Over the past five years, digital gift cards have grown to become a popular choice for all gifting occasions — from birthdays and holidays to graduations, Valentine’s Day, and those “just because” moments. They are easy for consumers to purchase, personalize, send and redeem. Since they are delivered instantly via email and even text messages, gift givers can now literally wait until the last minute and still not miss a gift-worthy moment.
Retailers have embraced the digital gift card, leveraging it as another option for consumers and providing the marketing team with an additional tool to help inspire purchases. However, retailers that view digital gift cards simply as an extension of an existing program are shortsighted. As digital, mobile and social innovations continue to change the way consumers shop, retailers have a big opportunity to use the digital gift card more strategically: As a catalyst for mobile payments.
