Miconex rolls out digital gift cards across UK

Miconex is rolling out its digital gift card technology to 16 towns and cities across the UK.

Sunderland, Watford, Gloucester, Malmesbury, Perth, Scarborough, Wimbledon, Ipswich, Swansea, Worthing, Arran, Glasgow, Aberdeen, Bradford, Edinburgh, and Colchester are the first places to introduce the place based digital e-card gifting solution.

The tech allows the towns and cities to have their own digital gift card, which works though the Mastercard network, digital wallet services such as Apple Pay and Google Pay, and a new Love Local app.

Wimbledon has launched its new digital and physical gift card- the first Town & City Gift Card programme in a London town, and the first in south west London: https://t.co/sXTjwCjoIF @wimbledonnews @lovewimbledon
— Miconex (@micnx) December 13, 2021

Miconex, which operates over 70 Town & City Gift Card programmes in the UK and Ireland, Scottish government backed Scotland Loves Local Gift Cards, and Downtown Gift Card programmes in North America, has worked alongside EML Payments on the introduction of the PayTech for the UK and Ireland.

Colin Munro, MD at Miconex, says: “The pandemic has exacerbated the challenges faced by our towns and cities.”

“A High Streets Taskforce report for 2020/21 found that 10 million fewer people visited each of England’s regional cities on average during the pandemic. Encouraging consumers back to the high street, and making the high street attractive to consumers of all ages is a key focus for places.”

He adds: “The statistics are clear. By 2022, mobile payments will eclipse both cash and credit card as the preferred way to pay.”

“By 2023, 12 million people in the UK will pull out their phone to make payments. And it is younger people who are leading this drive, with 48% of 18-34 year olds using digital wallets.”

“Interestingly, the GCVA also found that it was the younger cohort, 25-44 year olds, who were most likely to view gift cards as a mutually beneficial means of funding local establishments. Towns and cities want smart solutions to future proofing their high streets, and that’s what digital gift cards offer.”

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