10 Ways to make your gift cards stand out without breaking the bank

2 Feb 2022 • 3 minute read

During the pandemic, gift cards have increased in popularity and become invaluable to all types of businesses in the last year. The way customers shop or are able to shop has changed dramatically due to the pandemic. These past couple of years have changed the high street forever.

Incorporating gift cards into your business can seem overwhelming and pricey at first. But, we are here to prove it doesn't have to be that way. Check out our list of tips for creating standout gift cards without breaking the bank.

• If you’re struggling to pick a specific design or are conducting market research, a cost-effective strategy is to print a standard design gift card and print a variety of wallets or packaging with different designs. Next, track which designs are selling well with your audience. Then, with your collected results, print standalone cards in the best-selling designs with volumes based on their popularity.
• Design gift cards around big occasions. A majority of gift cards are brought as Christmas or birthday gifts. Bespoke occasion cards are more likely to speak to a customer than a generic design.
• Not all occasions are the same. For example, bespoke cards for smaller occasions, not usually associated with gifts, e.g., Easter, Halloween are not as cost-effective to produce in small numbers.
• Offer personalisation. Our cards can be easily personalised with a Magicard printer. So whether you want to add a name or a message, personalisation offers a truly unique gift.
• Uncoated cards are very popular and stand out against traditional gloss coated or plastic cards (eww).
• As the saying goes, the simpler, the better. Complicated designs with lots of colours often appear unclear, and your message can be lost. Stick to a simple, elegant design with a couple of colours. Fewer colours can potentially save you money during printing.
• Give your design something extra. Spot UV can give your card a pop without breaking the bank
• Try a portrait design. Most gift card designs are horizontal. Think outside of the box, create another perspective for your customers.
• Do not underestimate the power of accessories. Gift cardholders and carriers offer a touch of luxury without having to be expensive, and they complete the experience for the recipient.
• Have you considered shaped or 3D gift cards? If you really want to stand out, talk to your card producer about manufacturing something different from the norm, something that could even be collectable.

Get the most out of your gift cards

First, put your logo loud and proud. The average customer will not spend their gift card straight away, and in the meantime, your customer is carrying a small personal advert, keeping your business at the forefront of their mind.

Designing a gift card programme is an excellent opportunity to reflect on your company’s aesthetic. In addition, gift cards are an underappreciated way to communicate your brand to prospective and returning customers.

Know your customers

Are they interested in reducing their usage of single-use plastic? Are their purchases environmentally thoughtful? Highlight your business's environmental commitment to new and returning customers through your gift card offer. Green Gift Card's cards are made from Iggesund’s premium, FSC, paperboard that comes from well-managed forests and converted into paperboard in a mill powered by biomass – no fossil fuels. Our cards are 100% plastic-free, biodegradable and recyclable in normal household waste streams.

If you are ready to be stylish and sustainable, we are here to help you towards your environmental and commercial goals. Contact a member of our team today to talk about enhancing your gift card design.