Payment orchestration & gift cards: a winning duo for an omnichannel customer experience

Consumer shopping habits have radically changed in recent years. Expectations are higher than ever, and retailers must provide flexible and frictionless payment solutions to stay competitive. In this context, payment orchestration combined with an omnichannel gift card solution is an obvious choice. By centralizing the management of both online and in-store transactions, orchestration simplifies payment flows and enhances the customer experience.

At the same time, gift cards are no longer just a simple present—they have evolved into a powerful strategic tool. Solutions like Global POS enable seamless gift card usage across all sales channels—e-commerce, physical stores, and digital wallets—aligning perfectly with modern consumer habits. When paired with a payment orchestration solution, they form a winning combination for retailers, boosting both customer satisfaction and transaction efficiency.

The omnichannel gift card: a key tool for customer experience

Gift cards are more than just a payment method; they have become a strategic asset for retailers, particularly due to their omnichannel capabilities. Today, consumers can purchase and redeem their gift cards online, in physical stores, and even via digital wallets. This flexibility is crucial for the modern customer journey, allowing seamless spending across various touchpoints.

Omnichannel solutions like those developed by Global POS address this need by enabling gift card activation and usage across all sales channels, eliminating frustrations caused by rigid payment systems. Activating gift cards online for in-store use ensures a seamless experience, strengthening customer loyalty.

The numbers speak for themselves: in 2024, the French gift card market grew by 13.2% compared to the previous year, confirming its increasing popularity among both consumers and businesses. Notably, digital gift cards have seen significant growth, with a 6% increase in e-gift card purchases compared to 2023, despite a shorter Golden Quarter this year. Consumers are increasingly favoring flexible payment solutions that give them more freedom in how they use their credit, whether on an e-commerce site or in a physical store. The average gift card value has also risen, with a 1.23% increase in-store and a 6.31% rise online.

‍Read more: E-commerce: does your current payment solution truly meet your customers' expectations?

Gift cards: driving customer loyalty and engagement

Beyond their function as a payment method, gift cards are powerful loyalty and engagement tools. They allow retailers to create personalized experiences, strengthening customer relationships. These cards not only retain existing customers but also attract new buyers. In the B2B sector, businesses leverage gift cards for Employee Benefits Committees (CE/CSE), using them as rewards to motivate employees with spending options across multiple stores. Retailers increasingly adopt loyalty gift cards to encourage repeat purchases and increase basket size. Loyalty gift cards go a step further by customizing offers and driving return visits to stores and e-commerce sites. Studies show that consumers tend to spend more than the initial gift card value, further boosting retailer revenue.

Payment orchestration: enabling omnichannel gift card management

Before the advent of payment orchestration, managing gift cards across multiple channels was a complex challengefor retailers. Traditional systems required separate management for online and in-store payments, leading to technical and logistical headaches. Retailers had to integrate different payment solutions for each sales channel, increasing costs and development time.

This fragmented approach resulted in: longer integration times, higher operational costs and frustrating customer expertiences (e.g., gift cards not working across all channels). Such an experience created a disconnect between customer expectations, which prioritize fluidity and simplicity, and the reality of the solutions offered by retailers. Solutions like Global POS have transformed this process by making gift cards truly omnichannel, but without effective payment orchestration, their full potential remains untapped.

The role of payment orchestration

Payment orchestration solves these challenges by centralizing payment management into a single platform. This streamlined approach allows retailers to handle omnichannel transactions effortlessly, ensuring a frictionless experience for customers.

For gift cards, payment orchestration has revolutionized their usage by integrating them into both online and in-store payments. Through a single API, retailers can activate gift card management without the need for multiple integrations, significantly reducing costs and time-to-market.

By leveraging a centralized platform, businesses can quickly deploy omnichannel gift card programs and focus on customer loyalty rather than complex payment system management.

Read more: Retailers, with Purse, unifying your payment channels has never been easier!

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Payment orchestration and omnichannel gift cards are now inseparable when it comes to offering a fluid and optimized customer experience.

• Global POS provides the omnichannel gift card technology
• Purse ensures efficient and transparent payment orchestration

Together, these solutions help retailers meet consumer expectations, which are increasingly centered on simplicity and personalization.

With this combination, businesses can deliver a frictionless shopping experience, where gift cards are seamlessly accepted and valued across all sales channels. The future of payments lies in omnichannel innovation, and with Purse & Global POS, retailers have the best tools to overcome this challenge and accelerate growth!

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