Canonical URL: https://giftcard.news/gift-cards/neocurrency-recommends-using-gift-cards-in-loyalty-programs-to-boost-eng-37e37a62a4c3/ --- description: NeoCurrency’s Eric Thiegs recommends fast, small-value redemptions and a relevant mix of merchant gift cards and prepaid rewards. title: Gift Cards in Loyalty Programs: NeoCurrency Puts Early Redemption First image: https://giftcard.news/images/social/v1/gift-cards-loyalty-programs-neocurrency-puts-early-redemption-first-838ea0aef82f63e1a0aecd0fa5d9c4a8.jpg --- 1. [Home](https://giftcard.news/) 2. [Gift Cards](https://giftcard.news/gift-cards/) # Gift Cards in Loyalty Programs: NeoCurrency Puts Early Redemption First NeoCurrency’s Eric Thiegs recommends fast, small-value redemptions and a relevant mix of merchant gift cards and prepaid rewards. By [Emma Carter](https://giftcard.news/author/emma-carter/) June 4, 2025 2 min read Share [ ](https://x.com/intent/post?url=https%3A%2F%2Fgiftcard.news%2Fgift-cards%2Fneocurrency-recommends-using-gift-cards-in-loyalty-programs-to-boost-eng-37e37a62a4c3%2F%3Futm%5Fsource%3Dx%26utm%5Fmedium%3Dsocial&text=Gift%20Cards%20in%20Loyalty%20Programs%3A%20NeoCurrency%20Puts%20Early%20Redemption%20First "X") [ ](https://www.linkedin.com/sharing/share-offsite/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fgiftcard.news%2Fgift-cards%2Fneocurrency-recommends-using-gift-cards-in-loyalty-programs-to-boost-eng-37e37a62a4c3%2F%3Futm%5Fsource%3Dlinkedin%26utm%5Fmedium%3Dsocial "LinkedIn") [ ](https://wa.me/?text=Gift%20Cards%20in%20Loyalty%20Programs%3A%20NeoCurrency%20Puts%20Early%20Redemption%20First%20https%3A%2F%2Fgiftcard.news%2Fgift-cards%2Fneocurrency-recommends-using-gift-cards-in-loyalty-programs-to-boost-eng-37e37a62a4c3%2F%3Futm%5Fsource%3Dwhatsapp%26utm%5Fmedium%3Dsocial "WhatsApp") ![Source image for NeoCurrency Recommends Using Gift Cards in Loyalty Programs to Boost Engagement and Retention](https://giftcard.news/images/variants/v1/gift-cards-loyalty-programs-neocurrency-puts-early-redemption-first-source-image-recommends-w800.webp) Photo: Source: neocurrency.com Helping members reach their first redemption quickly should be a priority for loyalty programmes, according to [Eric Thiegs](https://giftcard.news/person/eric-thiegs/), [NeoCurrency](https://giftcard.news/company/neocurrency/)’s Head of Strategy and Growth. In guidance published on June 4, 2025, he argues that digital gift cards can support that goal through immediate delivery, small denominations and a choice of brands. The article cites various studies to support the use of gift cards in loyalty programs. For example, 84% of consumers say they prefer receiving digital gift cards in loyalty programs, according to a study by The Strawhecker Group in partnership with [Bank of America](https://giftcard.news/company/bank-of-america/). Additionally, programs that include gift cards see a higher redemption rate than those that don't, and digital gift cards can be customized for each program and demographic, making them a personalized engagement option. Thiegs cites Retail Gift Card Association research for the claim that 90% of consumers use gift cards annually. He also says loyalty programmes offering gift cards can see 15–20% faster enrolment growth; the article presents that figure as part of his case for using incentives to attract members. The article also discusses how digital gift cards can improve member satisfaction and retention. Programs with gift card options usually see higher satisfaction scores, with users calling them 'personalizable' and 'valuable'. Gift cards are also a fantastic way to reward members for milestones and elevate tiered programs. According to [Fiserv](https://giftcard.news/company/fiserv/)'s Q2 2024 Gift Card Gauge, 85% of consumers are joining loyalty programs, and gift cards are rapidly becoming a key driver of customer loyalty. ## Merchant gift cards and prepaid reward options For programme design, Thiegs recommends combining merchant gift cards with cash-like reward options such as [Visa](https://giftcard.news/company/visa/) and [Mastercard](https://giftcard.news/company/mastercard/) prepaid cards. His suggested mix includes widely recognised retailers as well as niche and regional brands selected for the intended audience. Thiegs also highlights small rewards of $2–$5 as a way to recognise activity without making members wait for a large redemption. He argues that digital fulfilment can be simpler for administrators than shipping merchandise or arranging travel rewards. ## Sources and documents ExpandCollapse * [What’s trending with digital rewardsTop Five Reasons to Use Gift Cards in Your Overall Loyalty Strategy](https://neocurrency.com/five-reasons-rewards-loyalty-programs/?utm%5Fsource=giftcard.news) — neocurrency.com ## In this article ### Companies * [Bank of America](https://giftcard.news/company/bank-of-america/) * [Fiserv](https://giftcard.news/company/fiserv/) * [Mastercard](https://giftcard.news/company/mastercard/) * [NeoCurrency](https://giftcard.news/company/neocurrency/) * [Visa](https://giftcard.news/company/visa/) ### People * [Eric Thiegs](https://giftcard.news/person/eric-thiegs/) Share [ ](https://x.com/intent/post?url=https%3A%2F%2Fgiftcard.news%2Fgift-cards%2Fneocurrency-recommends-using-gift-cards-in-loyalty-programs-to-boost-eng-37e37a62a4c3%2F%3Futm%5Fsource%3Dx%26utm%5Fmedium%3Dsocial&text=Gift%20Cards%20in%20Loyalty%20Programs%3A%20NeoCurrency%20Puts%20Early%20Redemption%20First "X") [ ](https://www.linkedin.com/sharing/share-offsite/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fgiftcard.news%2Fgift-cards%2Fneocurrency-recommends-using-gift-cards-in-loyalty-programs-to-boost-eng-37e37a62a4c3%2F%3Futm%5Fsource%3Dlinkedin%26utm%5Fmedium%3Dsocial "LinkedIn") [ ](https://wa.me/?text=Gift%20Cards%20in%20Loyalty%20Programs%3A%20NeoCurrency%20Puts%20Early%20Redemption%20First%20https%3A%2F%2Fgiftcard.news%2Fgift-cards%2Fneocurrency-recommends-using-gift-cards-in-loyalty-programs-to-boost-eng-37e37a62a4c3%2F%3Futm%5Fsource%3Dwhatsapp%26utm%5Fmedium%3Dsocial "WhatsApp") ![Portrait of Emma Carter](https://giftcard.news/images/variants/v1/emma-carter-editorial-portrait-w320.webp) About the author ## [Emma Carter](https://giftcard.news/author/emma-carter/) Journalist — Retail & E-commerce Emma Carter covers retail, e-commerce and the gift card shopping experience for Gift Card News. From reading to building ## Your next move in gift cards. Tell us what you’re building. We’ll help you explore suitable providers. [Find a provider ](https://giftcard.news/find-a-provider/) ## Related articles [Gift Cards](https://giftcard.news/gift-cards/) News ### [FareHarbor connects Factor4 gift cards to its online booking checkout](https://giftcard.news/gift-cards/fareharbor-factor4-gift-cards-online-booking-checkout/) [Suzie Elis](https://giftcard.news/author/suzie-elis/) September 17, 2026 2 min [Gift Cards](https://giftcard.news/gift-cards/) News ### [Tillo Powers Military Connect’s Discounted Digital Gift Card Programme](https://giftcard.news/gift-cards/tillo-military-connect-discounted-digital-gift-cards/) [Suzie Elis](https://giftcard.news/author/suzie-elis/) September 15, 2026 2 min [Gift Cards](https://giftcard.news/gift-cards/) News ### [Kohl’s expands Babies R Us shops and adds lower-priced baby gifts](https://giftcard.news/gift-cards/kohl-s-expands-babies-r-us-shops-and-adds-lower-priced-baby-gifts-8327d70bb56c/) [Emma Carter](https://giftcard.news/author/emma-carter/) September 14, 2026 2 min ```json {"@context":"https://schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https://giftcard.news/#publisher","name":"Gift Card News","url":"https://giftcard.news/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://giftcard.news/brand/giftcard-news-logo.svg"}},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https://giftcard.news/author/emma-carter/#person","name":"Emma Carter","url":"https://giftcard.news/author/emma-carter/","description":"Emma Carter covers retail, e-commerce and the gift card shopping experience for Gift Card News.","jobTitle":"Journalist — Retail & E-commerce","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://giftcard.news/images/emma-carter-editorial-portrait.webp","contentUrl":"https://giftcard.news/images/emma-carter-editorial-portrait.webp","width":256,"height":256,"caption":"Illustrated portrait representing the Emma Carter editorial profile."