September 13, 2025

The Ultimate Guide to Corporate Gift Card Programs: Benefits, Implementation, and Best Practices

Discover the benefits and best practices for corporate gift card programs. Learn how Assembly makes gifting easy and fun.

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Corporate gift card programs have become a cornerstone of modern employee recognition, client appreciation, and incentive strategies. With flexibility, ease of use, and measurable impact, gift cards are a powerful tool for boosting morale, strengthening relationships, and driving business results. 

In this guide, we’ll explore the benefits, implementation steps, and best practices for launching a successful corporate gift card program—plus, we’ll introduce Assembly’s innovative, free-to-signup gift card platform that will transform the way companies give.

Why Corporate Gift Card Programs Matter

Gift cards offer a unique blend of personalization and convenience. Unlike traditional gifts, they empower recipients to choose what they value most, whether it’s a favorite retailer, a curated experience, or a meaningful donation. For businesses, gift cards streamline the gifting process, provide budget control, and deliver clear ROI through trackable engagement and satisfaction metrics.

Key Benefits:

  • Flexibility: Recipients select their preferred reward, increasing satisfaction.
  • Cost Control: Set budgets and track spending with ease.
  • Scalability: Suitable for small teams or global organizations.
  • Branding: Custom-branded cards reinforce your company’s identity.
  • Data & Analytics: Measure program effectiveness and optimize over time.

Assembly’s New Gift Card Program: A Game Changer

Assembly’s soon-to-launch gift card program is designed for simplicity, delight, and maximum impact. Here’s what sets it apart:

  • Free to Sign Up: Get started at no cost—Assembly’s gift card features are included in all paid plans, with the first tier free.
  • Self-Service Gifting:
    • 1:1 Gifts & Cards: Send a personalized gift or card to an individual, free of charge.
    • 1-to-Many Gifts & Cards: Send a group card that others can sign, with the gift coming from one person—also free.
  • Automated Gifting: For company-wide, automated gifting, connect with Assembly’s sales team for tailored solutions.
  • E-Cards & Kudo Boards: Create customizable e-cards or kudo boards for occasions like birthdays, retirements, or anniversaries. Recipients can receive these via email, text, or directly within the Assembly platform.
  • Gifting Categories: Choose from thank you, retirement, birthday, anniversary, congratulations, marriage, and more.
  • Gifting Ideas:
    • Send money for use across Assembly’s entire catalog.
    • Restrict funds to specific categories or curated rewards.
    • Send traditional gift cards or branded swag (additional cost).
  • Delightful Receiving Experience: Recipients enjoy animated, interactive experiences and can easily send a thank you back to the sender.

How to Implement a Corporate Gift Card Program

1. Define Your Objectives

Decide what you want to achieve—employee recognition, sales incentives, client appreciation, or all of the above. Set clear KPIs, such as engagement rates, retention, or satisfaction scores.

2. Set Your Budget

Determine how much you’ll allocate per recipient or occasion. Assembly’s platform makes it easy to control costs and track spending.

3. Choose the Right Platform

Look for a solution that offers:

  • Self-service and automation
  • Customization and branding
  • Multiple delivery options (email, text, platform)
  • Analytics and reporting
    Assembly’s free-to-signup platform checks all these boxes.

4. Customize Your Program

Select categories and occasions that matter to your team. Use Assembly’s templates or create your own for birthdays, anniversaries, thank yous, and more.

5. Communicate and Launch

Announce your program with clear instructions. Encourage participation and highlight the ease and fun of sending and receiving gifts through Assembly.

6. Track, Measure, and Improve

Use built-in analytics to monitor engagement, gather feedback, and refine your program for even greater impact.

Best Practices for Corporate Gift Card Programs

  • Personalize Every Gift: Add a thoughtful message or use Assembly’s kudo board for group celebrations.
  • Be Timely: Recognize achievements and milestones as they happen.
  • Offer Choice: Let recipients pick from a wide catalog or curated options.
  • Integrate with Workflows: Use Assembly’s platform to automate and streamline gifting.
  • Celebrate All Occasions: From birthdays to retirements, make every moment special.
  • Excite Recipients: Use animated experiences and easy thank-you options to create memorable moments.

Common Pitfalls to Avoid

  • Ignoring Preferences: Always offer choice to maximize impact.
  • Overcomplicating the Process: Use a simple, intuitive platform like Assembly.
  • Neglecting Feedback: Regularly ask for input to improve your program.
  • Missing Legal/Tax Considerations: Ensure compliance with company policies and local regulations.

Ready to Transform Your Gifting Program?

Assembly’s free, self-service gift card platform makes it easy to recognize, reward, and delight your team or clients. With flexible options, delightful experiences, and powerful analytics, you can create a culture of appreciation that drives real results.

