5 Steps to Building Better Gift Card Rewards

The Power of Gift Card Rewards That Work

Whether you’re recognizing great work, thanking loyal customers, or running a promotion, getting gift cards right can feel more complicated than it needs to be. You want rewards to be fast, feel personal, and be secure. And you want them to work—not just technically, but strategically. The right reward should drive action, build loyalty, or make someone feel appreciated.

Don’t worry; we’ve got you. At eGifter Rewards, we work with teams of all sizes, across all kinds of industries. Following this checklist will help you launch a gift card rewards program that fits your goals, your budget, and your timeline.

And while we thrive on creating self-serve tools that make it easy to get things done on your own, we’re here if you need a hand.

Let’s get started.

Prefer to talk it through with someone? Book a quick call

Step 1: Define the Desired Action

Before you choose a reward, get clear on what you’re trying to drive. Are you encouraging a customer to complete a referral? Motivating an employee to hit a performance goal? Thanking someone for attending an event?

Rewards work best when they’re tied to a specific behavior—something you want more of.

When the action is clear, everything else falls into place:

• What type of reward to send
• How much to spend
• How and when to deliver it
• What to say in your message

For example, a wellness company wanted to increase participation in its step challenge. By offering a $10 Wellness Choice Card to anyone who hit 10,000 steps a day for a week, they saw a 60% spike in engagement—and didn’t have to chase down a single recipient.

How to do this with eGifter Rewards:

Whether you’re sending one reward or scaling across a team, eGifter helps you map rewards to outcomes. You can assign categories like “Referral Bonus” or “Wellness Challenge,” personalize your message, and track results—all from one platform.

Visit eGifterRewards.com to start a custom reward program, or go to ExpressRewards.com for fast, self-serve bulk ordering.

Step 2: Give People Choices

We’ve all been there—getting a company mug you’ll never use, a t-shirt that doesn’t fit, or a branded beach towel that’s barely plush enough to dry the car. The intention is nice, but the impact? Not very meaningful.

When rewards miss the mark, they feel like clutter—not appreciation. That’s why choice matters.

Rewards feel more thoughtful and personal when they actually fit (literally) and align with someone’s interests. The right gift cards can check those boxes.

For example, an IT services company used to send customers a $25 restaurant gift card after signing up for a service or renewing a maintenance contract. But feedback showed that many recipients didn’t visit the selected restaurants. The customer service manager suggested switching to a more flexible gift card instead. The result? Customers loved the freedom to choose, engagement improved, and the company saw a noticeable boost in satisfaction scores.

How to do this with eGifter Rewards:

The eGifter Rewards Choice Card gives recipients access to a catalog of top brands—everything from restaurants and retail to travel and local businesses. You send one reward, and the recipient picks the gift card they actually want. If you want a gift card that’s usable almost anywhere debit and credit cards are accepted, try Visa reward cards. Recipients will love the flexibility.

Pro tip:

Choice makes rewards feel personal—even when they’re automated at scale. With eGifter Rewards, you can customize digital gift cards at no extra cost by adding a personal message or even a photo. A simple touch like “Thanks for choosing Ace Computing! We appreciate your business. – Frank” turns a routine reward into a memorable experience.

Step 3: Deliver Rewards with Purpose

A reward isn’t just about the dollar amount—it’s about the experience and message it sends. A $50 gift card that arrives late, gets buried in an inbox, or feels like an afterthought won’t create the same impact as one that’s delivered seamlessly, promptly, and with a personal touch.

For example, a company wanted to recognize employee service anniversaries in a more meaningful way. Instead of manually tracking dates and sending last-minute gifts, they used eGifter Rewards’ scheduling feature to plan digital gift card deliveries. They also scheduled holiday gifts to land right before the company’s annual party—delighting employees and easing the last-minute holiday crunch.

The result? Thoughtful, timely rewards that felt intentional and boosted employee morale—without adding to the team’s workload.

How to do this with eGifter Rewards:

• Make it personal – Customize digital gift cards with a heartfelt message, photo, or even an animated eGreeting.
• Schedule for impact – Set your rewards to arrive on special dates like birthdays, service anniversaries, or holiday events.
• Let recipients choose – The eGifter Rewards Choice Card makes it easy for them to pick the brand that matters most. (Here’s how you redeem an eGifter Rewards Choice card.)

Ready to make your rewards feel more personal and impactful?

• For ongoing programs: Visit eGifterRewards.com to customize and automate your reward system.
• For quick, one-time orders: Visit RewardsExpress.com to send digital gift cards instantly—no account needed.

Step 4: Make Rewards Simple to Manage (and Secure!)

A great rewards program should be easy to run. If sending gift cards feels like a manual, time-consuming process, it’s harder to scale and easier to put off—diluting the impact of your rewards.

The best programs are friction-free, allowing you to send rewards quickly and track everything in one place. When rewards are simple to manage, they don’t just happen for big milestones—they can become an effortless part of your culture.

When rewards are simple to manage, they don’t just happen for big milestones—they can become an effortless part of your culture.

For example, a growing SaaS company wanted to reward customers who referred new business, but their manual process was slowing them down. Tracking signups, issuing individual gift cards, and managing fulfillment became overwhelming. By switching to bulk uploads and automation, they eliminated manual steps and saw a 3x increase in referral reward redemptions.

How to do this with eGifter Rewards:

• Bulk ordering made easy. Upload a spreadsheet and send rewards instantly—no need to process each gift card individually.
• CRM integration. Use eGifter Rewards for Salesforce(™) to send and track rewards directly from Salesforce, keeping everything in one place.
• API-powered automation. For companies running ongoing programs, the eGifter Rewards API(™) makes it easy to integrate gift cards into existing workflows.

Pro tip:

Still sending runners to the store to buy gift cards? It’s inefficient, costly, and a security risk—especially when loaded gift cards are kept in stock. With eGifter Rewards, digital gift cards are only activated when sent, eliminating the risk of loss or theft while ensuring funds are only used when needed.

Bonus tip:

Making it a policy only to buy gift cards through a secure platform removes the guesswork for employees—and protects them from common scams like those fake “urgent” texts from a manager asking someone to run out, buy gift cards, and send back the codes. Standardizing gift card purchases to a single, protected platform also helps set a culture of caution, reminding your team to think twice about unexpected messages asking for quick action.

Step 5: Make Rewards Part of Your Culture

Some rewards programs start strong but fizzle out. A manager buys everyone a company-branded sweatshirt, and people love it. But a new hire joins a month later and never gets one. Another manager only gives rewards for big milestones, while some teams barely get recognized at all.

When rewards aren’t structured, some people get recognized while others don’t—which can lead to inconsistency, frustration, and disengagement over time.

A well-designed rewards program balances spontaneous recognition and structured incentives so appreciation becomes part of your company’s DNA—not just a one-time perk.

For example, a tech startup used to give out random spot bonuses when managers remembered—but newer employees were often left out. By setting up a monthly rewards budget, managers could quickly send eGifter Rewards Choice Cards for small wins, like helping a teammate or exceeding a goal. Employee satisfaction improved, and rewards felt fair and consistent across teams.

How to do this with eGifter Rewards:

• Set up a consistent reward structure. Make it easy for managers to recognize employees regularly, not just on big anniversaries.
• Mix big and small moments. Use spontaneous gift cards for quick wins, and bigger incentives for milestones.
• Automate recurring rewards. With eGifter’s API and bulk ordering, you can ensure no one gets left out.

Pro tip:

Don’t forget your global team. Nothing feels less rewarding than receiving a gift card you can’t even use just because it was designed for a different country. With eGifter Rewards, you can send gift cards worldwide—ensuring every employee feels valued, no matter where they are. Or, you can choose local gift cards for more unique experiences.

Bonus Tip: Rewards Without a Big Budget

If money is tight, don’t assume rewards are off the table—just think creatively. Three ideas we’ve seen work well:

• Ask your team what they value. You don’t have to guess. Ask employees directly what would make them feel appreciated. Not only do you get better ideas, but asking itself shows respect and drives engagement.
• Time off is powerful. Some companies bank extra hours worked during a crunch and encourage employees to take that time off once the project wraps. It costs nothing, builds goodwill, and shows people their time is valued.
• Small amounts still matter. A $10 gift card can cover a favorite snack, a drink on the way to work, or a little treat at the end of the day. It’s the gesture that counts.

Let’s Build Your Rewards Program Together

Recognition works best when it’s easy, flexible, and repeatable. Whether you need a quick, one-time solution or a scalable global rewards program, we can help you get started.

Book a quick call to find the best approach for your team.

Let’s make rewards more rewarding.

Happy Gifting,

Shelley