A new survey from CashStar explored consumer attitudes about the customer experience angle of purchasing plastic and digital gift cards in a report titled, “Gift Cards Through the Eyes of the Consumer.”
Partnering with Libran Research and Consulting, CashStar polled more than 800 online shoppers of places like Sephora, Best Buy, Starbucks, The Home Depot, and The Cheesecake Factory.
Loyalty360 caught up with Gerry Gilbert, Vice President, Product, CashStar to learn more about the survey results.
What do you see as the current trends in purchasing digital and plastic gift cards from a customer experience perspective?
Gilbert: First, we are seeing there are more points of entry than ever before when it comes to gift cards. Traditionally, if someone wanted to buy a gift card, they went to the store or an end cap at a grocery or convenience store. Now, there are online channels, in-mobile wallet channels, and even discounted card channels. The savvy consumer no longer has to go to the store to purchase their gift cards. Second, there is a lot of talk about personalization and how it’s evolving to mean different things to different stakeholders. To us, it’s customizing the actual gift card to make the recipient experience more delightful by, for example, adding a wider faceplate design selection or allowing a consumer to upload his or her own digital media.
