Prepaid gift cards in the UK will be a little different from now on. In fact, each one can be different, as global technology provider, Serverside Group, programme manager Quantum Card Services and issuer Newcastle Card Solutions have teamed up to ensure UK consumers buying a prepaid gift card can now customise it with photos and images of their own.
This is the only customisable prepaid card in the UK. The newly launched card is a single load prepaid MasterCard® Gift Card being offered through Quantum Card Services. It is available in denominations from £20-£125. At the Quantum website, www.qcsgiftcards.com/mastercardgiftcard, people can either choose a design from the gallery provided or upload their own images.
Quantum will be marketing the new service through multiple channels, from online campaigns and competitions to win tickets to various live events, to affinity deals with appropriate third parties, for example, pet and gift websites and photo processors.
Serverside Group has specifically adapted its technology to the requirements of the prepaid sector and, through its partnership with Newcastle Card Solutions, a subsidiary of Newcastle Building Society, now offers all prepaid companies a low-cost, no hassle entry point into the card customization market - whether for single load or reload cards.
With both credit and debit cards, card customisation has already been proven to result in increased transactions, acquisition and retention rates, as well as larger balances. It also offers an immediate differentiator for marketing purposes, particularly important in the ultra-competitive prepaid market.
Tom Elgar, CTO, Serverside Group, commented: "It's fantastic to be involved in this new launch and we're confident card customisation will be a strong proposition within prepaid. For dates we celebrate throughout the year, from birthdays to Mother's Day, wedding anniversaries and Christmas, a customised gift card with a personal image is the ideal present. It also adds a new dimension to reloadable cash cards."
Kriya Patel, Head of Card Solutions, Newcastle Card Solutions, added: "This is a significant development in the prepaid cards market and we are glad to be in the driving seat along with Serverside Group, who are the innovators in this space. We are the market leaders in issuing prepaid cards and have issued more than half a million cards to date. Card customisation is a proven revenue-generator and the perfect product for the prepaid card environment."
Marc Binnington, Director, Quantum Card Services, concluded: "We're very excited to be offering the only design-your-own prepaid gift card in the UK. This unique service offers consumers the chance to personalise and add feeling to their gift cards, while giving the lucky recipient the opportunity to spend at over 28 million MasterCard outlets worldwide."