Canonical URL: https://giftcard.news/research-trends/bhn-napco-digital-gift-card-benchmark-2026/ --- description: A review of 120 North American brands assesses the digital gift card journey across 147 criteria, including AI search and mobile checkout. title: BHN and NAPCO benchmark finds gaps in gift card discovery and delivery image: https://giftcard.news/images/social/v1/bhn-napco-benchmark-finds-gaps-gift-card-discovery-delivery-4b17450597cc434b217631bbc4751860.jpg --- 1. [Home](https://giftcard.news/) 2. [Research & Trends](https://giftcard.news/research-trends/) # BHN and NAPCO benchmark finds gaps in gift card discovery and delivery A review of 120 North American brands assesses the digital gift card journey across 147 criteria, including AI search and mobile checkout. By [Oliver Reed](https://giftcard.news/author/oliver-reed/) July 15, 2026 3 min read Share [ ](https://x.com/intent/post?url=https%3A%2F%2Fgiftcard.news%2Fresearch-trends%2Fbhn-napco-digital-gift-card-benchmark-2026%2F%3Futm%5Fsource%3Dx%26utm%5Fmedium%3Dsocial&text=BHN%20and%20NAPCO%20benchmark%20finds%20gaps%20in%20gift%20card%20discovery%20and%20delivery "X") [ ](https://www.linkedin.com/sharing/share-offsite/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fgiftcard.news%2Fresearch-trends%2Fbhn-napco-digital-gift-card-benchmark-2026%2F%3Futm%5Fsource%3Dlinkedin%26utm%5Fmedium%3Dsocial "LinkedIn") [ ](https://wa.me/?text=BHN%20and%20NAPCO%20benchmark%20finds%20gaps%20in%20gift%20card%20discovery%20and%20delivery%20https%3A%2F%2Fgiftcard.news%2Fresearch-trends%2Fbhn-napco-digital-gift-card-benchmark-2026%2F%3Futm%5Fsource%3Dwhatsapp%26utm%5Fmedium%3Dsocial "WhatsApp") ![Green cover artwork for the ninth annual BHN and NAPCO Research benchmark report, with the report displayed on a tablet.](https://giftcard.news/images/variants/v1/bhn-napco-benchmark-finds-gaps-gift-card-discovery-delivery-green-cover-artwork-w1200.webp) Official BHN artwork for the 2026 direct digital gift card benchmark. Photo: Blackhawk Network [Blackhawk Network](https://giftcard.news/company/blackhawk-network/) and [NAPCO Research](https://giftcard.news/company/napco-research/)'s 2026 benchmark identifies uneven coverage of digital gift card features across 120 brands. Released on July 15, the ninth annual study assessed 147 criteria across the purchaser and recipient experience. [\[S01\]](#article-source-1) The sample comprised 110 U.S. brands and ten Canadian brands. It examined gift cards sold directly through a brand's own website or app, rather than the full third-party distribution market. [\[S02\]](#article-source-2) ## Where the feature gaps appeared The data behind the story ### Features reported across the 120 assessed brands Percentages reported by Blackhawk Network. Hover over bars for values or use the data table and CSV download. Brands assessed % Tap or hover for details. All values are also available in the data table. **Source:** Blackhawk Network original research release BHN and NAPCO Research 2026 benchmark. Each bar is a separate reported measure, not a share of transactions or a conversion rate. Criteria are not interchangeable and the percentages must not be added. Explore the data table Scroll left or right to see all columns __Features reported across the 120 assessed brands (%)__ | Category | Brands assessed | | ---------------------------------- | --------------- | | Met AI-search criteria | 61% | | Offered AI gifting recommendations | 5% | | Offered text delivery | 66% | | Offered scheduled delivery | 48% | The release reports 61% meeting its AI-search criteria and 5% offering AI-powered gifting recommendations. Text delivery appeared at 66% of brands, while scheduled delivery appeared at 48%. [\[S01\]](#article-source-1) ## A benchmark of the journey, not sales The assessment spans discovery, purchase, delivery and redemption. Its updated framework also considers group gifting, animation, delivery notifications and purchase-flow integrity. The scope includes desktop, mobile web and mobile apps across 19 retail and service verticals. [\[S01\]](#article-source-1) That structure is useful because a gift card purchase has at least two users: the person buying it and the person receiving it. A smooth payment screen cannot compensate for unclear delivery, and an attractive gift message cannot resolve a recipient's difficulty finding how to redeem the balance. For retailers, a lower score should prompt inspection of a particular step. Discovery, personalisation and delivery each call for different operational work. Treating the benchmark as one broad technology score would obscure those distinctions. ## AI visibility is only one part of the picture BHN reported an average marketing-assessment score of 34%. That is a score under the report's framework, not the percentage of retailers that market gift cards. [\[S01\]](#article-source-1) Similarly, meeting an AI-search criterion does not demonstrate that an assistant can complete a gift card purchase or redeem an existing balance. Visibility and transaction support are separate capabilities. A retailer can make information easier to find while still requiring a customer to finish the purchase in its own checkout. The benchmark provides a structured comparison for the participating market. It is not a representative survey of all retailers, an audit of sales results or evidence that adding a particular feature will increase conversion by a stated amount. [Download the chart and table data (CSV)](https://giftcard.news/research-trends/bhn-napco-digital-gift-card-benchmark-2026/data.csv). A free sign-in is required. ## Sources and documents ExpandCollapse * [\[S01\] BHN retailer AI discovery benchmark](https://blackhawknetwork.com/company/news-press/new-benchmark-report-finds-opportunities-for-retailers-optimize-ai-discovery-and-purchase-engagement?utm%5Fsource=giftcard.news) — Blackhawk Network * [\[S02\] 2026 benchmark scope and North American sample](https://blackhawknetwork.com/resources/research/rni-gated/all/July2026/research-report-best-direct-digital-gift-cards?utm%5Fsource=giftcard.news) — Blackhawk Network ## In this article ### Companies * [Blackhawk Network](https://giftcard.news/company/blackhawk-network/) * [NAPCO Research](https://giftcard.news/company/napco-research/) Share [ ](https://x.com/intent/post?url=https%3A%2F%2Fgiftcard.news%2Fresearch-trends%2Fbhn-napco-digital-gift-card-benchmark-2026%2F%3Futm%5Fsource%3Dx%26utm%5Fmedium%3Dsocial&text=BHN%20and%20NAPCO%20benchmark%20finds%20gaps%20in%20gift%20card%20discovery%20and%20delivery "X") [ ](https://www.linkedin.com/sharing/share-offsite/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fgiftcard.news%2Fresearch-trends%2Fbhn-napco-digital-gift-card-benchmark-2026%2F%3Futm%5Fsource%3Dlinkedin%26utm%5Fmedium%3Dsocial "LinkedIn") [ ](https://wa.me/?text=BHN%20and%20NAPCO%20benchmark%20finds%20gaps%20in%20gift%20card%20discovery%20and%20delivery%20https%3A%2F%2Fgiftcard.news%2Fresearch-trends%2Fbhn-napco-digital-gift-card-benchmark-2026%2F%3Futm%5Fsource%3Dwhatsapp%26utm%5Fmedium%3Dsocial "WhatsApp") ![Portrait of Oliver Reed](https://giftcard.news/images/variants/v1/oliver-reed-editorial-portrait-w320.webp) About the author ## [Oliver Reed](https://giftcard.news/author/oliver-reed/) Journalist — Industry Deals & Research Oliver Reed covers industry acquisitions, investment and market research for Gift Card News. 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