All Digital Rewards compared retailer gift cards with network-branded prepaid rewards in March 2024, focusing on the choice facing corporate gifting and incentive buyers. The distinction in its guide was between directing a reward to a particular merchant and giving a recipient wider spending options.

Merchant-specific cards were presented as a fit for targeted brand campaigns or programs built around a retailer relationship. Network-branded prepaid cards, such as Visa or Mastercard products, offered broader acceptance subject to their own conditions.

ADR advised buyers to include activation or transaction charges in the cost comparison where applicable. It also discussed branding, recipient preferences and the intended use of the reward, rather than treating face value as the only selection factor.

The guide noted that reloadability depended on the issuer and card program. That feature was separate from whether a reward was supplied through a loyalty program or bought for personal gifting.

The provider recommended starting with program objectives and the audience before choosing a card. A merchant-focused campaign and a general employee reward could therefore lead to different product decisions, even if the amounts distributed were the same.