4 Holiday Strategies to Sell Big with Restaurant Gift Cards

The holidays are the best time of the year to buy restaurant gift cards. That’s why many restaurant chains and fast food places take advantage of this season with gift card promotions. Does this sound familiar? Buy $100 in gift cards and receive a free gift card for $20.

Holiday gift cards bring in new customers, drive broader branding, expand loyalty program membership, and more. Plus, they’re high on the list of gifts people want most. The National Restaurant Association provides many reports that demonstrate the value of restaurant gift cards. If you’re not promoting gift cards in your restaurant this holiday season, you might want to reconsider. Your point-of-sale (POS) system can help. Here are a few ideas!

1. Promote gifts cards a few ways through package deals, automatic card reloading and signing up through your loyalty program. Use your POS to make modifications to the cards and packages. It’s easy with Bepoz. Check out these promotion ideas.

• Implement a “Buy and Book” discount package. If the customer purchases a holiday gift card and makes a reservation for a future night, give them a $5 bonus on the card value. When they show up for that reservation, give them another $5 bonus on the card.

• Offer automatic card reloading, and give a $5 bonus with every $50 automatic reload.

• Offer a free dessert or appetizer if they purchase the gift card and enroll in the loyalty program at the same time.

2. Consider partnering with a retail store. Here’s an example: If recipients present the gift card receipt from your restaurant within 30 days of purchase, they get a 50 percent discount off a specific product in the store. Split the cost of the discount with the retailer.

3. Email your loyalty program through your POS to let your customers know about your new gift card promotion. Perhaps, you might want to give them something extra for being a loyal customer, or something unique to their spending habits.

4. Implement a contest with your staff to see who can sell the most gift cards. The one who sells the most receives a bonus check at the end of the contest. You can keep track of all the results in your POS system.

Even if you don’t use one of the above strategies this holiday season, make sure you offer your patrons the opportunity to purchase gift cards for your restaurant. You’ll be glad you did and so will the person who received the gift. Call Bepoz for more details about a POS system that can help your business this holiday season.