}},{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://giftcard.news/images/gift-cards-loyalty-programs-neocurrency-puts-early-redemption-first-source-image-recommends.webp","contentUrl":"https://giftcard.news/images/gift-cards-loyalty-programs-neocurrency-puts-early-redemption-first-source-image-recommends.webp","width":800,"height":450,"@id":"https://giftcard.news/images/gift-cards-loyalty-programs-neocurrency-puts-early-redemption-first-source-image-recommends.webp#image"},{"@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://giftcard.news/gift-cards/neocurrency-recommends-using-gift-cards-in-loyalty-programs-to-boost-eng-37e37a62a4c3/#article","url":"https://giftcard.news/gift-cards/neocurrency-recommends-using-gift-cards-in-loyalty-programs-to-boost-eng-37e37a62a4c3/","headline":"Gift Cards in Loyalty Programs: NeoCurrency Puts Early Redemption First","description":"NeoCurrency’s Eric Thiegs recommends fast, small-value redemptions and a relevant mix of merchant gift cards and prepaid rewards.","datePublished":"2025-06-04T20:50:54.000Z","dateModified":"2025-06-04T20:50:54.000Z","inLanguage":"en","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https://giftcard.news/gift-cards/neocurrency-recommends-using-gift-cards-in-loyalty-programs-to-boost-eng-37e37a62a4c3/#webpage"},"isPartOf":{"@id":"https://giftcard.news/#website"},"isAccessibleForFree":false,"hasPart":{"@type":"WebPageElement","isAccessibleForFree":false,"cssSelector":".reader-restricted"},"image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://giftcard.news/images/gift-cards-loyalty-programs-neocurrency-puts-early-redemption-first-source-image-recommends.webp","contentUrl":"https://giftcard.news/images/gift-cards-loyalty-programs-neocurrency-puts-early-redemption-first-source-image-recommends.webp","width":800,"height":450,"@id":"https://giftcard.news/images/gift-cards-loyalty-programs-neocurrency-puts-early-redemption-first-source-image-recommends.webp#image"}],"articleSection":"Gift Cards","keywords":["Bank of America","Eric Thiegs","Fiserv","Mastercard","NeoCurrency","Visa"],"mentions":[{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https://giftcard.news/company/bank-of-america/#entity","name":"Bank of America","url":"https://giftcard.news/company/bank-of-america/"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https://giftcard.news/person/eric-thiegs/#entity","name":"Eric Thiegs","url":"https://giftcard.news/person/eric-thiegs/"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https://giftcard.news/company/fiserv/#entity","name":"Fiserv","url":"https://giftcard.news/company/fiserv/"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https://giftcard.news/company/mastercard/#entity","name":"Mastercard","url":"https://giftcard.news/company/mastercard/"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https://giftcard.news/company/neocurrency/#entity","name":"NeoCurrency","url":"https://giftcard.news/company/neocurrency/"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https://giftcard.news/company/visa/#entity","name":"Visa","url":"https://giftcard.news/company/visa/"}],"wordCount":334,"citation":["https://neocurrency.com/five-reasons-rewards-loyalty-programs/"],"author":[{"@id":"https://giftcard.news/author/emma-carter/#person"}],"publisher":{"@id":"https://giftcard.news/#publisher"}},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://giftcard.news/gift-cards/neocurrency-recommends-using-gift-cards-in-loyalty-programs-to-boost-eng-37e37a62a4c3/#webpage","url":"https://giftcard.news/gift-cards/neocurrency-recommends-using-gift-cards-in-loyalty-programs-to-boost-eng-37e37a62a4c3/","name":"Gift Cards in Loyalty Programs: NeoCurrency Puts Early Redemption First","description":"NeoCurrency’s Eric Thiegs recommends fast, small-value redemptions and a relevant mix of merchant gift cards and prepaid rewards.","inLanguage":"en","isPartOf":{"@id":"https://giftcard.news/#website"},"mainEntity":{"@id":"https://giftcard.news/gift-cards/neocurrency-recommends-using-gift-cards-in-loyalty-programs-to-boost-eng-37e37a62a4c3/#article"},"breadcrumb":{"@id":"https://giftcard.news/gift-cards/neocurrency-recommends-using-gift-cards-in-loyalty-programs-to-boost-eng-37e37a62a4c3/#breadcrumbs"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https://giftcard.news/images/gift-cards-loyalty-programs-neocurrency-puts-early-redemption-first-source-image-recommends.webp#image"}},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https://giftcard.news/gift-cards/neocurrency-recommends-using-gift-cards-in-loyalty-programs-to-boost-eng-37e37a62a4c3/#breadcrumbs","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https://giftcard.news/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Gift Cards","item":"https://giftcard.news/gift-cards/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"Gift Cards in Loyalty Programs: NeoCurrency Puts Early Redemption First","item":"https://giftcard.news/gift-cards/neocurrency-recommends-using-gift-cards-in-loyalty-programs-to-boost-eng-37e37a62a4c3/"}]}]} ```