If you already have a gift card program set up for your business, you’re on the right path. Research shows that not only do customers love gift cards, they help businesses boost sales. In fact, a majority of gift card recipients spend an average of 38% more than the value of their cards.

Once you’ve decided to start a gift card program, the next step is to determine how to entice customers to purchase gift cards when they’re at your business. One way to do that is through buying gift card accessories that will make your gift cards more visible and enhance the gift card giving experience for your customers.

What are Gift Card Holders?

At Plastic Printers, we regularly have people coming to us looking for information on “gift card holders.” Unfortunately, this term can mean a lot of different things. The term “gift card holder” is a bit of a catchall for anything that, well, holds a gift card.

• Are you looking for a way to display gift cards to your in-store customers? What you need is a gift card stand.
• Do you want something a customer can place a newly-purchased gift card in before giving it to the recipient? What you need are gift card sleeves or envelopes.
• Looking for something a bit more eye-catching than a sleeve? You might be interested in using a custom plastic backer to help your gift card program stand out.

To help you decide what type of accessories to buy for your gift card program, we’ve defined each type of gift card holder and provided additional context on each:

1. Gift Card Display Stands

Whether you’ve only recently decided to introduce gift cards or have been running a gift card program for a long time, it’s critical to make sure your gift cards are on display and easy for customers to find. Gift cards buried in a box behind the counter don’t receive nearly the same interest as displayed cards.

While there are several ways you can choose to display your gift cards, one of the most simple is with an acrylic card stand. Easy to set on display on or near a point of payment, acrylic card stands let you add a large, compelling image insert to catch the eye of customers as they’re making a purchase. Changing the insert is as easy as printing out a new promotion, giving you an easy way to boost your gift card sales.

If you’re pairing your gift cards with sleeves, envelopes or backers (more on these in a moment), make sure the holder has a spot for them, too. This detail is easily overlooked, but it’s a mistake to not have these accessories displayed alongside the gift cards.

2. Gift Card Sleeves

Sleeves are one of the ways a gift card can be made ready to be given as a gift. The most basic, a blank white sleeve, has a classic appearance, is easy to personalize and works for any business. Other creative options include gift card sleeves adding preprinted lines for the recipient's name, gift giver’s name and dollar amount, or even designs such as polka dots. A gift card sleeve adds to the presentation of the gift card for your customers, and doubles as protection for the magnetic stripe or barcode on the card.

3. Gift Card Envelopes

Similar to sleeves, envelopes are another way to make a gift card ready to be given as a present. A gift card in an envelope is a little more formal than a sleeve, making it more appropriate for certain occasions. Options include neutral colors, such as white or tan, as well as more colorful designs like our present-styled envelopes.

4. Gift Card Backers

Backers look like greeting cards with inserts inside to hold and display a gift card. These are a low-cost way for businesses to customize their existing plastic gift cards for holidays and special events. For example, specialty gift card holders are an easy way to add a seasonal boost to your gift card program, without needing to alter your gift card designs.

Make the Most of Your Gift Card Program

By smartly using gift card accessories, from displays to sleeves, you can draw attention to your gift cards and enhance the gift giving experience for your customers.

Interested in learning how we can help your plastic gift card program through gift card holders and accessories? Schedule a free consultation today with one of our experts and leave any questions you have in the "Comments" section below.