Blackhawk Debuts One-Stop Gift Card, eGift Management

Global branded payments provider Blackhawk has debuted a new service allowing companies to outsource gift card and eGift program management, according to a news release Tuesday (Sept. 29).

Through the launch of the Issuance and Program Management Solution, companies can access omnichannel distribution from Blackhawk that can help them expand their customer bases, spending volumes and basket sizes.

While Blackhawk has long offered first- and third-party gift card and eGift solutions, the new product will allow for end-to-end benefits by adding gift card issuance to the company’s toolkit.

The solution works for both companies with existing gift card programs and those looking to start one, the press release said. For partners, Blackhawk offers solutions including issuance, card and code production, processing, fulfillment, inventory management, settlement and gift card customer service.

The Issuance and Program Management Solution was moved along by Blackhawk’s acquisition of SVM, which works in open and closed-loop gift card solutions.

Jeff Haughton, senior vice president, incentives, corporate strategy and development for Blackhawk, said the company had seen a rise in demand for digital wallet services in the past few months due to the pandemic.

“Our eGift and Gift Card Issuance and Management Solution can help our partners meet consumers’ desire to go digital since both types of cards can be spent online, uploaded to a mobile wallet or even printed for in-store, touchless scanning,” he said in the statement. “Gift card programs can provide businesses with a substantial boost to the bottom line — especially vital for organizations looking for new ways to stimulate growth and streamline operations.”

Retailers have been picking up on the efficacy of digital wallets during the pandemic. Before, they weren’t seen as essential, with people not wanting to tie their finances to something they could only use on mobile or at certain places. Now, though, Brett Narlinger, Blackhawk Network’s head of global commerce, says entering the payments world is the right move due to the number of companies with payment needs.