10+ Examples of Gift Card Marketing Campaigns Done Like a Pro in 2025

Customers love receiving gifts from brands. What if there was a way to make your customer happy but also to drive up revenue and improve cash flow at the same time? Gift cards, both digital and physical, are a perfect solution.

According to the Business Research Company, the global digital gift card market size grew from $342.66 billion in 2022 to $405.17 billion in 2023. There is an upward trend in this matter, as the digital card market size is expected to reach $740.41 billion in 2027. The rise in gift card purchases, especially during the holiday season, is a key factor contributing to increased sales during these peak periods.

In this blog post, I will cover the benefits of gift card marketing and analyze 13 real-life gift card campaign examples. We will go deeper into the campaign limitations and conditions as well as analyze the campaign creatives and copy.

What is a digital gift card?

Gift cards, also known as prepaid vouchers, are prepaid cards, physical or digital, that can be used as an alternative to cash for purchasing goods or services. Businesses can offer custom gift cards with unique designs and the option to include a personalized message for the recipient, making the gift more memorable and meaningful. They are typically sold by retailers, restaurants, or other brands and are purchased by customers as gifts for others or for their own use. Gifts cards can also be granted to customers by brands as a reward for their shoppers’ particular actions.

What is gift card marketing? 

Gift card marketing is a strategic approach where businesses use gift cards as a tool to drive sales, attract new customers, retain existing ones, and enhance brand loyalty. It goes beyond simply offering gift cards for purchase, it involves crafting campaigns, promotions, and experiences that leverage gift cards to meet broader business goals. Effective gift card marketing strategies include creative gift card offerings and innovative marketing strategies to maximize impact.

What makes gift card marketing work?

There are several powerful psychology tricks that make gift cards super effective at building customer loyalty and better customer relationships. Recipients often perceive gift cards as 'free money,' which encourages guilt-free spending and increases the likelihood of redemption.

1. The paradox of choice

We all know that choosing the perfect gift for special occasions can be stressful. The paradox of choice shows that too many options can cause anxiety. Gift cards solve this by reducing decision fatigue and making gift-giving easier while preserving thoughtfulness, hugely appealing for buyers.

2. Consumer control & autonomy

In short, people value autonomy and control. Vouchers work because they give the recipient the freedom of choice and personal empowerment as they get to choose how they want to spend gift credits.

3. Mental accounting & guilt reduction

This point is especially true in today's economy. Consumers engage in mental accounting – we assign different meanings to different “buckets” of money where cash feels like "serious money" (leads to guilt when used on hedonic purchases), whereas gift cards feel like “play money” (guilt-free spending).

4. Psychological ownership

Receiving a gift card triggers psychological ownership – the card is pre-committed value, mentally tagged as “mine.” There’s a very strong desire to redeem it (loss aversion plays a role — “I don’t want to waste it”). This leads to higher engagement and redemption rates compared to other forms of promotions.

5. The psychology of expiration & breakage

When gift cards expire or remain unused the endowment effect is triggered (“I own this value” – regret if it’s lost). This leads to FOMO, when marketers can leverage scarcity to drive urgency, making gift cards perfect promotions for sending nudges and reminders to keep your brand top of mind.

Key gift card marketing tactics

From the retailers' point of view, gift cards can be a cheaper incentive than, for example, discounts, free products or cashback, as many gift cards expire before being redeemed. Giving away gift cards only costs a retailer if a customer uses the incentive. 

• Gift card promotions – Offer a $10 bonus card with every $50 gift card purchase.
• Holiday campaigns – position gift cards as perfect last-minute holiday gifts.
• Referral rewards – give a gift card when an existing customer refers a friend.
• Loyalty programs – reward frequent shoppers with gift cards.
• Employee incentives – use gift cards as rewards for employee recognition.
• Corporate sales – offer gift cards in bulk to businesses for employee gifts or client rewards.

