Selling gift cards is not only about having them by the till. The businesses that sell the most plan a few campaigns a year around the dates people buy gifts. Here are practical ideas that work for UK shops, cafés, salons and venues.
1. Plan around the gifting calendar
- Christmas: start in November and keep going until Christmas Eve, when last-minute buyers want something they can pick up today.
- Mother’s Day and Father’s Day: promote two weeks ahead.
- Valentine’s Day, graduations and end of term: smaller peaks, but easy wins for restaurants and salons.
2. Offer gift card bundles
Package a £50 gift card with a small product or a card wallet. A bundle feels more like a finished present and is easy for staff to suggest.
3. Approach local employers
Companies buy gift cards for staff rewards, client thank-yous and Christmas presents. A short email to local businesses with a quote for 30 or 60 cards can bring in one large order.
4. Partner with a neighbouring business
A café and a bookshop, or a salon and a florist, can sell each other’s gift cards or create a joint card for a “treat day”. Both businesses reach new customers.
5. Link gift cards to a good cause
For example, donate £5 to a local charity for every £50 gift card sold during a set month. Say clearly how much goes to the charity and when.
6. Run a social media competition
Offer a £25 gift card as the prize for a photo competition or a giveaway post. It costs you less than its face value and brings the winner into your business.
7. Make them visible
Display cards at the till, add a line to receipts and email footers, and train staff to mention them in December. Plastic cards on a stand look like a product, not an afterthought.
Track what works
Use numbered cards or a different design for each campaign so you can see which idea sold the most.
Prices
Plastic gift cards are sold in packs: 15 for £30, 30 for £45, 60 for £80 and 120 for £160, with 45, 75 and 90 packs in between. Magnetic stripe, NFC contactless and RFID cards cost the same. Prices are for full-colour print from supplied artwork and exclude delivery. We are not VAT registered, so no VAT is added. For larger runs, contact us for a quote.
See plastic gift cards for small business, or order plastic gift cards.
See all gift card options, features and prices on our Gift cards page.