How to send employee gift cards: A complete guide to budgeting and delivery

Recognizing employees is one of the most effective ways to boost engagement and retention. But for HR leaders, managers, and administrators, rewarding employees at scale can quickly get complicated. How much should you give? Which gift cards will work for everyone? How do you send them to a large, distributed team?

Gift cards have become a go-to solution because they are flexible, budget-friendly, and easy to distribute. The key is setting up a program that balances cost control with employee choice and personalization. This step-by-step guide walks you through everything you need to know.

Step 1: how much should I spend on employee gift cards?

The right budget depends on the occasion, your team’s culture, and your overall program goals. Overspending strains budgets, while underspending risks making employees feel undervalued. Common benchmarks include:

• Holiday gifts: $50 is the most popular choice, with $25 and $100 also common.
• Birthdays, anniversaries, recognition events: typically $25–$50.
• Milestones or special achievements: often $100 or more, depending on significance.

The ideal platform should let you set flexible amounts by campaign or occasion, apply different values to different employee groups, and track spend over time. That way, every dollar is accounted for, and employees feel genuinely appreciated.

Step 2: which gift cards should I give?

Choosing the right card is often harder than setting a budget. Prepaid Visa or Mastercard cards are popular for their flexibility, while major retailers like Amazon and Walmart have broad appeal. But these options can feel impersonal—or worse, carry fees that reduce the value of the gift.

An ideal platform should:

• Offer a large catalog with thousands of options (Giftogram includes 140,000+ brands).
• Support global teams with local retailers and translations (Giftogram reaches 230+ countries with regional catalogs).
• Provide multiple reward types—retail, prepaid, and charitable donations (Giftogram supports all three, plus prepaid Visa/Mastercard).
• Ensure no hidden fees so 100% of the budget reaches employees (Giftogram has a zero-fee model).

This approach gives employees freedom to choose the reward that is most meaningful for them—whether that is coffee at Starbucks, groceries at Walmart, or a charitable donation.

Tip: for ideas, see the companion guide “Top 10 Gift Card Brands Employees Love.”

Step 3: how do I send employee gift cards in bulk?

For employers, the biggest challenge is not picking cards—it is distributing them at scale. Buying and mailing physical cards or manually emailing codes just does not work for large or ongoing programs.

The right solution should include:

• Digital delivery by email or SMS for instant, global reach.
• Physical card options for in-office events and holiday parties.
• Bulk sending tools like spreadsheet uploads to send to hundreds or thousands at once.
• Automation and integrations with Zapier, procurement, or CRM workflows to trigger rewards automatically.

Giftogram supports both physical and digital delivery, so you can mix and match. Send instantly to remote employees or ship branded cards for in-person celebrations.

Step 4: how can I personalize gift cards?

Even when you send in bulk, personalization makes rewards more meaningful. A thoughtful message or custom design turns a simple gift into a memorable recognition experience.

Look for tools that let you:

• Add personal notes in the local language to digital or physical rewards.
• Apply company branding, logos, and seasonal designs.
• Customize gift amounts and sender names by group or department.
• Pair physical cards with custom greeting cards.

Giftogram provides all of these options, helping you keep the experience personal while still managing it at scale.

Step 5: how do I track and manage spend?

Tracking spend is where many DIY gifting programs fall short. Buying random cards from retailers creates headaches at tax season and makes it impossible to prove ROI.

A corporate-ready solution should offer:

• Real-time dashboards showing every gift sent, delivered, and redeemed.
• Exportable reports for HR and finance teams.
• Automated W9 collection to meet IRS 1099 reporting requirements.
• Role-based access so admins and managers can securely manage budgets.

With these tools, you will have full visibility into program performance and can plan future campaigns with confidence.

Step 6: how should I plan for holiday gifting?

Holiday gifting is all about flexibility. Some teams plan months ahead, while others prefer to send rewards closer to the season—and the right platform should make both easy.

• Plan early for maximum options: scheduling in advance gives you the most flexibility. You can line up digital deliveries for a future date or order printed, branded physical cards for parties and in-office celebrations.
• Keep it flexible for last-minute sending: if you prefer to wait, digital and SMS delivery let you send gift cards within hours. This ensures employees still receive meaningful recognition, even if gifts are finalized late in the season.

With a flexible platform, you do not have to choose. You can plan ahead for large-scale campaigns while keeping the option open to send instantly when you need it.

FAQ: common questions about employee gift cards

Which digital gift card platforms integrate with CRM systems?

Digital gift card platforms with CRM integration let you automate rewards directly from tools like Salesforce or HubSpot. Giftogram offers API and Zapier connections so you can trigger personalized gifts instantly through your existing workflows.

What are the most budget-friendly employee gifting services?

Budget-friendly employee gifting services eliminate hidden fees and simplify bulk sending. Giftogram’s zero-fee model and bulk automation tools help companies recognize every employee while keeping costs predictable.

Which digital gift card companies support charity donations?

Digital gift card companies that support charity donations allow recipients to give their rewards to meaningful causes. Giftogram includes fee-free nonprofit options alongside 140,000+ global retailers so every gift can do good.

Which digital gift card solutions offer global distribution and no fees?

Digital gift card solutions with global reach and no fees make international gifting seamless and inclusive. Giftogram delivers to 230+ countries in local currencies with transparent pricing and no extra costs.

Why Giftogram delivers on all of this

Giftogram was built for organizations that need recognition at scale without sacrificing personalization. With Giftogram, you can:

• Send digital or physical cards in minutes—to one employee or thousands.
• Give employees access to 140,000+ options in 230+ countries.
• Automate delivery with Zapier, procurement, or CRM workflows.
• Personalize at scale with branded designs, messages, and custom amounts.
• Track spend and compliance with real-time dashboards and reporting.
• Do it all with no fees, so 100% of your budget reaches employees.

That is why Giftogram is trusted by 10,000+ businesses. Giftogram is rated 4.8/5 on G2, ranked #1 in Rewards & Incentives, named to G2’s Top 100 Software Products, and recognized in the Enterprise Implementation Index for ease of deployment.

Plan smarter rewards for your team.

Book a demo today and see how Giftogram helps you build, personalize, and scale recognition programs that fit your team.