Socially Delivered: Still Time to Get Personal For The Holidays

     With Digital E-Gift Cards, Last-Minute Shoppers Can Still Get Just-In-Time Gifts

OKLAHOMA CITY, Dec. 22, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- There may be only days, or even hours, left for shopping this holiday season but digital e-gift card giving is allowing last-minute shoppers to deliver personalized gifts by taking advantage of technology. According to a survey by Bankrate.com and CreditCards.com, more than half of retailers are now offering e-gift cards. As more consumers rely on smartphones to interact with friends, gift cards increasingly can be bought and delivered through social media sites or mobile devices.

"The number of consumers using mobile devices for planning and purchasing their holiday gift cards is hitting an all-time high," said Rebekka Rea, president & executive director, Retail Gift Card Association. "Many of our members are even offering added value with the purchase of an e-gift card. With just a few clicks you can personalize the gift and deliver it right on time, all from the comfort of home or wherever you log on."

According to Nielsen, 43 percent of Americans with cellphone service own smartphones. Staples and Starbucks are among many retailers offering e-gift cards this year. Electronic gift cards are easy to give and receive. Consumers simply click on the retailer's site to purchase or click on their email to open an e-gift card.

For last-minute shoppers, e-gift cards take the stress and worry out of finding the right gift for a family member or friend. Instead of having to say, "Your gift is in the mail," shoppers now can grab their smartphone or open their Facebook page and with a click of a button purchase an e-gift card and send it on its way. This year, it's "check your inbox" or "check your wall."

Many retailers, such as Bass Pro Shops®, allow buyers to purchase e-cards that can be sent to a smartphone through their Facebook page and personalize those cards by adding a photo, voice and personal message. This makes giving e-gift cards a special experience, customized by the giver; relieving concerns from some consumers that gift cards aren't personal. Another way retailers like Macy's are nudging shoppers onto the digital purchasing highway is by offering consumers access to free wireless networks while they are shopping in their stores.

"Over the last few years, we've seen a growing trend in merchants offering online-only coupons and promotions," said Rea. "This trend along with the rise in e-gift cards allows consumers with mobile devices to enjoy hassle-free shopping and still bargain hunt, without ever going into a store, whether they're giving or receiving gift cards."

Whether in plastic or virtual form, retail gift cards, also known as closed-loop gift cards, remain popular gifts because they have no expiration dates, dormancy or maintenance fees, giving recipients all the time they need to make just the right purchase with their card.

About the RGCA – www.thergca.org

Founded in 2008, the Retail Gift Card Association is a member organization of diverse, closed-loop gift card retailers committed to promoting and protecting the use of gift cards. RGCA members follow a code of principles, which promotes best practice standards to help the industry grow and shape it in ways that benefit both members and consumers.

Membership in the Retail Gift Card Association is open to retailers, restaurants, and travel-and-entertainment merchants who issue closed-loop gift cards in North America and whose primary revenue is not derived from gift cards. For more information about the Retail Gift Card Association, visit www.thergca.org.

SOURCE Retail Gift Card Association