Gift card incentives work best when survey organisers explain the reward clearly and make it straightforward to claim, according to ezeprepaid guidance published on February 27, 2024. The company recommends deciding whether every completed response earns a card or whether respondents enter a prize draw before invitations are sent.

Ezeprepaid presents the card as a thank-you for a respondent’s time. Its guidance argues that an appealing reward can encourage completion, while warning that incentive values should remain proportionate to the survey and the available budget.

Survey tools and gift card delivery

To maximize survey participation, the guidance recommends selecting the right survey tools that align with goals and can handle incentives smoothly. Survey tools such as SurveyMonkey, Qualtrics, and Typeform are mentioned as examples that can handle gift card incentives. Google Forms is also mentioned as a simple option that can be used with a bit of manual labor to send out incentives.

The guidance provides a straightforward approach to setting up gift card incentives in surveys, including choosing a survey tool that supports integration with gift card platforms, creating a survey, and adding the incentive. It also emphasizes the importance of transparency, fairness, and confidentiality when using incentives. Participants should know upfront if they are in for a chance at a gift card or if everyone gets one, and the survey should be designed to ensure that every participant has the same shot at the incentive.

The guidance also discusses best practices for maximizing survey participation rates, including being clear about the incentive, keeping surveys short and sweet, and delivering rewards fast. It also touches on legal and ethical considerations, such as knowing the regulations around sweepstakes or contests and protecting personal information. By following these best practices and considerations, surveys can be designed to boost participation rates and provide valuable insights.

For programmes with low response rates, ezeprepaid suggests checking the survey interface and whether the invitation makes the incentive understandable. If promised gift card codes do not arrive, organisers should review email and automation settings and provide support for affected respondents.