The benefits of gift card campaigns 

• Drive up revenue – providing your shoppers with gift cards will undeniably generate cash flow, thanks to the endowment effect and customers wanting to use the incentives. Gift card campaigns can also boost sales and increase sales by encouraging customers to make additional purchases.
• Gain new customers – gift cards are a great way to promote your brand and excite shoppers to buy your products, especially if given to new customers who may be looking for a new brand to stay loyal to. Often, customers receive incentives for their next purchase, which encourages ongoing customer engagement.
• Promote impulse buys – shoppers are more comfortable with investing in additional goods or services when part of the purchase is covered by the amount that the gift card is issued to. Gift cards add value to the customer experience by making it easier to try new products or services.
• Increase the size of your customers’ carts – gift cards can serve as a cart-size booster, especially if you set particular validation rules concerning them, for instance, a minimum order value as a condition to use a gift card in the first place. This strategy can help raise your average order value.
• Encourage repeat business and repeat purchases – gift cards support customer retention by encouraging customers to return and make additional purchases, fostering long-term relationships and ongoing engagement.
• Track your campaign in real time – if you have a digital promotion management system, gift cards can facilitate the process of accessing your customers’ data, for example, their preferences, and also the effectiveness of your promotional campaign.
• Reduce fraud – as opposed to publicly available promotions, due to the fact that gift cards are personalized and can be redeemed just once due to validation rules, you are able to realistically combat fraud and not lose any money.

13 examples of winning gift card promotions

1. Gift card giveaways

James Allen is a US-based diamond and bridal jewelry DTC company focused mostly on online sales. They have started off as a diamond manufacturer for other brands like Tiffany&Co. They have run a gift card giveaway campaign offering a $2500 gift card as a prize.

Promotion conditions:

To take part in the contest, participants (mainly women) have to find an engagement ring they like and drop a hint to their partners about it. As part of the entry process, participants were encouraged to share their engagement ring choices on social media, generating user generated content that promoted the campaign. Everyone who did so would automatically enter into the contest. The winner gets a $2500 gift card, non-refundable and not exchangeable for cash.

2. Re-engagement gift card campaign 

Sephora is a French multinational retailer of personal care and beauty products. 

Sephora launched a re-engagement campaign amongst their loyalty program members giving away $15 gift cards valid for purchases above $50 for a short period of time (11 days) in December (just before the Christmas season). 

3. Valentine's Day gift card campaign 

Peppermayo is an Australian fashion brand, selling mainly online.  They have launched a Valentine's day campaign sending $30 gift cards to their subscribers. 

Promotion conditions:

• Valid only on orders above $100. 
• Cannot be combined with other promotions. 
• Valid only on full-priced items. 
• Cannot be spent on gift cards. 
• The gift card expires 02/07/2018. 
• The gift card has a LOVEME code (publicly available, not unique). 

4. New collection gift card campaign

StyleBop.com is a luxury fashion retailer selling designer clothes online with headquarters in Düsseldorf, Germany. They have launched a spring campaign offering a $50 gift card for the new spring designer collection. This is a great example of using gift cards to promote new product launches, collections, leftover stock, or slow-moving goods.

Promotion conditions:

• Valid on orders above $300.
• Code: 2015spring (public, not unique).

5. Thank you gift card campaign 

Vivid Seats LLC is an independently owned and operated online ticket marketplace. They have run a thank you campaign sending a $30 gift card to customers who have bought from them previously. 

Promotion conditions:

• Only valid on orders above $300. 
• Expires the same day (giving big urgency to the offer).

6. Holiday-special gift card campaign

Sleep Country is Canada’s leading omnichannel mattress and bedding retailer and a specialty sleep products retailer with brick-and-mortar stores across the country.

They have launched a Christmas campaign offering $230 gift cards valid in December. The gift cards were delivered via emails but they were redeemable only in a physical store, emphasizing the in-store experience and encouraging customers to visit the store for their purchases.

Promotion conditions:

• The promotion was valid only until the end of December 2017.
• The gift cards could be spent on anything in-store (not online) and were redeemable exclusively at a physical store.
• The gift cards had unique codes.

7. Gift card as an incentive to check the offer

Upstart is an AI lending platform that partners with banks to provide personal loans using non-traditional variables, such as education and employment, to predict creditworthiness.

Upstart is encouraging their potential customers to check their loan rate (and therefore get interested in Upstart offer) by offering them $10 Amazon gift cards. This tactic uses other brand’s gift cards (as Upstart does not offer gift cards) as an incentive. This campaign incentivizes customers to engage with the brand by providing a tangible reward, making it a good example of incentivizing customer interaction with the brand.

8. Acquisition gift card campaign

Clean Choice Energy is a US energy retailer focusing on providing energy from renewable sources. They have launched an acquisition-focused campaign offering a $50 visa gift card for those who switch to them as their energy provider.

9. Refer a friend giveaway with gift card as a prize

Jane is a curated marketplace with more than 2 000 shops plus big brands and designer names. They focus their offering on small brands, primarily female-owned ones. They have launched a refer a friend giveaway where everyone who refers their friends and the referred friends get a chance to win a $50 gift card.

10. Gift cards for VIP customers

Rocksbox is a jewelry rental membership that makes it easy to discover new looks, rock the latest trends or add more of your favorite classic styles to your jewelry collection, without the commitment to purchase.

