Tips and Tricks to make the most of your gift cards this Winter
Getting your gift cards Christmas ready is easier than you think. And the best bit? Most of it can be done right now, while things are calm. So here are our favourite tips to get everything set up, sorted and ready to sell, long before December rolls in.
Get Christmas and Black Friday ready with scheduled collections 🗓️
First up, the season's hardest working little helper: scheduled collections. This is where starting early really pays off. Build all your Christmas and Black Friday collections now, then set them to go live automatically on the exact time and day you choose. Set it, forget it, done.
It keeps your store tidy and the whole festive period running smoothly. Group your cards however works best: by menu, by experience, by occasion. A clear, well organised shop is an easy one to buy from, and easy is exactly what you want when the festive orders start to roll in.
Turn your gift card into unforgettable experiences 🥂
Year after year, one trend keeps growing: the "for two" experience. Dinner for two, afternoon tea for two, cocktails for two! People love treating someone special, so experiences built for two do brilliantly at Christmas. Then bundle in the extras: the fizz, the cocktails, the post dinner treats, and you have got a full night out in a single gift.
Let your gift cards steal the show 🌟
Your festive collection deserves a spotlight, so put your gift cards where people will actually see them. Pride of place on your main navigation bar. A quick pop-up on your site to nudge visitors that a gift card sorts a present in seconds. A few QR codes on your receipts and posters. And if you sell physical cards in venue, get them on display where they cannot be missed. The rule is simple: the easier they are to find and buy, the more you will sell.
Build the buzz with early access ⏰
Planning a Black Friday or Christmas gift card offer? Build a bit of anticipation first. Invite customers to register for early access with a simple form, so sign ups get first dibs or an exclusive code the moment it goes live. Everyone likes feeling like a VIP! Better still, you end up with a warm list of your keenest gift card fans, ready to tap up again long after Christmas.
Say hello to corporate gifting 🏢
Corporate gifting is one of the biggest opportunities in hospitality, and one of the most overlooked. At its simplest, it is bulk gift card orders: a local company treating its team, or a business down the road thanking its clients.
Got businesses nearby? Christmas gifting is a great opportunity to turn them into customers. Reach out with your gift cards for team and client gifts and consider adding a little extra value for larger orders.
Toggle makes the admin easy too. Set a minimum order quantity, manage everything through the dedicated corporate gifting category, and generate a tidy CSV of card codes and PINs in minutes. Christmas gifting, sorted.
Go big on social 📱
Christmas is your moment to go all out on social. Refresh your headers, update your link in bio, and get your gifting message out across every platform you are on.
Video does the heavy lifting here. Show the experience your gift unlocks: the food, the fizz, the atmosphere, the happy faces. You are selling the memory, not just the card.
It is also the perfect time to run a competition and give away a gift card. It creates a buzz, brings fresh sign ups to your database, and warms up an audience who very often come back to buy a gift of their own.
So yes, it is still August and Christmas feels a long way away. But the venues that win in December are the ones getting sorted now. Set up your scheduled collections, add your "for two" experiences, line up your corporate orders, and give yourself a sorted, seriously merry December.
Want to get your gift cards sorted for Christmas? If you are already togglin' with us, drop us a line at giftcards@usetoggle.com and we will help you get everything set up. New to Toggle and want in? Say hello at sales@usetoggle.com and we will show you what your gift cards could do this Christmas 🎄
