Celebrating occasions, whether a festival, an event, a birthday, or any moment of joy, is truly wonderful. What adds to the magic is when you accompany it with a gift. Traditionally, gifts were limited to close friends, family members, or relatives, making gifts a special and personalized thing. With changing trends and technology integration, gifting has become more frequent, including in the business world. It is a great way to appreciate your employees to boost their energy and confidence in the company. So here is a list of the best gift cards for employees in 2024 that you can use to boost their productivity and enthusiasm.
Nowadays, where one click can help solve the most difficult problems, gifting has also been made easy with Gift cards, it allows a high level of personalization straight to every division and employee. This can truly bring joy to your workforce. Gift cards empower individuals to choose what they truly desire from a store, ensuring that they feel content and satisfied with their chosen purchase. If you’re looking for gifting ideas, for your company employees explore a range of gift card options designed meticulously below.
Top 10 Gift Cards For Employees & Incentives Platforms/Services
Employee gift card platforms simplify how we show appreciation and recognize their efforts by making it easier, more convenient, and more spontaneous.
1. Motivosity
Motivosity is transforming the corporate gift card for employees with its ThanksMatters Card. This exceptional gift card offers a range of redemption options at approved merchants enabling employees to enjoy a global reward experience. What sets it apart is the availability of funds giving employees the freedom to decide when and how they want to use their rewards.
Image source: Motivosity
Motivosity empowers employees by allowing them to personalize their rewards according to their preferences. Whether it’s treating themselves to a cup of coffee, filling up their gas tank for their commute, or even splurging on an exciting new surfboard. This level of personalization makes this gift card a meaningful token of appreciation that enhances the overall employee journey.
How does Motivosity stand out?
- Easily Accessible: Accessibility through phones, desktops, and work-related apps like Teams/Slack
- All-in-one Platform: A unified platform that integrates gifts, employee engagement, recognition, and more
- Built-in reporting: Built-in reporting offers insights into potential attrition, most recognized employees, managers in need of coaching, and more.
2. Bonusly
Other than the rewards and acknowledgments Bonusly offers a special feature that enables employees to exchange top-notch gift cards with their employees. Every month each manager or department head receives an allowance to send bonuses as a gesture of gratitude for their employees’ contributions.
Image source: Bonusly
Bonusly promotes transparency through a bonus feed where everyone can see who received rewards with the note behind what they did well this month.
How does Bonusly stand out?
- P2P acknowledgment: Effortless recognition of contributions from one colleague to another.
- Automated celebratory moments: Streamlined automation of gifts for important occasions such as birthdays and work anniversaries.
- Incentive initiatives: Nurturing a positive workplace culture through incentivized programs.
- Variety in rewards: Employees can choose from a diverse range of rewards, including gift cards, charitable donations, cash, or company swag.
3. PerkUp
PerkUp provides a convenient and diverse employee rewards program that eliminates the need for complicated points systems. With PerkUp you can easily reward your staff with gifts they truly desire.
Getting started with PerkUp is a breeze – you can simply fill the Visa cards with specific dollar amounts. This empowers your employees to select products, services or experiences that align with their preferences. Alternatively, they can choose Visa gift cards that are accepted globally, which can be a great way to show appreciation to employees working from different countries (e.g., Virtual Assistants).
Image source: PerkUp
The efficiency of these gift cards ensures that sending and redeeming rewards is quick, secure and convenient.
How does PerkUp stand out?
- Extensive Range of Options: Choose from a wide array of gift cards and products, ranging from simple treats to high-end tech and enriching experiences, catering to almost every occasion.
- Premium Company-Branded Swag: Boost company loyalty and make recipients feel valued with premium, company-branded swag.
- Company Swag Store: PerkUp allows you to open your own company swag store.
- Customizable Themes: Engage employees while maintaining company culture through customizable themes.
4. Bucketlist
Bucketlist is an employee gift and rewards program that focuses on providing recognition to cater to the specific needs of each employee. Bucketlist enables employees to earn points that can be used towards achieving their personal life goals.
Image source: Bucketlist
This platform places an emphasis on each employee, avoiding a one-size-fits-all approach. Through Bucketlists employee gift cards, individuals have the opportunity to explore, claim, and even share high-quality items, experiences, and rewards. This ensures that they can fulfill aspirations from their bucket list.
How does Bucketlist stand out?
- Customizable Rewards: Tailor rewards to align with your company values, ensuring a personalized touch.
- Extensive Range of Gift Cards: Choose from a vast array of gift cards to offer diverse options to your employees.
- Effortless Onboarding: Simplify the process with easy onboarding, allowing employees to make use of the program instantly.
5. NectarHR
NectarHR truly stands out as a P2P recognition platform fostering an environment where team members can freely express appreciation for one another’s contributions and come together to celebrate occasions across all divisions of the company. Unlike other systems, NectarHR promotes inclusivity by actively encouraging every team member to participate.
Image source: NectarHR
With integration with Amazon, NectarHR empowers employees by giving them the freedom to choose their gifts across the platforms, including third-party companies. The platform provides a range of options, including a catalog of gift card opportunities and customizable rewards tailored specifically to individual preferences.
How does NectarHR stand out?
- User-Friendly Interface: Nectar HR offers a user interface that’s simple to navigate and understand.
- Diverse Range of Gifting Options: You have a range of gifting options to choose from, such as gift cards from Amazon, charitable donations, branded merchandise, personalized rewards, and more.
- Extensive Integration Capabilities: Nectar HR effortlessly integrates with your business software making the gifting process more efficient and streamlined.
6. Guusto
Guusto offers you the opportunity to gradually implement a reward and incentive program. You can start by introducing a pilot program tailored for your managers and providing the rewards.
Image source: Guusto
Once the pilot program receives good feedback, you can then move forward with implementing a plan for your entire organization. Guusto is particularly effective in assisting managers in understanding their team’s dynamics recognizing accomplishments and showing gratitude towards team members.
How does Guusto stand out?
- Easy to Integrate with Your Employee Datalog: Begin sending or scheduling rewards within minutes, not months.
- Good Adaptability: Real-time recognition, providing individuals with something they genuinely desire.
- Value for Money: No setup fees, shipping fees, markups, and unclaimed gift cards are entirely refunded.
7. Connecteam
Connecteam stands out as one of the top all-in-one gift card platforms for employees. Its versatility as a rewards app provides a wide array of gift card options for employees to choose from. The platform allows you to acknowledge and reward employees for both minor and major accomplishments through their token system.
Image source: Connecteam
Individuals with the necessary privileges can use tokens to recognize employees for completing tasks, excelling in their roles, or going above and beyond expectations. For instance, employees can earn tokens for finishing assigned training or as a bonus for their work anniversary. The earned tokens can then be utilized to purchase gift cards of their choice. The token system ensures flexibility, allowing employees to acquire gift cards aligned with the price points of various vendors.
How does Connecteam stand out?
- Different Programs: Recognition for a diverse range of achievements suitable for any milestone to any festivities or any celebrations like Birthdays or Anniversaries.
- Token-Based Gifts: Token-based system for employees to shop for gift cards. It also encourages the employees to do more.
- Various Vendors to Choose From: Inclusion of gift cards from popular vendors on the platform
8. Giftcards.com
Giftcards.com provides an extensive and diverse range of gift cards, showcasing numerous well-known brands and retailers. This ensures a perfect match for every employee’s unique taste and preference.
Image source: Giftcards.com
Personalization is a key feature of Giftcards.com, offering personalized gift cards and custom greetings. This enables employers to add a personal touch to their recognition efforts, strengthening the connection between the company and its valued employees. Additionally, Giftcards.com streamlines the bulk purchase of gift cards through its user-friendly platform, ensuring a smooth and efficient experience, from selecting the right gift cards to distributing them to employees.
