Ardee Traders and Business Association plans to replace its paper town vouchers with physical and digital gift cards, using Miconex technology to make redemption and merchant reimbursement easier. The October 1 announcement says the Ardee Gift Card is due to launch in autumn. [S01]

The planned card will run on Mastercard infrastructure. Businesses in the Ardee area that accept card payments and belong to the association can register, with no additional equipment required and no commission charged for accepting the card once it launches. The announcement does not give a participating-merchant count or an exact consumer launch date. [S01]

For recipients, the change allows the value to be spread across purchases at participating businesses, with balances updated after transactions and checked online. For traders, funds will go directly to their bank accounts, replacing the need to present paper vouchers for reimbursement. The announcement describes payment as quick but does not specify a settlement timetable. [S01]

Ardee Credit Union, furniture manufacturer Farrell and transport business Ardee Coach Trim are funding the launch. No contribution amounts are disclosed. The card will join Miconex's Town & City Gift Cards programme, and the association expects physical and digital formats to simplify employer reward orders. [S01]

The existing Ardee Town Voucher has operated for more than 15 years and generated over €1 million in sales during the past five years, according to the announcement. Those figures describe the paper scheme, rather than sales of the forthcoming card. The association's existing voucher page independently identifies it as the scheme's operator. [S01] [S02]

The conversion changes the handling of stored value while retaining a local spending purpose. The published announcement does not explain whether existing paper vouchers can be converted or how long they will remain redeemable; their current terms should not be assumed to apply to the new card.