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Christmas Gift Vouchers and Loyalty Cards:
Festive Printing That Builds Customer Relationships
Christmas is mad, isn't it? Everyone is rushing around trying to find the perfect gift, and more often than not, they end up buying vouchers. Which is brilliant news for businesses, because it means guaranteed sales and new faces through the door in January when things usually go quiet.
Here’s the thing, we have printed thousands of gift vouchers over the years, and the difference between a decent one and a terrible one is night and day. Nobody wants to give someone a flimsy bit of paper that looks like it came out of a home printer, you want something that feels like an actual present.
Why Your Gift Vouchers Need to Look the Business
Just think about it from the customer’s perspective, they are spending their money on what is essentially a promise, so that voucher needs to look and feel worth it. Nice thick card, maybe a bit of festive sparkle, your branding done correctly, it all adds up to making someone feel good about their purchase.
We see it time and again. Shops that invest in quality vouchers sell more of them. It’s not rocket science. Would you rather give someone a voucher that feels special, or one that looks like an afterthought? Great products for gift vouchers include products from our premium quality card ranges, or for something more distinctive, consider a die cut / shaped card.
Getting People Back Through the Door
Gift vouchers are great for bringing in new customers, but loyalty cards are where you build something lasting.
Christmas is actually the perfect time to start people on a loyalty scheme because you have got more customers than usual, and many of them are discovering you for the first time.
The old stamp card system still works brilliantly as a low cost solution. It is simple, people understand it, and there is something satisfying about filling one up. Check out our uncoated business card range which offer an ideal solution for this type of card. Alternatively, consider a plastic loyalty card. We have solutions that can be individually numbered, incorporate a signature strip, individual bar codes or QR codes. But if you really want to stand out, scratch cards take things up a notch.
Why Scratch Cards Work So Well
There is something about scratch cards that just gets people excited. Maybe it’s the surprise element, maybe it is the nostalgia, but whatever it is, they work. We have had clients use them in all sorts of clever ways.
One café we work with gives customers a scratch card with every coffee purchase in December. Most reveal small discounts, but there are a few bigger prizes hidden in there (free coffee for a month, that sort of thing). The owner says people come in specifically hoping to get their daily scratch, it’s become a tradition for them.
Another client includes scratch cards with gift vouchers. So, when someone buys a £50 voucher, they get a scratch card too. They might win an extra tenner off, or free gift wrapping, or nothing at all. But that little moment of excitement makes the purchase more memorable, and people talk about it.
You can get creative with these:
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• Run them as an advent calendar type campaign where customers collect scratches throughout December
• Use them instead of traditional loyalty stamps – every purchase earns a scratch
• Hand them out at the till as a thank you during the busy period
• Save some for January to keep people interested when things slow down
The Printing Actually Matters
We are obviously biased, but hear us out… bad scratch cards are frustrating. The coating comes off in weird patches, or it is so thick you need a coin and serious hard work, or the text underneath smudges. Suddenly your clever marketing idea has annoyed people instead of delighting them.
Good scratch card printing means the coating goes on evenly, comes off easily, and what's underneath stays crisp and clear. The card itself needs to be thick enough to handle a bit of scratching without bending. These details matter because your scratch card is representing your business.
Getting Started
If you are thinking about doing gift vouchers or scratch cards for Christmas, don’t leave it until the last minute. You need time to get the design right, get them printed and brief your staff on how it all works.
Make your vouchers look Christmassy, but do not go so overboard that people cannot read them. Include all the boring but necessary stuff - expiry dates, terms and conditions, how to redeem them. Nobody likes confusion.
For scratch cards, keep the prizes varied. Mostly small wins to keep things fun, with a few bigger prizes to create buzz. And make sure your staff know what to do when someone wins, nothing kills excitement faster than a confused shop assistant.
It’s Not Just About December
Yes, Christmas is busy and profitable, but what you are really building here is relationships. Every gift voucher is potentially a new regular customer. Every scratch card is a little moment of joy that people remember. Every loyalty stamp is another reason to come back.
We print a lot of marketing materials, and the businesses that do best are the ones that think beyond the immediate sale. A quality gift voucher brings someone in, a well-run loyalty scheme keeps them coming back, and a fun scratch card promotion makes them tell their friends about you.
That is what this is really about, not just shifting stock in December, but creating customers who stick around for years. The printing is just the tool that helps you do it.
So, if you are planning your festive push, think about how these things fit into your bigger picture. And obviously, if you need them printing, we are here. We have been doing this long enough to know what works.
