Paper vouchers are cheap and quick. Plastic gift cards cost a little more but last longer, look like a real gift and can work with your till. Here is how they compare for a small business.
Durability
Paper vouchers crease, tear and fade in a purse. A plastic card stays in good condition for as long as the customer keeps it, which matters if it takes them months to spend it.
How it looks as a gift
People buying a £50 gift want something that feels worth £50. A full-colour plastic card in a wallet looks like a finished present. A printed paper voucher can look like a coupon.
Security and tracking
Plastic cards can carry unique numbers, barcodes, magnetic stripes or contactless chips. That makes them harder to copy and easier to track than a handwritten voucher. See how barcode and magnetic stripe gift cards work.
Working with your till
Paper vouchers usually need staff to check and record them by hand. Plastic cards with a barcode or stripe can be scanned or swiped, if your system supports gift cards.
Cost per card
Plastic gift cards start at £30 for 15, and fall to around £1.33 each in a 120 pack (excluding delivery). That is small compared with the value loaded on each card.
When paper still makes sense
For a one-off event, a raffle prize or a voucher you will email, paper or digital is fine. For gift cards you sell all year, plastic is the better choice.
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.
Read plastic gift cards for small business, or order plastic gift cards.
See all gift card options, features and prices on our Gift cards page.