63% of consumers who bought gift cards onlinein December bought digital cards instead of physical cards, up from 57% in the same month in 2013, according to data released today by InComm, which provides gift card services to online retailers.
InComm’s data is based on the gift card transactions it handled for its retailer clients.
In the six days leading up to Christmas, 88% of online gift card sales were for digital cards compared with 80% for the same period in 2013. InComm also says that Christmas Eve stands as the highest sales day for digital gift cards.
“Ultimately, data from the 2014 holiday season demonstrates significant overall digital growth across age demographics, especially in the final days leading up to major holidays,” says Mike Fletcher, an InComm general manager. “When it comes to digital gift cards, a winning strategy must incorporate choice: consumers want to be able to choose between a digital and physical gift card and mobile or email delivery. Retailers need to deliver complementary offerings.”
InComm also reports that:
• 72% of consumers have bought a gift card online or through a mobile device.
• 50% of consumers prefer to have a digital gift card scanned from their mobile device than to carry an email printout.
• 53% of respondents are interested in storing and using gift cards on their phones.
Those findings stem from an online survey conducted in October 2014 of 500 consumers.