A reseller can bring several gift card brands into one buying process, providing selection, delivery and reporting for consumers or corporate reward programmes. zendit's July 21, 2025 guide explains that model and the operational choices behind it.

A gift card reseller program is a system where a business makes bulk purchases of a variety of gift cards from different brands and resells them to both individual and corporate consumers. The businesses that act as connecting links between gift card issuers and gift card users are known as gift card resellers. They make money by purchasing bulk gift cards at discounted prices and reselling them at a higher price, close to or a bit lower than the face value, for a profit.

Gift card resellers provide value to the ecosystem in several ways, including offering a variety of gift cards, providing discounts, making the buying process more convenient, and allowing for customization. They also provide reporting features, such as usage reports, which can be useful for corporate users to track the effectiveness of their employee rewards and customer incentives programs.

Gift card API funding and reseller margins

The guide identifies an ecommerce storefront and a gift card API as core components. Funding arrangements vary: some providers require stock to be purchased in advance, while zendit describes an on-demand model in which a reseller lists products and purchases the card after receiving an order. Storefront setup and marketing still require resources.

At publication, zendit said its offering included about 16,000 products, with customization, digital delivery and reporting. It describes the API as usable across different app environments and identifies key regeneration, IP restrictions and authenticated webhook notifications among its controls.

To run a profitable gift card reseller business, it's essential to partner with a trusted API provider, offer a wide variety of cards, prioritize corporate clients, ensure fast delivery, and invest in marketing and analytics to grow and optimize the business. Businesses should also negotiate good deals with their API provider to reduce their average cost price and increase their profit margins.

The business model depends on the difference between acquisition cost and selling price, alongside operating costs and competitive pricing. The source recommends reviewing sales, margins and delivery performance rather than treating catalogue size alone as a measure of a viable programme.