How does Giftcards.com stand out?
- Choose a design: Pick from over 15,000 designs for any occasion.
- Create your card: Upload a photo to craft a memorable gift.
- Virtual accounts: Facilitate flexible gifting options.
- Create a business card: Upload an image to represent your small business.
9. Stadium
Stadium offers a diverse selection of gift cards spanning various categories such as entertainment, dining, travel, shopping, and wellness. This broad range ensures that every employee can find the perfect gift card, whether they’re craving a culinary adventure, seeking entertainment options, or focusing on wellness.
Image source: Stadium
Addressing various gifting needs, Stadium’s curated selection is suitable for holiday gifts, employee incentives, or wellness rewards. This versatility empowers employers to align their recognition efforts with the unique preferences and goals of their workforce.
How does Stadium stand out?
- Gift With Points: Emphasizing thoughtfulness, a points-based system allows you to conceal the cost of items.
- Dozens Of Templates: Choose from a variety of templates tailored to your specific use case and occasion. All templates are fully customizable.
- Quick Setup: Each shop is pre-loaded with a catalog of swag, snacks, and more, ensuring a speedy setup.
- Weekly Payouts: Rewards points are disbursed on a weekly basis based on the number of boxes shipped to recipients.
10. Terryberry
Terryberry is dedicated to assisting companies worldwide in supporting their valuable employees through the effectiveness of employee rewards. Their service empowers managers and team leaders to craft a personalized employee incentive and awards program, delivering gift cards and a variety of rewards to employees.
Image source: Terryberry
Operating with renowned brands, Terryberry runs a reward platform that provides a diverse selection of merchandise catering to every lifestyle. This ensures that, when the time comes to choose the perfect employee gift, Terryberry can make it a reality.
What sets this employee gift card program apart is Terryberry’s seamless integration of rewards and incentives into existing health and wellness programs. This encourages employees to attain their fitness goals, prioritize mental well-being, and find opportunities to relax and recharge.
How does Terryberry stand out?
- Compatibility with almost all reward programs: Service and Milestone Awards, Incentive and Performance Rewards, Business gifts, and Corporate Wellness gifts.
- Excellent Features: Features like DreamTracker allow reward recipients to set goals for specific items of their choice and monitor progress through the application.
- Various Choice of Awards: Terryberry’s new redemption platform facilitates organizations in offering thousands of award options from leading brands like Dyson, Tag Heuer, and Kate Spade.
Best Gift Cards For Employees: 12 Most Popular Ideas In 2024
Here are some preferred types of employee gift cards based on their preferences and habits:
1. Visa Gift Cards
The Visa Gift Card serves as a prepaid Visa card, allowing for purchases at merchants worldwide that accept Visa Debit Cards. The card’s value is loaded at the time of purchase, and your spending is confined to the amount placed on the card by the purchaser.
Think of it as the equivalent of placing cash in an envelope—minus the actual cash. A versatile card like this Visa offering serves as a foolproof choice for gifting, whether it’s a last-minute decision or a pre-planned gesture. You can be confident that your gift will contribute to the recipient’s preferences, whatever they may choose.
2. Amazon Gift Cards
Amazon gift cards stand out as an excellent choice for rewarding employees or customers. They offer flexibility, allowing recipients to use them for purchasing products on the Amazon website, at Amazon retail stores, or even at third-party retailers. Additionally, these cards can be redeemed for cash at numerous locations across the United States that accept US dollar cash. Available in various denominations, Amazon gift cards are swiftly delivered via email upon purchase and within minutes after redemption online or in-store.
They are accessible in different denominations ranging from $1 to $500, providing versatility for purchasing items in the Amazon store or at other retailers.
3. Uber Gift Cards
Uber gift cards are an ideal choice for bestowing the gift of boundless possibilities. Whether it’s a spur-of-the-moment present or a considerate gesture, the Uber gift card provides adaptability and convenience for any occasion.