They have sent out an email campaign with a subject line “You made the list! Gift inside 🎉 '' to their VIP customers offering them a free one month of subscription and a $21 gift card (credits) for a purchase of any jewelry in their set. 

Promotion conditions:

• Promotion is valid only until the end of August (limited time only). 
• Promotion has to be claimed by clicking on a link in the email. 

11. Referral program with gift cards as rewards

Lensabl’s initial mission was to sell replacement lenses for frames you already own. Today, they also sell frames and contacts, they offer vision benefit plans and online prescriptions. Lensabl is marketed as a cheaper alternative to traditional glasses purchases. They launched a referral program offering $20 Amazon gift cards for referrers and referred friends (update: now they offer $25 gift cards).

Promotion conditions:

• The referrers only get the reward if the referred friend completes their first purchase of above $45 value.
• The referrers get a $25 Amazon gift card for a successful referral.
• There is a maximum of 10 successful referrals per year one referrer can make.

12. Gift card for the second purchase time-bound campaign

Ross Simons is a US-based retailer offering an array of jewelry including designer collections & brand-name watches.

Ross Simons launched a sale where, among other promotions, if someone places an order they will get a $50 gift card for future purchases. They sent an email campaign with the subject line “Overstock Event Ends Tonight! Save Up To 67% + $50 Gift Coupon with Purchase.”

Promotion conditions:

• To get the gift coupon, one must purchase something from the overstock sale. 
• Gift coupons are valid for purchases above $150. 
• Gift coupons are single-use only (they cannot be split between more orders).
• The gift coupons are sent only after the order placed within the sales timeframe is already shipped.

13. Special occassion gift card campaign

Air France is a French airline, a subsidiary of KLM Group. They have launched a campaign for Valentine’s day to increase the sales of their gift cards. For each gift card bought for Valentine’s day, they offered $30 extra gift card credit. This campaign is designed to keep customers coming back for more purchases, encouraging repeat visits and fostering loyalty. The subject line of their emails was “Evelyn, gift card special: $30 bonus for your Valentine.”

Promotion conditions:

• The promotion is valid until February 20 (roughly two weeks since the start of the campaign).
• The bonus is given only for purchases of gift cards over $150 in nominal value.

How to integrate gift cards into your stack?

There are several core tech aspects you should be aware of when it comes to e-gift cards, especially the importance of supporting digital gift cards for seamless integration and enhanced customer convenience.

1. Real-time balance tracking & fraud prevention

Your gift card system should be able to track these data points in real-time:

• Gift card issuance.
• Redemption.
• Remaining balance.
• Expiration date (if applicable).

Failing to do so may quickly increase fraud risk caused by over-redemptions and data mismacthes across POS and online ecommerce channels.

• Over-redemption (card used multiple times)
• Data mismatches across POS and online channels → customer frustration & support costs
• Increased fraud risk if codes are not properly managed or validated.

Use a centralized gift card platform (like Voucherify) to ensure one source of truth.

Learn more: What should my gift cards software offer?

2. Cross-channel consistency

Your gift cards should be redeemable consistently across ecommerce, app, in-store POS, and social media channels. If vouchers are not integrated properly, you risk building inconsistent customer experience which kills loyalty and overloading store staff with loads of manual labor to track down errors.

• Build or use an API-first platform that integrates with your commerce stack.
• Sync gift card status across channels in real time.
• Ensure UX is consistent – gift cards should work “just like money” everywhere.

Learn more: How to build a good UX for gift cards?

3. Reporting & analytics

Many brands underestimate how valuable gift card data is:

• Redemption patterns show customer behavior signals.
• Breakage trends will unlock potential loyalty risk or optimization areas.
• Campaign-level ROI (e.g. how much net revenue did that holiday gift card promo drive?).
• Analytics can also help measure the impact of gift card campaigns on expanding the brand's reach.

To fully benefit from gift card analytics try to:

• Implement dashboards to track usage patterns.
• Analyze new vs repeat customer behavior post-redemption.
• Use gift card data to fuel personalization for other campaigns like loyalty programs and promotions.

Best practices for your gift card marketing strategy in 2025

Gift card marketing is as much about brand psychology as it is about financial performance. The smartest brands design whole-journey experiences: Gifting moment → Redemption → Post-redemption loyalty → Advocacy.

Best practices for gift card marketing are essential for enhancing customer loyalty, as they help reward existing customers, encourage repeat purchases, and foster long-term brand commitment. When you engineer the psychology of this full cycle, gift cards become one of the most powerful emotional + revenue tools in your marketing stack.

