1. Immediate Savings
The funny thing about gift cards is that you don’t have to give them away for any particular occasion. In fact, you don’t have to give them away at all, which is a good idea, considering that some companies offer discounts on gift cards. What this means to you is a significant savings on things you were already planning to buy. Simply go into the store or log in online and find their gift cards, which are usually advertised as being up to fifty percent off the normal price. For example, you can pay $25 and get a $50 gift card which you can use for personal purchases later, especially if you visit: Gift Cards for Less.
When you frequently shop at a particular store, you get to know how they schedule their sales and promotions. You can take advantage of this knowledge by purchasing your discounted gift cards when they are at their lowest and using them later during the sale season. Often times, you can significant savings during Christmas on things like gift cards because businesses know that convenience items equal big sales during the holiday. However, hold on to that card until the after Christmas sales begin and you could save even more. Or wait until the spring fashions are released and take advantage of winter coats or sweaters that are moving to the clearance rack.
2. In-Store Bonuses
Since gift cards are designed to be used as gifts, companies sometimes couple them with other in-store bonuses. It is just another way to entice you into buying them. If you keep the cards for yourself, though, you still get to keep the extra bonus! If you were shopping at a department store, for example, they might offer their gift card to you with a bonus store discount that you can use on your purchase. This is one way that they secure your business as a routine customer, and of course your happy because you were not only able to finish your shopping checklist for the day, but you’ll have a little discount the next time you need something for yourself.
3. Affiliate Programs
Affiliate programs are exactly the same as in-store incentives, except that the savings come from another channel. In the example of the department store, they might offer you ten percent off in the food court of the same mall, or a rebate on a related product. A sporting goods store might offer a discount on a magazine subscription, for example. When you purchase gift cards from these companies, the same offers are available to you as the other customers who are buying actual goods from the store, as seen here: bbincentives.com.
4. Frequent Shopper Programs
According to Cioinsight.com, frequent shopper programs are very common these days. While you probably appreciate all the extras that you can get just by simply shopping at places that you already like, you can actually use these rewards programs to save money. All you have to do is purchase your discounted gift cards, and register them with your loyalty program. Whether you are buying them as an actual gift or you plan to use them yourself, you can still credit their purchase to your rewards program, as though you had bought something much more substantial.
The best part about this process is that you can get double points when you buy gift cards and combine it with your loyalty or rewards program. Here’s what you do: buy a $50 gift card for $40, let’s say, which saves you 20%. Make sure that you associate the purchase to your existing frequent shopper card for that store. Then, on your next visit, apply the $50 card to your purchase and pay whatever balance remains on the price if necessary. Connect this sale to your rewards program too and it will be like getting extra points! It sounds a little complicated, but the first time you do it, you’ll be asking yourself why you didn’t think of it sooner!
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