When you purchase Uber credit for your employees, they have the freedom to use it as they wish. Once redeemed, the Uber gift card is credited to your Uber Cash or Uber credits balance, applicable during checkout on Uber or Uber Eats. When finalizing transactions on Uber cabs or Uber Eats, your Uber credits or cash balance is typically automatically selected as the primary payment method. It’s important to note that each Uber account has a maximum limit of $500 for the total gift card value.
4. DoorDash Gift Cards
These gift cards offer the flexibility of being used at the recipient’s preferred restaurant, ranging from high-end dining to fast food. DoorDash for Work’s gift cards presents a versatile solution that caters to everyone’s preferences. An added benefit is that DoorDash Employee Gift Cards never expire, providing your employees the freedom to use them at their convenience.
Once the gift card is acknowledged, the balance is seamlessly added to the employee’s account, automatically applying to their subsequent purchase. With a DoorDash gift card linked to their account, employees have the liberty to use it for various purposes—whether it’s their next restaurant meal, grocery shopping, or making purchases at a supermarket.
5. Nike Gift Cards
Nike stands as a premier athletic brand globally. With this popular brand, your employees will surely be encouraged to some extent. Comfort, essentially the new work uniform, is crucial in the modern workplace’s demanding atmosphere. As mental athletes juggle tasks, Nike ensures they stay fit and ready for the job.
Nike gift cards hold the same value as cash and can be utilized for purchases on Converse.com, Nike.com, the official Nike App, and at all Nike retail stores. These gift cards are available in both physical and digital formats.
6. Spotify Gift card
The Spotify Gift card emerges as a perfect present for your recipients, offering both value and enjoyable benefits. Let’s face it—people love music, and it has the remarkable power to alleviate fatigue and instantly uplift spirits.
Considering that many employees thrive while working to the beats of their favorite tunes, why not grant them access to a world of music? A Spotify Gift card could be the perfect gesture for an employee who’s always humming melodies at work, enhancing their work experience.
In essence, the Spotify gift card is an ideal choice for music enthusiasts, providing unlimited skips and uninterrupted music. Once your employees receive this gift card, they can easily redeem it on Spotify’s website or mobile app by entering the unique code. Voila – instant access to Spotify Premium benefits, including ad-free listening, unlimited skips, and offline listening. The gift card redemption ensures seamless streaming without the need for a credit card.
7. Airbnb Gift Cards
These cards stand out as fantastic gifts for adventure-seekers and travel enthusiasts in your office because what could be a better gift than new experiences? Airbnb gift cards open the door to booking stays in any Airbnb property worldwide. This means your loved ones can utilize the gift card to secure a cozy cabin in the woods, a luxurious beachfront villa, or a trendy city apartment for a weekend getaway.
For your employees to use these Gift Cards on their Airbnb account, they can simply visit the official Airbnb site and navigate to the gift section. Once added, the entire Gift Card value seamlessly transfers to and is displayed on your employee’s Airbnb account as their Gift Card balance. Importantly, this balance can only be redeemed for the purchase of goods and services offered on the Airbnb Platform.
8. H&M Gift Cards
Allow your recipients to explore a multitude of incredible clothing options by offering them H&M gift cards, redeemable on H&M’s online website or at hundreds of physical stores worldwide. Whether it’s for birthdays, end-of-year rewards, or simply to express gratitude for employee loyalty, H&M gift cards are the ideal choice.
Available in various denominations, these gift cards can be used for full or partial payment for any goods in H&M stores. When presented, the card’s amount is deducted, and any remaining balance is conveniently displayed on the receipt. While no change or refund is provided, the remaining balance can be applied to future purchases, ensuring a seamless and enjoyable shopping experience for your recipients.
9. B&N Gift Cards
Barnes & Noble Gift Cards make a great choice when it comes to rewarding your employees. They offer the best solution for those in your team who love books and enjoy reading. All orders qualify for UPS Ground delivery within a week. What’s more, if you choose eGift Cards, they can be delivered in minutes, ensuring a convenient process.
