ABNCS Offers
Gift Certificates
The American
Banknote Card Services, Inc. (ABNCS) gift certificate is a
magstripe-based online solution for single or multi-store merchants
who wish to operate a gift certificate program.
The electronic
gift certificate provides retail and restaurant merchants with a
unique marketing and loyalty tool. The gift card provides significant
benefits for the merchant, including:
- Increased
Sales
- Float and
Unused Value
- Elimination of
Cash Back
- Strong
Marketing/Promotional Tool
- Automated
Settlement and Reconciliation
- Improved
Security
- Consumer
Convenience
- Easy In-Store
Return Policy
Whether
itís the consumer purchasing a gift card, a recipient
redeeming value, a loyal patron using it as a prepaid card for
routine purchases, or a manager offering an in-store credit for
returns, the gift card solution improves service cost effectively.
The main benefit is to offer consumer convenience and service, but
there are operating benefits for the merchant as well, including
auditing and tracking of gift certificates, easy
settlement/reconciliation and an important promotional
item.
All the consumer
and merchant benefits are important, but whatís in it for the
Independent Sales Organization? The ISO selling/distributing gift
certificate services makes money on each and every gift card
transaction. Each ISO, or ISO representative, is provided a
competitive per transaction cost. The difference between the ISO cost
and what is billed to the merchant goes to the ISO as residual
income. Volume-based tiers are set-łup providing additional profits
after meeting volume thresholds. Statement fees and other billable
services can also be marked up.
Another benefit to
the ISO comes from the sale of plastic cards. Each ISO can offer
several options to the merchant. From generic plastics to completely
customized card bodies, the ISO marks up each card as
income.
In addition to
residual transaction income and consumable sales, the gift card
program provides a platform of marketable information. Interested in
knowing how many gift cards are sold during peak hours, off-hours,
before holiday weekends? Want to know the average time it takes the
average user to spend up to half the funds placed on the card? These
types of questions are interesting for merchants to know, for
staffing and forecasting. Based on the needs of the merchant
community, these reports and others can be sold to the
merchant.
The gift card
program is not just a single store solution. It can be marketed to
malls, co-branded to multiple merchants, or set-up as a promotional
program for local sports clubs or groups. These varied opportunities
provide countless revenue generating scenarios for the ISO. For more
information American Banknote can be reached at (800) 999-8674
x309.
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