Employee benefits platforms have become an indispensable tool for organisations looking to keep their workforce engaged, productive and loyal. But what makes these platforms truly stand out among HR & rewards solutions? One key ingredient is the ability to integrate gift cards into their offering.
Digital gift cards are no longer just a nice-to-have perk for employees—they’re a strategic advantage for employee benefits platforms themselves. Here’s how gift cards can enhance the value of these platforms, making them indispensable for employers, employees and benefit-platform providers alike.
Why employee benefits platforms need gift cards
Gift cards have evolved from a simple gifting solution to a powerful tool that drives engagement, flexibility and value. For benefits platforms, incorporating gift cards offers several advantages - here are six of them for 2025:
1. Gift cards enhance employee engagement & choice
Employees increasingly expect personalised, meaningful rewards rather than one-size-fits-all incentives. Gift cards allow employees to choose rewards that actually matter to them. This customisation ensures users feel valued, which makes your platform more attractive to both employers and their workforce.
2. Gift cards increase adoption and platform stickiness
In a competitive market of benefits-platform providers, differentiation is crucial. A broad, attractive gift-card catalogue can help your platform get noticed and adopted. With a seamless integration (such as via Tillo’s API) you can access thousands of global brands - meaning employees are far more likely to find something they love. That breadth of choice boosts both adoption and ongoing usage, increasing your platform’s value.
3. Global reach & multi-location employee support
As hybrid and remote working become ever more entrenched, organisations are managing workforces across geographies, time-zones and regulatory contexts. Gift cards (and prepaid card solutions) give benefits platforms the ability to cover employees around the world - including regions where traditional discounts or rewards are harder to offer. Providing global reach is now a foundational expectation (not optional) for many large employers.
4. Cost-effectiveness and flexibility
Gift cards provide a scalable, cost-effective way to deliver rewards and benefits without huge fixed investment. They allow you to stretch reward budgets and offer flexibility in how you deploy them (e.g., spot-rewards, milestone rewards, recognition programmes). In 2025, many providers emphasise the ROI of reward spend and gift cards help by reducing administrative overheads, avoiding large fixed commitments and enabling flexible issuance.
5. Data-driven insights and analytics
With the right provider, gift cards deliver more than just redemption - they provide rich insights into employee preferences, behaviours and trends. These data can help benefits platforms tailor their offering, refine engagement strategies and show employers real value metrics (e.g., usage rates, brand preference trends, redemption timeframes). In 2025 this ability to demonstrate measurable impact is increasingly vital when selling to HR/compensation functions.
6. Supporting ESG, inclusion & wellbeing initiatives
In 2025, employee rewards are increasingly tied to broader organisational goals around ESG, inclusion, diversity and wellbeing. Gift-card programs that offer a wide brand choice (covering sustainable brands, local options, charitable giving) can support those goals. For instance, offering eco-brand gift cards or giving employees the option to donate their gift card to a charity enhances your platform’s relevance to modern employers.
Driving revenue for your employee benefits platform through gift cards
Integrating gift cards isn’t just about delighting employees - it’s a strategic lever to drive revenue growth and add value for your clients (the employers) and for your platform.
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New income streams: Discount-based deals and commissions on gift card transactions can become a meaningful revenue line for your platform.
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Client retention & upsell: When employers see strong employee engagement and measurable reward impact, they’re more likely to renew and expand benefit programmes. Gift cards support that by offering ongoing novelty and relevance.
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Sales differentiation: In pitches to HR and reward teams, a rich gift-card ecosystem becomes a strong differentiator. It shows your platform isn’t just another portal — it’s a dynamic, modern rewards engine.
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Speed to market & scalability: With the right partner (e.g., Tillo’s API and catalogue) you can get up and running quickly, scale across geographies and handle bulk or spot-deployments without heavy custom development.
Ready to unlock the potential of gift cards for your platform? Contact us today to discover how Tillo can support your growth and transform your offering.
