The proposal moves beyond selling a separate gift card. It makes the customer’s existing credits easier to see together, while preserving the different rules attached to each component. A single display does not make a purchased gift card and a promotional credit the same product.

Show data tableHide data table

Scroll left or right to see all columns

Table 1
Consumer view	Underlying programme requirement
A combined spending balance	Recognise the different value types
Access within a website, app or checkout	Integrate with the brand's customer experience
A simpler view of available value	Retain applicable accounting and expiry rules

From gift card distribution to balance management

BHN’s established business includes gift card programmes in stores, on websites and through apps, with services spanning production, distribution, reporting and programme support. [S02] That gives the company an existing relationship with brands managing prepaid value, and a reason to extend the infrastructure beyond an isolated card.

The new commercial proposition is to manage more of the customer’s stored value within that relationship. For a brand, bringing separate credits into one experience can reduce fragmentation between loyalty, customer service and checkout. For BHN, it broadens the role of its platform in the merchant’s daily operations.

That is a deeper integration than putting another gift card on sale. The balance must remain intelligible when a purchase is reversed, a promotion expires or a customer uses only part of the available amount. Those responsibilities explain why the underlying ledger matters as much as the total displayed on a screen.

Separate consumer research helps explain the appeal of putting more reward functions into a wallet. Vibes’ 2026 report, based on a November 2025 online survey, says 76% would interact more with brands offering wallet coupons or offers and 75% with brands offering wallet loyalty cards. These are stated responses to two wallet functions, not assessments of BHN or proof that a wallet pass and a combined stored-value ledger are interchangeable. The study’s geography is not disclosed. [S03]

Source

[S03] Vibes original report, page 7

Separate overlapping attitude statements, not actual engagement or BHN adoption. Overall sample 1,144; item bases and geography undisclosed. Do not add the percentages.

Show data tableHide data table

Scroll left or right to see all columns

Reported interest in wallet-based brand interactions (%)
Category	Reported share
Coupons or offers in a wallet	76%
Loyalty or rewards card in a wallet	75%

The merchant incentive is retained spending

BHN said shoppers at an unnamed social-commerce platform spent approximately 90% of funds added to their wallets within 30 days and 95% within 60 days. The release gives no cohort size, calendar

Blackhawk Network announced a platform on April 16, 2026 combining gift cards, refunds, promotional credits and rewards in one balance. Its Digital Wallet API displays that value within a brand’s digital properties. [S01] The proposal moves beyond selling a separate gift card. It makes the customer’s existing credits easier to see together, while preserving the different rules attached to each component. A single display does not make a purchased gift card and a promotional credit the same product. Consumer view Underlying programme requirement A combined spending balance Recognise the different value types Access within a website, app or checkout Integrate with the brand's customer experience A simpler view of available value Retain applicable accounting and expiry rules From gift card distribution to balance management BHN’s established business includes gift card programmes in stores, on websites and through apps, with services spanning production, distribution, reporting and programme support. [S02] That gives the company an existing relationship with brands managing prepaid value, and a reason to extend the infrastructure beyond an isolated card. The new commercial proposition is to manage more of the customer’s stored value within that relationship. For a brand, bringing separate credits into one experience can reduce fragmentation between loyalty, customer service and checkout. For BHN, it broadens the role of its platform in the merchant’s daily operations. That is a deeper integration than putting another gift card on sale. The balance must remain intelligible when a purchase is reversed, a promotion expires or a customer uses only part of the available amount. Those responsibilities explain why the underlying ledger matters as much as the total displayed on a screen. Separate consumer research helps explain the appeal of putting more reward functions into a wallet. Vibes’ 2026 report, based on a November 2025 online survey, says 76% would interact more with brands offering wallet coupons or offers and 75% with brands offering wallet loyalty cards. These are stated responses to two wallet functions, not assessments of BHN or proof that a wallet pass and a combined stored-value ledger are interchangeable. The study’s geography is not disclosed. [S03] Reported interest in wallet-based brand interactions Vibes 2026 report, page 7; November 2025 fieldwork. Reported share Coupons or offers in a wallet: 76 % Loyalty or rewards card in a wallet: 75 % Separate overlapping attitude statements, not actual engagement or BHN adoption. Overall sample 1,144; item bases and geography undisclosed. Do not add the percentages. [S03] Vibes original report, page 7 The merchant incentive is retained spending BHN said shoppers at an unnamed social-commerce platform spent approximately 90% of funds added to their wallets within 30 days and 95% within 60 days. The release gives no cohort size, calendar

Your free reader account