Merchant Gift Card eCommerce Evaluation
In 2017 NAPCO Research undertook its first-ever comprehensive review of the state of merchant gift card ecommerce offerings. The cross-platform assessment evaluated brands on nearly 100 criteria, including the online consumer purchase and recipient experience of digital and physical cards, as well as merchant B-to-B ecommerce offerings and the use of gift cards for marketing initiatives. Below are three of seven trends that emerged:
Omnichannel Hasn’t Made It to Gift Cards Yet
Only 36 merchants evaluated sell both digital and physical gift cards in all of their available ecommerce channels (desktop, mobile web and, for some, mobile app).
Discoverability Really Good for Some, Not for Others
Top performers have links to gift cards in menus and gifting sections of their site (if appropriate). Their search results take consumers directly to a clean, informative and brand-appropriate landing page, enticing them to move forward with their purchase.
Expanded Payment Options
Merchants seem to be investing in making it easy for consumers to pay for gift cards purchased online. Beyond standard credit cards, PayPal was the most widely available payment option, with nearly half of all merchants offering it.
