What is a Gift Card?
A reusable, stored-value card that enables merchants to have an electronic alternative to paper gift certificates. Our gift cards are composed of high quality PVC formatted to standard credit card size and thickness, which includes a magnetic stripe on the back that contains various card information.
History of the Gift Card
Gift cards were originally introduced by retailers like McDonalds™ and JC Penney™ in the early 1970s and 1980s using thin plastic cards with the purpose of tracking purchases and redemptions more efficiently and securely than paper.
Gift card programs began getting more exposure and recognition in 1995 with their introduction by a few larger retailers, such as Blockbuster™ and K-mart™. These retailers adapted their gift card systems to replace paper gift certificates and to help streamline tracking and reconciliation. The gift card programs continued to gain momentum and popularity after several other large retailers began promoting the cards through the media and TV.
Over the years the gift card concept has proven its worth and overall necessity to retailers of all types. Gift card technology continues to grow and become an important tool and cash flow generator for businesses involved in various types of industries.
Front of a sample gift card Back of a sample gift card
