Features the Best Digital or Physical Gift Card Apps Should Have
What should you look for in a digital or physical gift card? From brand choice to mobile balance tracking, here are the features that matter.
HS
Harun Soylu
March 25, 2020
5 min read
In Turkish, the idea of a gift is also expressed by the word "armağan": something given without expecting anything in return. As in every other area, technological progress has changed the way we give gifts. Before today's gift cards and digital gifting, there were vouchers and coupons: easy for consumers to use but hard to manage operationally.
Over time, as vouchers and coupons were used more widely, problems such as getting lost or worn out led people to move from this kind of gifting to cards as technology developed. Paper vouchers and coupons are still in use today, but the pandemic has shrunk their market share considerably.
As card-based payment systems replaced vouchers and coupons, they had to offer a good user experience and make operations easier to manage. What started with the advantage of balance management has come a long way, from digital offline and online spending to limited, controlled spending.
Digital or physical gift cards should be assessed from several angles depending on where they are used:
Over time, as vouchers and coupons were used more widely, problems such as getting lost or worn out led people to move from this kind of gifting to cards as technology developed. Paper vouchers and coupons are still in use today, but the pandemic has shrunk their market share considerably.
As card-based payment systems replaced vouchers and coupons, they had to offer a good user experience and make operations easier to manage. What started with the advantage of balance management has come a long way, from digital offline and online spending to limited, controlled spending.
Digital or physical gift cards should be assessed from several angles depending on where they are used:
- The people who use the gift card
- The people or organisations who give the gift card
- The businesses that run the gift card
Benefits for the people who use the gift card:
- Gift cards from brands give recipients the freedom to spend at that brand whenever they like
- The balance can be spent in different amounts at different times, so there is no need to spend it all at once or risk leaving part of it unused
- No gift wrapping, shipping costs for bulky items or carrying things around
- The recipient can spend on what they actually need
- Spending stays private
- It helps manage a spending budget
- Users can benefit from the campaigns of the business that runs the gift card
What to look for when choosing the best gift card for your loved ones or your employees:
- No brand or product restrictions
- It should be usable in all campaigns and discounts
- Exchanges and returns should be hassle-free
- Customer service should be available 7 days a week
- A mobile app should show basic information such as the balance and where the card can be used
- If requested, it should be possible to spend through a mobile app with a digital card
- There should be no time limit on spending the balance
- It should be accepted at brands across many categories that appeal to everyone
- Gift card users should get special campaigns and advantages at partner brands
- Users should be able to top up the gift card whenever they want
With an experienced team that puts customer satisfaction first and a goal of offering the best user experience, iWallet has achieved many firsts in delivering gift cards to its customers. You can see the brands where our gift cards are accepted on our Merchant Network page and make your loved ones happy with iWallet, which is with you wherever technology touches life.