Nov. 8, 2018

This paid piece is sponsored by MetaBank.

Did you know one of the industry’s largest provider of gift cards is right here in Sioux Falls?

That means it couldn’t be easier for your business to give gift cards this holiday season.

For the 12th consecutive year, gift cards are the most popular gift, according to the National Retail Federation, with 60 percent of those surveyed requesting one.

And providing gift cards to your employees or customers is as simple as an email or phone call to a provider in your own backyard.

“Meta is one of the largest gift card issuers in the country. We’ve issued more than 1 billion prepaid cards to date, so we certainly are the experts,” said Nancy Schempp, vice president of client success at MetaBank.

Personalized giving

If you’re worried a gift card might feel impersonal, Meta has a solution.

Order at least 25 gift cards, and they can be personalized with your company’s logo. Every time clients or employees use it, there’s a waiting reminder that your business appreciates them.

“To set up the logo, we need at least a month’s notice,” Schempp said. “So make sure you’re reaching out soon. We can do a simple non-branded card on shorter notice. For bulk orders, we ask for at least 25, but we can do thousands.”

Van Buskirk Cos. first ordered cards with its logo last holiday season.

“Ordering is super easy. It is all done online with a huge variety of backgrounds from which to choose, and once the order is placed, it arrives within a couple of days,” Mike Van Buskirk said.

“Plus, the cost per card is much less expensive than others we have used, so there is a big savings as well. There is a one-time set-up fee for the logo, but it is minimal and well worth it.”

Year-round rewards

Once you’ve created a gift card for your business, Meta can keep you supplied all year.

“We have some companies who have branded the product in advance of the holiday season and leveraged it for gifting throughout the year,” Schempp said. “Think about employee anniversaries, bonuses, thank-yous, things like that. Once it’s set up, we can provide cards for all occasions when companies need gifts throughout the year.”

Van Buskirk has continued to use its cards throughout the year as client and employee gifts.

“Having gift cards with our company logo on them is more personal, more fun and a great way to thank someone for a job well done or for doing business with us – and the recipient will be reminded of our company when they use it, so we see it as a win-win,” he said.

“We’ve enjoyed working with Meta and their knowledgeable team on several commercial projects, and when the idea of logoed gift cards was mentioned, it was really a no-brainer.  We’ve used gift cards for many years, so moving to a logoed gift card is simply the logical choice.”

Some companies also request additional cards in smaller amounts for surprise gifts, Schempp said.

“One thing we’ve seen business customers do is use them as a way to create surprise and delight,” Schempp said. “They might provide a $20 gift card as a surprise to a valued customer or use it as an unexpected reward for an employee. It doesn’t have to be regimented, and it instills a lot of loyalty.”

Any branch can help

Individuals can join businesses in easily buying gift cards with Meta. Just go to any MetaBank branch, and you’ll be issued a gift card that can be used anywhere Mastercard or Visa is accepted.

“And what’s unique is we don’t charge a fee for that,” Schempp said. “We have a promotion that runs until Dec. 31 for no-fee gift cards. You’re not really going to find that a retail store, where most charge several dollars just to get a card that works anywhere.”

Businesses also can visit a Meta branch to get started with gift card ordering or email [email protected].