Local merchant selection and currency handling are central to taking a gift card reward programme across borders, Runa said in a webinar recap published on June 28, 2024. Chief Growth Officer Tomas Likar and Jordan Bond, Head of Product – Network, discussed how businesses can adapt their payout programmes for different countries.

Likar identified transaction costs and limited visibility in older payment systems as practical obstacles. The recap cited international payout fees that could reach 11%, illustrating how distribution costs can absorb part of a reward budget when payments are sent at scale.

The executives presented gift cards as one option for distributing rewards to employees, customers and research participants internationally. Runa cited a forecast placing the global gift card market at $1.2 trillion by 2032; this was a market projection referenced in the 2024 discussion, rather than a reported result.

Merchant choice needs to reflect local shopping habits, the company argued. The recap contrasted the assumption that an Amazon gift card will suit every market with the position of Bol.com in the Netherlands, where Runa cited an audience of 11 million customers. It also noted the work involved in negotiating with merchants and connecting their systems.

Bond demonstrated account setup, merchant selection and currency management on the Runa platform. The company said automation could support larger transaction volumes and reduce the administrative work involved in operating programmes across several currencies.

As an example, Runa described how its customer Each Person used the platform while extending its employee rewards and recognition offering to eight additional countries. The recap attributed improved payout operations and cost savings to the relationship, without supplying numerical measures for those improvements.

At the time of the June 2024 publication, Runa reported network coverage of 38 countries and 22 currencies. Likar also outlined plans to add more open-loop payout methods, including prepaid cards and push-to-card options.