Gift cards remain one of the most popular ways for consumers to buy, give and spend. But running a gift card program has become far more complex. Fraud is more sophisticated, data regulations are stricter, and customers expect a seamless experience on every channel. That leaves businesses with a critical choice: keep managing their program in-house, or outsource it to a specialist platform.
Our free guide, Gift Card Management Unlocked, takes a balanced look at both approaches. It’s written by Shawn Howard, Director of Business Development and Product at epay, who has worked in the gift card industry for over 10 years. Here’s a summary of what it covers.
Six areas that shape the decision
Security. Running it in-house gives you full control over security protocols, but it needs significant, ongoing investment in cybersecurity. Outsourcing gives you access to continuously updated fraud detection managed by industry experts. The trade-off is less control over the specifics.
Regulatory compliance. With laws such as GDPR in Europe and the CCPA in the United States, staying compliant in-house takes deep legal expertise and constant updates. Specialist providers typically have dedicated legal teams and ready-made compliance frameworks, though you rely on their diligence.
Technology integration. Building your own integrations with payment processors, e-commerce platforms and point-of-sale systems offers flexibility, but it takes significant resources to build and maintain. Outsourced platforms come with ready-made integrations. How far you can customize them depends on the vendor.
Customer expectations. Consumers expect a flawless experience, from purchase to redemption. In-house teams can fully customize the journey, but they need to invest in UX, technology and support. Outsourcing provides proven, user-friendly solutions with less overhead.
Cost management. In-house can save money in the long run if production, distribution and technology are managed efficiently, but upfront costs are high. Outsourcing reduces upfront investment and makes costs predictable and scalable, although ongoing fees can add up as the program grows.
Data analytics. Managing your own data gives you full control, but it needs skilled analysts and robust infrastructure. Outsourced providers offer advanced analytics tools without you having to build an internal team, provided they handle sensitive data responsibly.
There’s no one-size-fits-all answer
The right choice depends on your company’s size, resources, strategic priorities and long-term growth plans. Whichever path you choose, the guide’s conclusion is clear: success comes from continuous improvement, robust security and data-driven decision-making.
What’s in the full guide
- A side-by-side breakdown of the pros and cons of each approach across all six areas
- Solution highlights on encryption and tokenization, fraud detection, compliance frameworks, APIs and omnichannel support
- Gift card market statistics by region
- How Conductor, epay’s fully hosted SaaS gift card platform, removes the burden of building and maintaining your own system
- Testimonials from Sony Interactive Entertainment and a five-country retail group
Get the guide to gift card growth
Thinking about building your own gift card platform? Or wondering if outsourcing is the better bet?
Our free guide can help you make that decision with confidence.
