Making gift cards ubiquitous
Nowadays, mobile phones are almost ubiquitous, and people use them to complete an ever-widening variety of everyday tasks. Many people find it most convenient to check bank balances, pay bills, and shop while “on the go”, rather than making a special effort to find time in their busy lives. This means that while customers may shop with a particular retailer, they may not use their bricks-and-mortar stores. Consequently, physical gift and loyalty cards are not relevant to these consumers. Retailers risk losing customers and sales unless they can offer a more relevant way to issue and redeem gift cards.
Going virtual
Ogloba’s platform allows “virtual” gift cards to be purchased and sent to the buyer’s, or gift recipient’s, smartphone. This way, the card is available for the cardholder to use at a time that is most convenient to them. While they may still be used in-store, virtual gift cards have the great advantage that they can be used when shopping online, something that is not always possible with physical gift cards. This means the customer can redeem them at any time of day, because they do not have to wait until the retailer’s bricks-and-mortar store is open in order to use them. It makes business sense to meet customers on the platform they use to shop. Virtual gift cards can also be sent via e-mail, or social media, and likewise, encourage shoppers to visit the webstore of the issuing merchant.
Gift cards are of course, often purchased to give as gifts or rewards. Utilizing a platform that makes them “virtual” also makes it convenient for buyers to purchase the card, as they can be purchased and sent to the recipient at any time.
An additional benefit is that unlike plastic cards which require time to move from purchaser to recipient (especially if they have to be mailed), virtual cards are “instant”. Retailers can see a rise in gift card purchases in the last few days before a holiday, a period when consumers are often reluctant to buy physical cards for fears they will not reach the intended recipient on time. With virtual gift cards, this is no longer a problem.
The entire solution is hosted by Ogloba, but is designed to be integrated into an existing website in such a way that it provides retailers, and their customers, with a seamless user experience.
Security
Fraud is a major problem for digital gifting. Unlike physical goods which are shipped hours or days after payment, digital cards are sent right away. Banking systems have little time to blacklist stolen cards which are used immediately to purchase e-gift cards, meaning careful consideration must be given to payment processing. With this in mind, payment is processed by Ogloba because we use a secure payment technology named 3D Secure. 3D secure mitigates fraud, and as a result, we are able guarantee the retailer against fraud.
For details of how we can help your business implement an online gift card portal, read our detailed overview here:
