Blackhawk Network's Happy Cards® Celebrates Growth of Personalized, Multi-Merchant Cards and Exciting New Trends in Gift Cards and Incentives

PLEASANTON, Calif., Feb. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Blackhawk Network—a global branded payments provider—is celebrating the powerful growth of its Happy Cards^® and the product's impact on the growing multi-merchant gifting sector. Blackhawk has offered unique multi-merchant cards in retail for over a decade, beginning with Spafinder and most recently with the introduction of Happy Cards in 2018, a line of multi-merchant gift cards that bring consumers' favorite brands together onto a themed gift card, like Happy^® Dining, Happy^® Teen and Happy^® Beauty. Each Happy Card allows for a more personal and giftable experience by including multiple, leading retailers, restaurants and entertainment options on one card that recipients can redeem at any or all of the brands featured on the card. And beyond Happy, Blackhawk Network offers a suite of these unique gift card products, like One4All^®, Choice, and Ultimate cards across multiple international markets.

"Kroger has received tremendous feedback from our customers about the offering of Happy Cards," said Jarrod Cummins, director of prepaid and gift services, Kroger Personal Finance. "Happy Cards represent a market-leading solution that our customers love, supporting great growth to our gift services program."

Happy Cards are offered through Blackhawk's extensive network of retailers, loyalty and incentive partners, reaching millions of consumers every week. Happy Cards were among the most popular cards offered during the November-December holiday period, demonstrating the impressive consumer interest in the concept of Happy Cards and the multi-merchant gifting experience. Blackhawk Network has long been a leading innovator in the industry, developing gift card, e-gift and renewal content that drives sales and engages consumers.

"We're thrilled with the popularity, growth and success of our suite of Happy Cards gift cards as well as our other multi-merchant-style products, including Spafinder, Choice and One4All," said Brett Narlinger, senior vice president of global commerce at Blackhawk Network. "We see a bright future for the multi-merchant gifting category that we've pioneered. The feedback from both consumers and brands has been extremely positive and we're looking forward to great opportunities to continue to innovate in and grow the category in 2020 and beyond."

Recent research shows that consumers see the value in giving the gift of choice by bundling multiple retailers and restaurants onto one, easy-to-redeem gift card. According to the research¹, 80% of consumers surveyed showed interest in purchasing and gifting a gift card that can be used for multiple brands within a specific category. Interestingly, millennials and some members of Gen Z showed increased interest in the concept of themed, multi-merchant gift cards, viewing an offering like Happy Cards as a more personalized gifting experience.

The opportunity to give one gift card that the recipient can use in a variety of places he or she enjoys gives the gift an added value of choice, can relieve the pressure of finding the perfect gift and can increase the likelihood of the recipient redeeming the gift card. Overall, these themed multi-merchant offerings encouraged 50% of respondents to buy gift cards more often due to the ability to provide the recipient with a more curated gifting experience featuring a variety of options, while still feeling personal¹. Research also points to the idea that gift cards are being tapped more and more for personal use and "treat yourself" moments.

With the success of Happy Cards, Blackhawk Network has added new themes for 2020, including Happy^® Birthday, available in stores now. The value of each Happy Card is customizable, ranging from $20 to $500, and there are no fees associated with these cards. Consumers can choose how and when to use their Happy Card, across participating brands until the funds on the card are depleted. Happy Cards are available online and at retailers nationwide.

For more information, visit giftcards.com/happy.

Happy Card Gift Cards are issued by MetaBank^®, Member FDIC.

About Blackhawk Network
Blackhawk Network delivers branded payment solutions through the prepaid products, technologies and network that connect brands and people. We collaborate with our partners to innovate, translating market trends in branded payments to increase reach, loyalty and revenue. Serving 26 countries, we reliably execute security-minded solutions worldwide. Join us as we shape the future of global branded payments. For more information, please visit www.blackhawknetwork.com.

About Meta
Meta Financial Group, Inc.^® (Nasdaq: CASH) is the holding company for the financial services company MetaBank® ("Meta"). Founded in 1954, Meta has grown to operate in several different financial sectors: payments, tax services, national commercial lending, community banking, national consumer lending and insurance premium financing. Meta works with high-value niche industries, strategic-growth companies and technology adopters to grow their businesses and build more profitable customer relationships. Meta tailors solutions for bank and non-bank businesses, and provides a focused collaborative approach. The organization is helping to shape the evolving financial services landscape by directly investing in innovation and acquiring complementary businesses that strategically expand its suite of services. Meta has a national presence and over 1,200 employees, with corporate headquarters in Sioux Falls, S.D. For more information, visit the Meta Financial Group website or LinkedIn.

¹ The findings are part of an Internet-based survey and focus groups conducted independently by Leger on behalf of Blackhawk Network in January 2019. The sample size included 4,285 American respondents ages 18+.

CONTACT:
Geoff Renstrom
[email protected]
208-871-9280

SOURCE Blackhawk Network

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