Gift Cards

The most recent IndieCommunication invited booksellers to sign up for the IndieCommerce Institute, to learn about how to offer and accept gift cards, and more.

ABA member bookstores can once again purchase the popular Mary Engelbreit gift certificates, which bear the tagline “A Book Is a Present You Can Open Again and Again.”

Preparing for the holiday season? Don’t forget to stock up on Mary Engelbreit’s “A Book Is a Present You Can Open Again and Again” paper gift certificates and IndieBound bags.

Recent IndieCommerce improvements allow smartphone users who visit a bookstore’s website to see a special, mobile-optimized version of each page.  Customers can also now purchase Google eBooks™ using Givex gift cards.

Cynthia Compton of 4 Kids Books & Toys in Indianapolis and Fishers, Indiana, uses the lion’s share of her advertising budget to give away $5 gift cards. And she can rattle off half a dozen reasons why it’s a good idea.

Smaller quantities of gift cards and holders are now available to booksellers through giveXpress.

As you ready for the holidays, don’t forget to stock up on Mary Engelbreit's "A Book Is a Present You Can Open Again and Again" paper gift certificates.

The American Booksellers Foundation for Free Expression this week thanked 74 bookstores that raised almost $48,000 to support its work by selling Freadom gift cards over the past four years.

When Robert Sindelar of Third Place Books tried to buy gift cards via the websites of several major indie bookstores in another city, he was very surprised by what he found.

There are a small number of consumers who have valid ABA gift cards sold by stores that have closed or that were a gift from someone in another state. It's important for ABA members to know how to respond to customers in either of these cases.

The transition of the ABA Gift Card Program from a national program to an in-store program, which began in September 2009, will become final on June 1.

The National Retail Federation lists gift cards as the most requested holiday item, and they remain a popular choice year round. With their consumer appeal, and ability to draw new customers who are likely to spend more than the face value, gift cards' only drawback is their size.

To help booksellers increase the visibility of gift cards, here's a shortlist of alternative sources for packaging and holders:

To help answer booksellers' questions and concerns about the phase out of the ABA Gift Card Program to individual store programs, the American Booksellers Association has created an extensive FAQ, which will be revised and expanded as more details become available.

Booksellers to Have More Cost-Effective Options Moving Forward