5 Best Gift Card Marketing Strategies for 2025

Looking to grow revenue, drive retention, and make your gift cards work harder in 2025? These five tried-and-tested strategies are inspired by Wrapped customers who are successfully using gift cards to connect with new customers, create repeat business and strengthen customer engagement with their brands.

1. Hand out gift cards in your local community

Gift cards aren't just for selling - they're one of the easiest, most effective ways to introduce new customers to your brand. When used thoughtfully, distributing gift cards in your local community at markets, events, or through strategic partnerships with local clubs isn't a giveaway. It's an acquisition strategy.

Why it works: Gift cards act as an invitation to experience a brand, no strings attached. You're lowering the barrier to entry, building goodwill, and giving someone a reason to experience your brand for the first time.

2. Run gift card automations that offer bonus credit

Using gift card automations allows you to drive sales and customer engagement with minimal manual effort. By automatically issuing bonus credit or gift cards when customers meet specific criteria, you can strategically incentivize behaviors that increase average order value and customer lifetime value.

Why it works: It taps into the psychology of value-added rewards. Customers feel like they're getting a win, which encourages them to spend more, without undercutting your brand or reducing perceived value.

3. Position gift cards as the ultimate last-minute gift

Gift cards solve real gifting problems - fast. They're thoughtful, flexible, and instant. Retailers miss a key opportunity to drive year-round revenue when they limit gift card messaging to the holiday season.

Why it works: Digital gift cards are the perfect solution for a convenient, thoughtful way to give - without the guesswork. By giving the recipient the freedom to choose what they truly want, gift cards remove the pressure of picking the perfect item.

4. Maximize visibility in-store and online

One of the simplest yet most overlooked ways to sell more gift cards? Make them impossible to miss. Wrapped retailers who succeed here place physical and digital gift card messaging in high-traffic areas - both in-store and online.

Why it works: Prominent placement at checkout counters, on your homepage, in product pages, and in email marketing captures impulse buyers and last-minute gifters.

5. Use gift cards to incentivize referrals & surveys

Gift cards are a powerful incentive for driving customer referrals, newsletter sign-ups, and survey participation. Unlike traditional discounts, they feel more personal and valuable.

Why it works: When tied to surveys, gift cards help you gather valuable customer insights, while referral incentives bring in like-minded new customers who are more likely to convert.