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Gift Cards

ShopVisible has recently launched electronic gift card capabilities for clients. This feature allows customers to electronically send emails to their friends, family, co-workers, etc. with a promotional code that can be used to shop both online and in the store. Consumers can easily purchase online gift cards in the convenience of their home, at the last minute or well in advance. They can customize their gift card with a typed personal message and a design for a special occasion. With ShopVisible’s electronic gift card system, sending a card through email remains just as thoughtful as a handing over a tangible one.

When employing the right tactics, retailers never lose earnings on gift cards and on the contrary tend to gain from them a considerable profit due to three obvious reasons:

1. not-so-proactive shoppers who do not spend the full amount on their card, allowing the retailer to keep profits from unspent dollars without losing money on the cost of labor
2. upsell from ultra-proactive shoppers who buy more than they are given under the premise that they can justify spending less on what they wouldn’t have bought on original price
3. store credit options instead of money back returns, ensuring that profit stays put

Setting up gift card capabilities can be complicated because they require unique, effective systems to trade balances and account for usage. Business rules must be supported for use, in conjunction with, or to the exclusion of different offers. Only a few providers in the e-commerce space offer truly robust programs. ShopVisible is one of those providers and here are some key features they offer:

Complete analytics including organized management screens with overall reports of gift card purchases, usage and remaining balances Easy to read and editable Order Reports with:

• name of purchaser, time of purchase, and amount purchased
• name of recipient and recipient email
• gift card transactions
• products ordered
• remaining balances on individual cards

Client control over particular gift card capabilities including:

• Card Designs: With a graphic designer, create special cards for birthdays, weddings, graduations, or other special occasions.
• Gift Amount: Choose to let your customers type in any whole dollar amount for a card within a range (i.e. any whole dollar amount between 5-500 dollars) or offer incremental amounts (5, 25, 50).
• Decide if gift cards are good forever or create expiration dates
• Offer to mail recipients a tangible card with the same promotional code as their online certificate for the sake of customer preference
• Offer store credit for returns on gift cards
• Coming soon! Give customers the option of sending their card at a specific date and time in addition to immediate delivery

Aim to get your electronic gift card system set up in the near future. Holiday season, just a few months around the corner will undoubtedly be a time when consumers will much rather buy gift cards for their loved ones online than brave the chaotic last minute jams at the mall.

To learn more about ShopVisible please contact us.