Book Sense Electronic Gift Card Program Launches

On August 13, ABA announced that an agreement and order forms to sign up for the Book Sense Electronic Gift Card Program are now available online, at www.BookWeb.org/read/6372. Booksellers participating in the Book Sense marketing program are encouraged to sign the agreement and to order gift cards immediately to have them available for sale by October 1.

The Book Sense generic designs are currently in production and have an expected ship date during the week of September 15th. Also, booksellers that desire a logo added to a generic card should add another 15 working days for delivery from the mid-September date. Those who wish to create a custom card should plan on a minimum of eight weeks once a design has been approved -- which means to have a custom design in place by Thanksgiving, card production would have to start no later than September 5. It is suggest that stores that wish to imprint their logo or create custom cards purchase a minimum order of generic cards to merchandise around the bookstore and to use as back up while waiting for the imprinted or custom cards.

Booksellers attending the fall regional trade shows will be able to experience a hands-on demonstration of the electronic national Book Sense Gift Card program at the ABA/Book Sense booth on the trade show floors.

The innovative Book Sense Gift Card program provides booksellers with a number of choices regarding card designs and processing options. ABA has partnered with Givex, one of the fastest-growing transaction processors, whose sophisticated service allows for a customized solution for the more than 1,200 bookstores participating in Book Sense. In addition to being able to sell and redeem Book Sense gift cards in their bookstores, members participating in BookSense.com will now have the ability to sell and redeem gift cards online.

Current retail statistics show that more than 70 percent of all gift certificate sales are in an electronic format (gift cards or e-gift certificates), and many booksellers are convinced that the question is not if they will sell gift cards, but when.

For more information about Givex and to view gift card designs, click here.

Questions may also be addressed to ABA Marketing Director Jill Perlstein at (800) 637-0037 or (914) 591-2665, ext. 1283 or via e-mail at [email protected].