Gift cards let your fans buy your event as a present for friends and family. You get money in early, your participants become your promoters, and new people discover your event through someone who already loves it.
What are Eventrac gift cards?
Eventrac gift cards are digital gift cards with your own branding. They work just like any gift card you'd buy in a shop:
Someone buys a gift card from your online shop.
The recipient is sent their gift card automatically by email.
They use it to pay when they enter your event, and keep any remaining balance for next time.
You choose the value, the design and which races it can be used for.
Why offer gift cards?
Reach new participants through people who love your event
Every gift card is a personal recommendation. When someone gives your event as a present, they're telling a friend "I think you'd love this". That's more powerful than any advert, and it brings in people who might never have found you otherwise.
Get money in early
Gift cards are paid for before they're used, often months before your event. That gives you income during quieter times of year, when you may have upfront costs to cover.
Sell in your quiet season
Christmas, birthdays, Valentine's Day, Mother's Day and Father's Day are all times when people look for gift ideas. Gift cards let you make sales at times of year when entries might otherwise be slow.
Encourage repeat entries
If the gift card covers more than one entry, or there's money left over, the recipient keeps the remaining balance for next time. That's a built-in reason to come back.
Identify your biggest fans
People who buy gift cards for your event are your most loyal supporters. Knowing who they are helps you thank them and invite them to help spread the word, for example through your ambassador or referral scheme.
Solve the "hard to buy for" problem
For your participants, a gift card is an easy, thoughtful present for the runner, rider or swimmer in their life, and a memorable experience rather than another thing to put in a drawer.
How to set up gift cards
Setting up gift cards takes a few minutes.
Create an online shop if you don't have one already. This is where people will buy your gift cards. See the shop guides in Promotional Tools.
Create your gift card in Promotions > Gift Cards. Choose its value and which races it can be used for.
Add a cover image. This is what people see when browsing your shop. Seasonal images, such as a festive design at Christmas, make your gift cards more appealing.
Add it to your shop so people can buy it.
For full step-by-step instructions, see Gift Cards.
More ways to use gift cards
Gift cards aren't just for selling. You can also send them directly to people, with an optional personal message, an expiry date and a date to send it:
Prizes for competitions, raffles or age-category winners
Thank-yous for volunteers, marshals and pacers
Rewards for ambassadors or people who refer friends
Goodwill gestures if something goes wrong, such as a postponed event
Sponsor giveaways for your partners to share with their customers
Need lots at once? You can generate a batch of gift cards of the same value in one go.
Keep track of sales
The Sold Gift Cards tab shows every gift card sold. You can search by code or name, filter by purchase date and export the list for your records.
How to sell more gift cards
Gift cards sell best when people know they exist and are reminded at the right moments.
Plan around gift-giving moments
Christmas: the biggest gift-buying season of the year. Start promoting in November.
Valentine's Day: perfect for couples who train together.
Mother's Day and Father's Day: a great idea for active parents.
Birthdays: promote gift cards all year round as a birthday present idea.
Spread the word
Email your past participants. They're the people most likely to buy. Use Eventrac's email marketing to send a seasonal gift card campaign. See Turbo Charge Your Marketing Lists.
Post on social media. Share eye-catching images in the weeks before each gift-giving moment.
Mention them on your event page and in your emails. A short line such as "Know someone who'd love this? Give them a gift card" works well in your confirmation email and newsletters.
Tell people on event day. Finishers are at their happiest. Mention gift cards at the finish, in your results email and on your social posts after the event.
Tip: keep your message simple. "Give the gift of a finish line" says it all.
Common questions about gift cards
Which races can a gift card be used for?
You decide. When you create a gift card, you choose which races it can be redeemed against.
What happens if the gift card is worth more than the entry?
The recipient keeps the remaining balance and can use it on a future entry or purchase.
Do gift cards expire?
You can set an expiry date when you issue or generate gift cards. Make sure any expiry date is clear to buyers.
How does the recipient get their gift card?
It's sent to them automatically by email. When you issue a gift card yourself, you can also add a personal message and choose the date it's sent, which is perfect for birthdays or Christmas morning.
In summary
Gift cards turn your happiest participants into promoters, bring in money early and help you make sales all year round. They take minutes to set up, and every one you sell puts your event in front of someone new.
Ready to start? Go to Promotions > Gift Cards.