Schedule a demo with Assembly today and see how effortless and impactful corporate gifting can be!

FAQs

What are the benefits of a corporate gift card program?

Corporate gift card programs boost employee engagement, offer flexible rewards, streamline administration, and provide measurable ROI. They also help strengthen client and partner relationships.

How do I set up a corporate gift card program?

Define your goals, set a budget, choose a platform like Assembly, customize your program, communicate with your team, and track results for continuous improvement.

Can I automate employee gifting with Assembly?

Yes! Assembly offers automated gifting solutions for companies. Contact their sales team to set up automated, company-wide gifting for birthdays, anniversaries, and more.

What types of gifts can I send with Assembly’s gift card program?

You can send money for use across a broad catalog, restrict funds to specific categories, send curated rewards, traditional gift cards, or branded swag. E-cards and kudo boards are also available.

Browse our Free Employee Recognition Guide

Get the foundational knowledge on creating an employee recognition program that boosts employee engagement and helps them feel valued.

Explore Guide

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is Assembly SOC 2 compliant?

Yes, at Assembly, security is a top priority. Each quarter, we have ongoing security work that is everyone’s responsibility. While we maintain a strong security posture, it was important for us to prove to our customers that we do everything we claim to do. This led us to pursue a SOC 2 Type II report that would provide evidence of our compliance with industry gold-standard security practice.

What's the ROI for employee recognition?

There is study after study showing that employee recognition leads to increased engagement. This in return creates an environment where employees are happier and more motivated which increase productivity and reduces voluntary turnover significantly. In order to filled critical roles, companies tend to spend nearly twice the value of an annual salary. Assembly is an investment in your employees that supports your bottom line.

Does Assembly offer longer-term contracts?

Yes, we will offer contracts for companies with longer-term agreements to help larger customers have more certainty around future costs.

The minimum agreement term is a 12-month subscription.

Does Assembly offer onboarding support?

We do and for FREE! Any new customer needing further support to get started with Assembly to ensure you're set up for success can request custom onboarding support. Improving your employee experience is about much more than just using our amazing software; it’s about transforming your business to create a workplace that people love. That’s much easier to do with the personal support and advice from our passionate people experts.

How much do rewards cost?

At the time of redemption (when your employees exchange their points for a paid reward) you'll pay face value. If a reward is a $10 Amazon gift card, your cost will be $10. All paid rewards are billed for on a monthly basis.

The good news is that you don't have to pay for rewards upfront because we only charge you when points are redeemed, not when they're earned.

Does Assembly offer discounts?

We offer discounts or educational or charitable organizations. In order to secure a discount, you'll first need to book a demo with a customer support specialist.

For all other organizations, we are willing to consider longer-term agreements in exchange for discounts. To set up annual plans or longer, you will need to book a demo with a customer support specialist.

How do I cancel my plan if needed?

If you're on a month to month plan, you can go here and cancel anytime. If you're having concerns or need help setting up your account for success, you can always book a demo with a customer support specialist.

If you're on a longer-term custom plan, you'll need to reach out to your customer support specialist to cancel your account or email us at support@joinassembly.com.

What customizations are available?

Great question! You can customize your core values to match your organization's to boost and track alignment. You can change your currency from the 🏆 emoji (our default) to any emoji of your choice. You can swap our logo for your own. You can also set up company culture rewards such as, "Lunch with the CEO," "Buy a book on us," and so much more!

Who can give or receive recognition?

While we recommend a peer to peer set up where anyone in your organization can give or receive recognition, you can set up Assembly however you want. If you need to limit the people who can give or receive recognition, that's perfectly fine and can be done from your Admin, here.

What integrations are available?

Assembly connects to the tools your employees use every day to offer an easy, seamless experience with minimal change management.  

Assembly has integrations with HCM/HRIS systems like ADP, Google, Office 365, and Slack. We also integrate with communication tools like Slack and Teams so you and your employees can access Assembly wherever they work now.

What's your average adoption rate?

That depends on the company's permissions set up. That said, over 90% of the employees on Assembly's platform are recognized on a monthly basis. That means nearly every employee across all of our customers are receiving regular recognition from their peers, managers, or leadership. We're extremely proud of this.

Must rewards be set up to use Assembly?

They are not required. You can use Assembly without having rewards set up. However, we don't recommend it if you intend to have a high adoption and usage rate. You can always keep the costs down by offering internal culture rewards that are fulfilled by you internally.

Are points required to use Assembly?

No, you can remove allowances from anyone or everyone. It's up to you but we do recommend using points whether they're worth a real dollar value or not. Companies that use points have a much higher engagement rate even if those points don't exchange for real dollars.

Could find the answer you are looking for?

Please schedule time with an expert and we will help you to get all your questions answered