The City of Lakewood, California, has introduced a digital gift card restricted to participating independent businesses and backed its launch with a city-funded bonus. The October 28 announcement combines a new local payment programme with a temporary incentive: qualifying buyers receive an additional card worth half their purchase. [S1]
Three purchase levels separate customer money from the city bonus
The city lists three qualifying amounts. A $25 purchase receives $12.50 extra, a $50 purchase receives $25 and a $100 purchase receives $50. The chart separates the value paid for by the customer from the municipal contribution; it does not represent cards already sold or money redeemed. [S1][S2]
Lakewood’s published card purchases and city bonuses
Customer-funded card value and the separate city-funded card for each published purchase option.
USD per published purchase option
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Source
Lakewood, California. Terms announced October 28, 2026 and checked November 2. Bonus cards depend on available promotional funds, are limited to three per person and are valid for six months. This is a terms comparison, not sales or redemption data.
Show data tableHide data table
| Category | Purchased card | City bonus card |
|---|---|---|
| $25 purchase | 25.00 USD per published purchase option | 12.50 USD per published purchase option |
| $50 purchase | 50.00 USD per published purchase option | 25.00 USD per published purchase option |
| $100 purchase | 100.00 USD per published purchase option | 50.00 USD per published purchase option |
Bonus availability ends when the allocated promotional funds run out. Each person may receive no more than three bonus cards, and the bonus cards are valid for six months. Neither the launch announcement nor the current city programme page identifies the size of the funding pool. [S1][S2]
Cards arrive by email. The city says recipients can add them to a digital wallet for tap-to-pay purchases or use the card number at checkout. Its purchase and merchant-enrolment links lead to a dedicated Yiftee storefront. The city’s broader interactive business map is explicitly separate from the list of businesses accepting the card, so inclusion on that map does not establish eligibility. [S2]
For independent shops, restaurants and service providers, the programme offers a shared redemption channel rather than a card tied to one business. The city presents local spending and tax revenue as its objectives. The sources disclose no sales, redemption or additional-spending results with which to measure those objectives. [S1]
Gift Card News could read both complete city pages, but could not retrieve the linked Yiftee participant directory. No merchant total or additional provider conditions are inferred from that access gap.
In this article
Emma Carter
Emma Carter covers retail, e-commerce and the gift card shopping experience for Gift Card News.