Gift cards are one of the biggest sales drivers of the holiday season. The promotion you attach to them decides more than December revenue. It decides whether those dollars bring guests back in January, February, and March.
Here are the promotions worth running this year and how to set them up so they work for you long after the holidays.
First, Order Your Physical Cards Now
Before you plan a single promotion, reach out to your gift card provider and make sure you have enough physical cards on hand for the season. Lead times vary by provider, and running out of cards in December means turning away sales at the counter. Check your inventory this week.
The Classic: Buy X, Get Y
This is the offer most guests already know. Buy a $50 gift card, get $10. Buy a $25 gift card, get $5. It is simple and easy to understand. It also looks exactly like every other restaurant’s holiday promotion, which is why the options below matter.
Immediate Load vs. Future Load
More restaurants are keeping the same buy X, get Y offer but changing when the bonus can be used.
- Immediate load: the bonus is available right away and can be used on the next visit.
- Future load (the bounce back): the bonus can only be redeemed during a set window, such as January 1 through March 31, or during the following year.
The future load is the one to look at closely. It brings guests back in Q1, when traffic typically slows, instead of the bonus getting spent during the holiday rush you were already going to have. Each option is programmed differently, so decide which one you want before you build the campaign.
Who Gets the Bonus: the Buyer or the Recipient
You can reward either person in the transaction. Say you buy a $50 gift card for a colleague and there is a $10 bonus attached.
- Buyer bonus: you get the $10 as a coupon, store credit, or cash loaded onto your account. That brings the buyer back in.
- Recipient bonus: the promotion is set up so the colleague receives $60 in value. That is a great way to introduce a brand new guest to your restaurant.
Points, Credit, or Both
The bonus does not have to be dollars. Guests can earn loyalty points on gift card purchases too.
- Points: buy a $50 gift card, get 100 points. This rewards the purchase and pulls the guest further into your loyalty program.
- Store credit or coupon: buy a $50 gift card, get $10 in credit or a $10 coupon.
- Both: points and credit can run at the same time, so a $50 purchase could earn 100 points plus $10 in credit.
In Store and Online
Gift card promotions do not have to be limited to online sales. A promotion can be tied to any gift card purchased at the point of sale, and e-gift cards can carry a campaign notation so every bonus is tracked back to the promotion.
Stand Out with a Stronger Offer
Buy $25, get $5 and buy $50, get $10 are what guests see everywhere. This year, be a little more aggressive. Buy $50, get $12.50, or buy $50, get $15, catches attention and gives guests a stronger reason to come back and use it. Pair that with a Q1 redemption window and the extra bonus pays for itself in return visits.
Set It Up Before the Rush
Every one of these promotions can be configured in your Appfront Portal, and you can customize the amounts, timing, and who receives the bonus. The best time to build your holiday gift card campaign is before the first shopper walks in asking for one. Reach out to your Appfront team and we will help you pick the right mix for your restaurant.