Here are some best practices to follow when you’re integrating gift cards into the user journey:

1. The “dead value” problem

Some brands quietly celebrate unredeemed gift cards as pure profit (aka “breakage”). But breakage can erode customer trust and brand equity over time. Why? Psychological ownership makes unused cards feel like a loss to the consumer, triggering negative sentiment. In today’s world, even one viral post like “I couldn’t redeem my card” damages your reputation. Minimizing breakage is also crucial for maintaining high customer satisfaction, as it ensures customers have a positive and rewarding experience with your brand.

Here’s how to control it:

• Reward redemptions, don’t just accept breakage.
• Nudge usage – “Here’s how to make the most of your gift card” emails.
• Be transparent about expiration dates and terms.
• Use reminders – the more value the customer gains from the card, the more goodwill they associate with your brand.

You should treat gift card marketing as a customer loyalty driver, not a short-term cash grab.

2. Identity leakage

Gift cards can accidentally cause friction if brand identity mismatches the recipient’s self-image. For example, a luxury fashion brand gift card given to a thrifty or minimalist recipient will trigger resentment, not joy. This comes from the fact that consumers are more likely to engage with brands aligned with their self-perception.

Here's how to mitigate it:

• Offer choice bundles – a gift card that allows selection from multiple related brands.
• Communicate flexibility – “Use this for anything in our store, from essentials to indulgences.”
• Let buyers personalize the gifting experience – the more personal, the better fit.

3. Timing mismatch & emotional drift

If too much time passes between receiving a gift card and redeeming it, emotional disconnection can occur. Gifting is an emotional exchange, not just a transaction. Brands that keep the connection alive win long-term loyal customers.

Here's how to counteract:

• Run journey-based reminder sequences, don’t just send one expiry reminder.
• Include story-driven reminders, e.g., "Remember this was a gift from someone who cares – treat yourself."
• Encourage early redemption.

4. “Spend pain” leakage

Gift cards reduce spend pain at purchase, which is great! But be careful – if redemption processes are clunky, it can reintroduce spend pain at checkout which ultimately kills conversion. Imagine things like complex code entry, stacking problems, gift cards not covering shipping costs (unexpected out-of-pocket costs), or any other type of UX friction.

Here's how to counteract:

• Ensure redemption feels frictionless and joyful.
• Optimize checkout flow for gift cards: “Apply your gift card with one click.”
• Communicate what the card covers to set expectations clearly.

What about legal?

Gift cards are regulated products in many markets – this is a big trap for brands new to gift card marketing. Here's what you should look out for:

1. Expiration dates & breakage

Many jurisdictions prohibit expiration of gift cards (or require long validity). Some require unused balances to be refunded or handled in a specific way. For example, in the U.S. under the CARD Act, gift cards generally can’t expire for at least 5 years.

• Check local laws for each country you operate in.
• Ensure T&Cs are clearly visible to buyers and recipients.

2. Tax implications

In some jurisdictions, sale of a gift card is not taxable at issuance, tax applies when redeemed. Different rules apply to single-purpose vs multi-purpose gift cards. Legal misunderstanding this can lead to incorrect tax filings.

• Work with a tax advisor or compliance platform to set up correct tax treatment.
• Ensure accounting system tracks gift card liability properly.

3. Consumer protection rules

There are tones of rules around gift card disclosures (fees, expiry, limitations) and refunds when purchases are made with a gift card. In some regions, gift cards cannot have fees that reduce the balance over time. Non-compliance with any of there can trigger fines and brand damage.

• Have legal counsel review your gift card program.
• Display full terms & conditions clearly at purchase & redemption.

4. Data privacy & security

Gift cards are a stored monetary value, which makes them a high potential promotion fraud target. Common attacks include number scraping & testing, dode reuse, and social engineering of support teams.

• Use secure, unique voucher codes.
• Implement rate limiting & bot protection for gift card balance checks.
• Educate your support team – fraudsters often target human vulnerabilities.

Summary 

There are many ways you can use personalized gift cards as incentives, from expanding your customer base, through settling unhappy customers, to other retention, acquisition or re-engagement strategies. Effective gift card marketing leads to happy customers who are more likely to become loyal advocates.

We have analyzed various gift card campaigns and we have noticed a pattern – most big brands add promotion rules to ensure their safety and effectiveness. To manage such personalized and targeted campaigns at scale, you need a powerful promotion engine.

Voucherify, as an API-first composable loyalty engine, can help you launch campaigns similar to above-mentioned and more, allowing you to narrowly target and personalize your gift card campaigns.

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