Retail BC has partnered with Eigen Development Ltd. To offer members discounted pricing on a custom gift card program.  Retail BC members can run a full-featured Gift Card program for less then $20 per month.

 

Merchant Benefits of Offering Gift Cards

 

• Drive Sales: Gift Cards produce a sales lift – 75% of Canadian Gift Card recipients spend more than the value of their card.
• Improved Cash Flow: the merchant holds the funds until the Gift Card is redeemed.
• Brand Promotion: custom card designs means putting your brand in a customer’s wallet.
• Increased Security: Gift Cards have no value until activated, reducing the risk of theft.
• Marketing Tool: increase sales using Gift Card promotions such as “swipe and win” or “bonus cards”.

Eigen Gift Card Program Highlights

 

• Custom Card Program at reasonable rates – use the Eigen GCDesigner web site to easily self-design you cards
• Open or Fixed Value Cards that can be easily reloaded
• Activate and Redeem on your Global Payments Terminal – no requirement for a separate stand alone terminal
• Assortment of stock carriers and stand options to help you promote your Gift Cards, or create your own custom carriers
   
• Attractively priced starter packages including carriers and stands
• 24 x 7 Technical Support
• Real Time Reporting – all activity is electronically tracked
• Web Based Administration – comprehensive and feature rich

Getting Started with Gift Cards is Easy

 

• Contact your Retail BC Representative at 604-736-0368 to discuss pricing options
• Choose a Starter Pack Option or Custom Pricing
• Design your card either with the online GCDesigner or by a professional designer
• Cards are manufactured and shipped directly to you, usually within 2-3 weeks
• After a Telephone training session you are ready to start enjoying the benefits of Gift Cards 

                              

 

Important Notice: New Prepaid Purchase Cards (Gift Cards) Regulation to take effect

 

Please be advised that the Business Practices and Consumer Protection Authority (BPCPA) has passed regulation on gift cards to take effect on November 1, 2008, and applies to cards issued on or after November 1, 2008.

 

The new regulation:

 

• Allows expiry dates on cards issued for promotional or charitable purposes, and on cards issued for a specific good or service.

• Allows fees for customizing a card, or replacing a lost or stolen card -the Regulation does not establish maximum fees for this purpose.

• Allows the following fees for cards that may be used at multiple unaffiliated sellers (e.g. malls):

• Fee on purchase of a maximum of $1.50;
• Post-purchase fee of a maximum of $2.50 per month, beginning 15 months after purchase, to be deducted from any remaining balance. Consumers may request delay of post-purchase fees for an additional three months.

• Requires disclosure of restrictions, limitations, terms and conditions clearly and in a manner that is likely to bring this information to the attention of the purchaser.

• If a post-purchase fee is charged, information about the fee must be disclosed on the card itself.

• If businesses use card stock that does not comply with disclosure requirements, signage or handouts must disclose the required information.

The legislation is administered by the Business Practices and Consumer Protection Authority (BPCPA). More information available at http://www.bpcpa.ca/, http://www.qov.bc.ca/, or by contacting the BPCPA toll free at 1-888-564-9963 or via email at info@bpcpa.ca.