Get to know the current personas of gift card givers and spenders
Consumers exhibit five distinct gift card behaviors that shape how they give, spend, and manage their balances. Understanding gift card personas helps merchants tailor offers that drive engagement and retention.
The Hoarder
The Hoarder is always saving balances for the perfect moment, waiting for merchants to offer stored value perks like bonus points to maximize their purchasing power.
The Hoarder
The Hoarder
The Gifter
The Gifter
The Redeemer
The Redeemer
The Strategists
The Strategists
The Forgetter
The Forgetter
The Hoarder
The Hoarder
The Gifter
The Gifter
The Redeemer
The Redeemer
The Strategist
The Strategists
The Forgetter
The Forgetter
The Gifter
The Hoarder
The Hoarder
The Gifter
The Gifter appreciates receiving gift cards by paying it forward through regifting, not personal use.
The Gifter
The Redeemer
The Strategists
The Forgetter
The Redeemer
The Redeemer
The Strategist
The Strategists
The Forgetter
The Forgetter
The Hoarder
The Gifter
The Gifter
The Hoarder
The Gifter
The Redeemer
The Redeemer always has a purchase in mind and will likely not hold on to a gift card for very long. Instead, this audience values speed and efficiency.
The Redeemer
The Strategists
The Forgetter
The Strategist
The Strategists
The Forgetter
The Forgetter
The Gifter
The Hoarder
The Gifter
The Gifter
The Redeemer
The Redeemer
The Strategist
The Strategists
The Forgetter
The Forgetter
The Hoarder
The Gifter
The Redeemer
The Strategist
The Strategist, much like the Hoarder, is out to achieve maximum value by stacking gift card balances with sales and loyalty points to get more for less.
The Strategists
The Forgetter
The Redeemer
The Redeemer
The Strategist
The Strategists
The Forgetter
The Forgetter
The Gifter
The Hoarder
The Gifter
The Gifter
The Redeemer
The Redeemer
The Strategist
The Strategists
The Forgetter
The Forgetter
The Hoarder
The Gifter
The Redeemer
The Strategists
The Forgetter
While the intention may be to spend the gift card, The Forgetter is unaware of what they have and often need to be reminded if they are going to engage with the brand.
The Forgetter
Gift cards recover amid economic flux
Prepaid spending is back on the rise
After a period of uncertainty, consumers are once again turning to gift cards as a flexible and reliable way to manage spending and celebrate special occasions. This is evident by a 10% increase in gift card spending this year.
In the last 12 months, consumers have:
2025
2024
Consumers’ gift card buying choices are influenced by:
47%
Interests of people receiving the gifts
42%
Number of events that require gifts
40%
Economic outlook
39%
Potential income change
Digital integration, personalization, loyalty, and gift cards
The love affair continues as the buying cycle reinforces loyalty
Merchants have a unique opportunity to capture and retain today’s digitally savvy consumers by prioritizing seamless, secure, and personalized experiences.
Digital gift card enthusiasts are motivated by:
To strengthen retention, merchants should focus on loyalty rewards, including:
AI trends: consumers adopt to shop
AI unlocks new levels of personalization in the shopping experience
AI is rapidly becoming an integral part of the shopping experience, with one in three consumers using it daily.
How consumers are using AI for shopping:
Consumers want AI-powered gift card features that deliver:
How consumers are using AI for shopping:
In the last 12 months, consumers have:
2025
2024
How consumers are using AI for shopping: