From digital gift to repeat customer: the power of Gift + Wallet

In a market where capturing customer attention is harder than ever, the brands that stay visible every day are the ones that win loyalty. And there’s a formula that’s starting to change the game: combining digital gifts with Wallet passes on Apple Wallet or Google Wallet.

This duo not only improves the customer experience but also multiplies redemption rates, turning every promotion into measurable action. In this article, we’ll explain why it works, how to apply it step by step, and what benefits it brings to retail and foodservice businesses.

Why digital gifts work

Digital gifts or vouchers have become a key tool in loyalty and customer acquisition strategies. Their success comes down to three main factors: convenience, immediacy, and perceived value.

1. Convenience: customers receive their benefit directly on their phone, with no need to print or store codes.
2. Immediacy: they can use it right away or plan their visit within the next few days.
3. Perceived value: a “digital gift” creates a stronger emotional connection than a simple discount.

In addition, gifts allow for segmentation and personalization. A business can create different types of vouchers depending on the customer and the occasion:

• A welcome gift for new users.
• A birthday voucher.
• A reward after the third visit or a specific purchase amount.

All of this without operational friction and with full traceability of each redemption.

The power of Wallet: always visible, always remembered

Digital cards in Apple Wallet and Google Wallet are becoming one of the most effective tools to maintain the brand–customer relationship. Their value lies not just in technology, but in constant visibility: the card lives in the same space as payment methods, meaning customers see it every day.

Key advantages include:

• Constant visibility: the card appears alongside payment cards in the Wallet.
• Automatic notifications: allows reminders or expiry alerts.
• Frictionless experience: customers don’t need to open an app or search for an email; everything is one tap away.
• Emotional connection: having a brand “stored” on their phone creates a sense of belonging and exclusivity.

Businesses that have adopted Wallet passes report significantly higher recall and redemption rates, simply because the benefit remains visible and accessible.

Gift + Wallet: turning intention into action

Both tools work well independently, but the real impact comes when you combine them.

A customer who receives a digital gift and adds it to their Wallet doesn’t forget about it. And when a notification pops up saying, “Your coupon expires tomorrow,” right before they go shopping, that reminder turns into a visit.

The goal is not just to give benefits — it’s to make sure they’re used. That’s the difference between an expense and a measurable return.

Operational playbook: how to apply the Gift + Wallet strategy

Here’s a practical playbook to implement the Gift + Wallet combination in your business or chain:

1. Define your goal

Before launching any campaign, identify what you want to achieve:

• Attract new customers.
• Reactivate inactive ones.
• Increase visit frequency.
• Raise the average ticket size.

Each goal will determine the type of gift and its validity period.

2. Design a clear, actionable gift

A good digital gift should be simple and attractive. Some proven examples:

• “€10 gift for your next purchase.”
• “Enjoy a free drink with your special burger.”
• “Get €5 off if you return within 10 days.”

Avoid long or complicated terms simplicity drives redemption.

3. Enable Wallet saving

Include a “Save to Wallet” button directly in your email, SMS, or confirmation page. This step is critical: the fewer clicks, the higher the usage rate.

Once added, the user will see the benefit right next to their payment cards keeping your brand top of mind and the offer within reach.

4. Activate automated reminders

If the customer hasn’t redeemed the gift after a few days, trigger reminders like:

• After 3 days: “Your gift is still waiting for you — don’t miss it.”
• After 7 days: “Last chance to use your voucher at [store name].”

These gentle nudges can multiply your conversion rate.

5. Segment and measure results

After the campaign, review key insights:

• How many users added the gift to their Wallet.
• How many redeemed it.
• When redemptions peaked.

With this data, you can refine future campaigns and adapt them to real customer behavior.

Example in the food industry

Imagine a restaurant that launches a post-event campaign after participating in the Burger Showdown. They send out a “Come back with 10% off” Gift, which customers can add to their Wallet directly from an email or notification.

A few days later, the reminder pops up — and the customer returns. That second visit happens almost effortlessly, and the business can track who came back and how much they spent.

This model applies perfectly to cafés, burger joints, bakeries, or franchises, simply adjusting the incentive to each case.

Example in retail

In retail, gifts and Wallet passes are powerful tools to:

• Reward recurring customers.
• Re-engage shoppers after a quiet season.
• Encourage cross-store or cross-product purchases.

For example: A fashion store offers a €5 digital gift (saveable to Wallet) with every purchase over €30. Next time the customer opens their phone to pay, they see the pending gift and redeem it. This increases traffic and shortens the gap between purchases.

How to implement it with Promotty

At Promotty, businesses can already create personalised digital gifts that customers can receive, store, and redeem easily within the platform. In addition, we are currently working on integrating Apple Wallet and Google Wallet, which will soon allow businesses to offer an even more seamless and modern experience.

This upcoming feature reinforces one of Promotty’s main goals: turning every marketing action into measurable growth, with full traceability from delivery to redemption. The Gift + Wallet combination fits naturally into our vision: helping local businesses convert attention into retention and measurable results.

Metrics to track

To assess your Gift + Wallet strategy’s success, focus on:

• Wallet add rate (percentage of users who save the gift).
• Redemption rate.
• Average time to redemption.
• Increase in average ticket during redemption.
• Return rate within 30 days.

These KPIs form the foundation of any sustainable loyalty cycle.

From promotion to habit

Combining digital gifts with Wallet passes is one of the most effective ways to close the gap between “intention” and “action.” It allows the customer to receive, remember, and use their reward effortlessly.

Above all, it transforms the traditional logic of discounts it’s not about giving more, but about creating visible, personalised, and measurable value experiences.

At Promotty, we continue developing tools to make this possible for retail and foodservice businesses, helping them turn attention into recurrence and promotions into measurable growth.

Want to explore more strategies like this? Read next: From event to loyal customers in 30 days.