gift to those who support your business frequently.
How to take gift cards in your store or restaurant
Gift cards are integrated right into your Square Point of Sale and Square Dashboard. When a customer pays with a gift card, swipe the card, and the balance will update automatically. If you’re a restaurant that offers tableside payments or self-serve kiosks, your customers can pay with a gift card by swiping the card themselves.
Customers can add eGift cards to their mobile wallet, making them redeemable similar to Tap to Pay on iPhone or Android transactions. For eGift cards that aren’t added to a mobile wallet, ask your customers to provide the 16 digit number found in the original email or text containing the eGift card.
Customers can also add more money to their gift cards at any time. All gift card transactions will show up in your reporting, and you can export a full report of gift card sales right from your Square Dashboard. And once you’re up and running, you’ll receive transfers for gift card activations instantly or within one to two business days. Our new holiday gift card designs have just arrived. There’s no better time to stock up before the holiday rush.
