Turn unredeemed gift cards into revenue in five steps

A five-step reminder campaign that turns unredeemed gift cards into covers.

Gift cards are one of the easiest sales a venue makes, and one of the easiest to forget about afterwards. Most operators have no idea how many of the cards they sold are still sitting unredeemed. That is hidden revenue, and redeemers spend well: Enjovia found in 2019 that 72% of customers spend more than a card's face value when they redeem.

A personalised reminder campaign recovers it. Five steps, each one small.

1. The data

For this campaign you need your gift card buyer data: the purchase date and the card status, redeemed or unredeemed. With digital gift cards, both already sit in your platform.

2. The trigger event

Build an audience of customers who purchased a gift card but have not redeemed it.

If your cards carry an expiration date, use it as the trigger event: set up an automated reminder campaign for the month before expiry. Otherwise choose the timeframe that works best for you. Ideally, run this kind of campaign during quieter times, where the redemptions do double duty as a bookings boost.

3. The messaging

Your reminder message should go straight to the point. Keep it simple, with a strong call to action at the end. Use the subject line to tell customers exactly what the email is about; open rates follow clarity.

4. The offer

There is no need for an additional offer in this campaign. The card itself is the offer.

Use the attention instead to promote certain events or fill last-minute cancellations, with a prompt to book quickly because availability is limited.

Here is how your gift card reminder email could look:

Subject line: [Name], have you redeemed your [company] gift card yet?

Don't forget to pay us a visit and put your gift card to good use.

We've got [event] coming up this weekend with only limited space available, so book early if you fancy it.

Book your space now

5. The outcome

Unredeemed cards are paid-for covers that never walk in. Keep on top of your gift card sales and make sure customers redeem them in time, and that additional revenue lands instead of lapsing.

There is a second prize too: for many gift card holders this is a first visit to your venue. It is your chance to exceed their expectations and turn them into repeat customers.

The next part of this series covers how you turn customers into regulars across all your venues: more sales with cross-venue promotion and personalised marketing.

Digital gift cards make the whole loop easier to run, from purchase to reminder to redemption. See two easy ways to drive sales with gift cards and marketing, or get in touch with one of our team to find out more.