A Runa survey found that 41% of respondents reported loyalty or rewards redemption as a reason for receiving gift cards from businesses. The responses overlap, so this is not an exclusive primary channel or a share of all cards distributed. Runa released the findings on January 25, 2024. [S02]
The research surveyed 1,000 adult consumers in the United States during January 2024. Recruitment, weighting and item-specific bases are not disclosed. The results describe reported experience and preferences in that sample, without a prior wave establishing growth. [S02]
Reasons consumers reported receiving gift cards from businesses
Overlapping reasons reported in Runa's January 2024 US survey.
% of surveyed respondents
Tap or hover for details. All values are also available in the data table.
Source
Reported reasons, not market shares, primary channels, measured growth or causal business performance. Categories are not additive.
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| Category | Respondents |
|---|---|
| Loyalty or rewards redemption | 41 % of surveyed respondents |
| Survey or research participation | 40 % of surveyed respondents |
| Employer reward | 37 % of surveyed respondents |
| Returned-item refund | 23 % of surveyed respondents |
| Promotion or rebate | 19 % of surveyed respondents |
| Defect or service reimbursement | 15 % of surveyed respondents |
| Freelance-work payment | 14 % of surveyed respondents |
| Other | 9 % of surveyed respondents |
In the spending question, 49% preferred using a gift card to treat themselves or a family member, while 45% preferred necessities. Separately, 81% said checkout discounts would make them extremely or somewhat likely to switch to merchant-branded payment, compared with 78% for increased rewards and 71% for member-only benefits. These are stated preferences and likelihoods, not observed spending or conversion. [S02]
Choice also mattered for balances redeemable at several merchants. Respondents cited quick access to money, avoiding conventional banking steps and being able to select where to spend.
The report has an unresolved labelling conflict for non-payroll payout methods. Its chart labels bank transfers at 49%, digital wallets at 48%, branded gift cards at 36% and Visa or Mastercard prepaid cards at 34% as methods received in the previous six months, while the accompanying prose calls them preferences. Without the questionnaire, those figures cannot reliably establish a preferred-method ranking. [S02]
Runa interpreted the findings as a case for retailers to invest in branded payment programmes. Its founder, Aron Alexander, argued that gift cards can contribute to engagement and sales. That conclusion is the company’s commercial interpretation of the survey.
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Suzie Elis
Suzie Elis covers gift card products, digital gifting and distribution for Gift Card News.