Runa has identified creator platforms, gaming businesses and the gig economy as growth channels for merchants distributing digital gift cards. Its May 2025 update argues that a card can reach a potential customer at the point they receive earnings or a reward, before a conventional retail purchase begins.

In the creator market, Runa points to Throne and YouPay as examples of platforms using its infrastructure. Throne enables fans to send gifts to creators, while YouPay uses Runa for gift card payouts. The examples illustrate different routes through which a merchant’s card can enter a recipient’s spending choices.

Gaming is a second channel. Runa describes gift cards as rewards that give players a benefit outside the game itself, and cites Game Optimiser as a customer using its API and network to embed incentives in games.

For gig platforms, the article focuses on payment speed and recipient choice. Gift cards can be offered within a wider set of payout or reward options, giving workers an alternative tied to merchants they already use.

Runa’s proposition to merchants is distribution through those existing platform relationships. Instead of relying only on people visiting a merchant’s own gift card storefront, a brand can appear among rewards offered by another business.

Runa directs merchants interested in these distribution channels to their partnership manager to discuss joining the network and making their cards available to platform customers.