With around 9,000 bookstores across the country including 600 B&N stores, your employees will have plenty of opportunities to use their gift cards. They can redeem them at any B&N store or even at any B&N café. Additionally, they can also make purchases on the website or at bookseller locations of B. Dalton. This versatile gift card works like cash and can be used for a range of products.
A Barnes & Noble Gift Card is guaranteed to bring a smile to any employee who appreciates the world of books and pop culture.
10. Netflix Gift Cards
Netflix is widely recognized as the leading provider of on-demand internet streaming channels. With over 200 million subscribers across 190 countries, it’s safe to say that it offers a captivating experience. If you’re looking for various options, the Netflix gift card is an excellent choice as it provides a hassle-free and convenient payment method for subscribers.
One of the advantages of the Netflix gift card is that you don’t have to worry about your corporate gift recipient already having one. A single account can effortlessly use multiple cards allowing your staff to enjoy months of streaming.
Whether your employee is already a Netflix subscriber, the Netflix gift card makes for a good addition to their membership. The redemption process is straightforward. It doesn’t require any credit card information. Gift codes can be easily applied as a balance on their account, adding value to any plan they choose without any restrictions.
11. Alo Moves Gift Cards
Is yoga, meditation, or at-home fitness part of your employees’ well-being routine? Alo Moves brings them a world of yoga, mindfulness, fitness, and skill-building classes, available for streaming anytime, anywhere. With gift cards offering six-month and one-year subscriptions, you can effortlessly enhance your employees’ wellness journey. You can deliver this e-gift card directly to their inbox, sparing them the hassle of going to crowded stores.
Once they log in to the site, your employees can easily navigate to the dedicated redemption page for your gift card. There, they’ll find their name listed under “connected to.” Upon redemption, the gift card benefits will seamlessly apply at the conclusion of their current billing cycle.
12. Apple Gift Cards
These gift cards empower your employees to access an array of Apple features, including music, apps, TV shows, movies from the iTunes Store, and Apple eBooks. They can also make in-app purchases on the App Store or redeem their cards against iTunes Gifts. Streamline the joy on a global scale through the Incenti API, ensuring Apple Gift cards are delivered via email within minutes.
Apple Gift Cards are the ideal gesture for any occasion, recipient, or event. Whether rewarding employees or surprising customers with extra credit for their favorite mobile game, or contributing towards that coveted Macbook, this gift card provides excellent value for all Apple products. With denominations ranging from $5 to $10 Apple Gift Cards to higher values, your recipients can also choose how they redeem their Apple Gift Cards.
Understanding Gift Cards
While gift cards can be physically obtained and distributed, many companies opt for a virtual employee experience platform to streamline the process of acknowledging and rewarding employee performance. Top-notch employee gift card platforms enable you to establish a budget for employee rewards and allocate funds among coworkers or managers, depending on who will be presenting the rewards.
When an employee is acknowledged for their contributions, they receive money or points/tokens that carry a monetary value. Once an individual accumulates enough in their account, they can exchange it for a gift card. Typically digital, these gift cards are versatile and can be utilized in various stores.
What Are Considered As The Best Gift Cards?
Not all gift cards are created equal. Some types of these cards are more effective in terms of features and offerings.
In the market there are primarily two types of gift cards; open-loop and closed-loop cards. It’s important to understand the distinction between them. An example of an open-loop gift card is the American Express Gift Card. These cards are considered good as cash because they can be used to purchase anything you or your employee desires.
On the other hand, closed-loop gift cards can only be used at stores, outlets, or for designated services. Retail closed-loop cards like Target or Amazon gift cards fall into this category while experiential closed-loop cards include those for Southwest Airlines or Airbnb.
Many closed-loop cards prove to be a good choice when it comes to motivating employees through gift cards. While open-loop cards may be preferred by employees, closed-loop ones tend to be seen as impersonal and, therefore, more meaningful, especially by salaried employees.
Choosing Between Physical and Digital Gift Cards – A Brief Overview
When deciding between digital and physical cards, it’s crucial to understand the distinctions. Physical cards, being the traditional option, evoke a higher sense of emotion as they resemble a classic gift. However, their practicality diminishes, especially when urgency is a factor, as they can be challenging to deliver promptly.
Moreover, physical cards are prone to misplacement and deterioration, diminishing their longevity. Conversely, digital cards offer a global and straightforward solution. They are easily transmittable and immune to loss since they are retrievable.
While digital cards may lack the tangible ‘gift’ feel, they excel in convenience, a crucial factor in today’s remote work culture with dispersed employees. These cards, easily purchasable and accessible, offer a hassle-free means of crossing geographical boundaries. The recipient enjoys the flexibility of redeeming them either online or at offline physical stores, providing a blend of modernity, freedom of choice, and instant gratification.
4 Ways to Enhance the Effectiveness of Gift Cards
If you’ve chosen gift cards as the ideal employee reward, here are a few tips to maximize their impact.
- Public Recognition:
Present the employee reward in person and in front of their peers. Utilize the opportunity to express gratitude for their exceptional work and highlight the benefits of the gift card as a recognition award.
- Infuse a Personal Touch:
While your employees’ achievements contribute to the company’s success, recognizing individuals personally adds a valuable touch. The act of acknowledgment signifies approval from someone respected or admired.
When this recognition comes from their supervisor, it demonstrates the genuine care they have for their team. Deliver the gift card accompanied by a handwritten or customized note conveying congratulations and appreciation. Extend personal thanks to the reward recipient, fostering a sense of inspiration for even better performance in the future.
- Public Advocacy:
Broadcast the employee and their accomplishment through any available and appropriate channels, both internally and externally. This could include the company website, notice boards, or even social media channels.
- Use Open-Loop Gift Cards:
While closed-loop gift cards represent a standard reward option, open-loop gift cards offer a level of freedom that closed-loop cards lack. Moreover, open-loop cards are widely accepted by most brands, providing employees with a diverse array of choices.
Conclusion
Selecting the best gift cards for employees in 2024 involves careful consideration of their preferences and the company’s recognition goals. The evolving trends in gifting, especially in the corporate world, emphasize personalization and choice. Gift card platforms like Bonusly, PerkUp, Bucketlist, NectarHR, Motivosity, Guusto, Connecteam, Giftcards.com, Stadium, Terryberry, and others offer diverse options for recognizing and appreciating employees.
Each platform has unique features, such as P2P acknowledgment, customizable rewards, and seamless integration capabilities. The curated list of popular gift card ideas for 2023, including Visa, Amazon, Uber, DoorDash, Nike, Spotify, Airbnb, H&M, B&N, Netflix, Alo Moves, and Apple, provides a range of choices catering to different preferences and interests.
Understanding the distinctions between open-loop and closed-loop gift cards is crucial, with closed-loop cards often perceived as more meaningful. Additionally, the choice between physical and digital cards depends on factors like urgency, practicality, and the remote work culture.
To enhance the effectiveness of gift cards, public recognition, a personal touch, public advocacy, and the use of open-loop cards are recommended. Overall, the thoughtful selection and presentation of gift cards contribute to a positive employee experience, fostering motivation and engagement within the workforce.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What is a Gift Card for Employees?
Employee gift cards are a way to show appreciation and are often a part of a company’s rewards and recognition program.
Q: When is the Right Time to Give Gift Cards to Employees?
Gift cards can be given occasionally as part of employee recognition efforts or, as gifts during events and festivals.
Q: What are Some of the Best Online Gift Cards for Employees?
Gift card options are available, including prepaid cards and cards specifically designed for travel, entertainment, or even jewelry.
Q: How Do I Choose an Employee Gift Card?
Choosing the most suitable gift card involves considering factors such as company culture, the occasion, individual preferences, and budget limitations.
