BPA POS Solutions | Increase Sales with a Gift Card System for Restaurants

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Increase Sales with a Gift Card System for Restaurants

Jan 24, 2025

Restaurant gift card system featuring a person holding a vibrant red gift card with a yellow bow, symbolizing increased sales and customer loyalty.

Running a restaurant isn’t just about serving great food. It’s also about finding smart ways to increase sales and keep customers coming back. One of the best ways to do this is by using a gift card system for restaurants.

A gift card system for restaurants helps bring in new customers while encouraging repeat visits. People love giving and receiving gift cards, making them a powerful tool for boosting revenue. If you’re not offering gift cards yet, you could be missing out on a big opportunity.

Why Consider a Gift Card System for Restaurants?

Gift card programs are more than selling gift certificates. They're an opportunity to attract new customers and grow your regulars.

They're free restaurant marketing. Happy customers gift cards, introducing your restaurant to a wider audience. Consider selling gift cards for special occasions and promoting gift card sales alongside your other marketing efforts.

BPA POS infographic highlighting how gift card systems attract customers, boost sales, and integrate with POS systems.

Gift cards boost sales through increased spending. Recipients spend more than the card’s value, and it improves cash flow for supplies and other restaurant operations. Think of pre-paid meals adding to your revenue.

Restaurant gift card programs increase cash flow and repeat business. It also lessens the need for processing accept payments, making those refunds count as extra spending.

Restaurant gift card programs increase repeat business. They are also helpful with table management. A gift card program is important in modern gift cards marketing.

Modern gift card strategies include selling physical gift cards and modern gift card integration for your POS system.

Choosing the Right Gift Card System for Restaurants

After learning the benefits, choosing the right program matters. Your options range from POS integrations, physical gift cards sold from your site, to digital gift cards.

Physical Gift Cards

Physical gift cards are a traditional approach. They work well in any restaurant type, especially fine dining.

Transparent acrylic stand holding gift cards and envelopes for display.

Custom restaurant gift cards can help grow your brand recognition across multiple locations. These custom gift cards allow for seamless integration into your other restaurant promotions, particularly birthday and anniversary deals. Guests purchase physical gift cards to redeem gift cards when they dine in.

This option gives your customers the physical gift that everyone loves to get and is helpful for processing accept payments.

Digital Gift Cards

Digital gift cards are a must-have. Purchase gift digitally and send gift cards digital via text or email. Cards digital can be sent any time, adding to guest engagement.

Customers can use a virtual gift through your mobile app and redeem gift for easy ordering online. They support mobile wallets, making it easy to redeem gift cards. QR code technology offers even faster ways for guests to use gift cards and also boosts guest engagement and their overall customer experience.

Gift Card System for Restaurants: POS Integration

POS integrations and restaurant management software can be critical for your business. They streamline the gift card program, offering support resources to both staff and the restaurant owner.

Key Features of a Restaurant Gift Card System

Quality POS systems allow both online ordering and in-person card purchases. Custom denominations and balance tracking simplify processing.

Real-time sales reporting within these POS systems allows staff to track all guest purchase. These POS integrations save time for staff members who can instead spend that time building positive guest engagement.

Advanced systems offer additional marketing tools through data analysis. Customer demographics and spending habits give market segmentation insights to target customer promotions.

Quick-setup templates for various restaurant types streamline bulk sales with vendors. Gift card features often include easy-to-manage inventory management, online ordering and promotional code creation during ordering online with QR code payments.

You’ll also want robust customer support, especially when setting up the program or when ordering online. QR codes also enhance the customer experience because they’re so easy for your guests to use. They can help you manage your gift cards online, and they can also be incorporated onto your QR code menu.

Key Ways Our Gift Card System Supports Your Restaurant

At BPA POS, we have designed a gift card system that works directly with our BPA Restaurant Point of Sale (POS) software. Our solution makes it simple for restaurants to sell, redeem, and track gift cards without any complicated setup or additional fees.

1. Fully Integrated with Our POS System

We believe that managing gift cards should be effortless. That’s why we have built gift card functionality directly into our BPA POS software. With this feature, restaurant owners can:

  • Sell gift cards without needing a separate third-party system.
  • Redeem gift cards quickly at checkout.
  • Reload and reuse gift cards, encouraging customers to return.
  • Keep track of all gift card balances and transactions within the BPA POS system.

This built-in approach ensures that restaurants don’t need to pay extra for a separate gift card processor—saving money and reducing hassle.

Screenshot of BPA POS restaurant reports menu showing sales, manager, operations, product, and cash drawer reports.

2. No Additional Processing Fees

Many restaurants hesitate to offer gift cards because of the extra fees some systems charge. With our BPA Gift Card System, we do not charge transaction or processing fees for using gift cards.

  • Since our gift card program runs within our own POS software, there’s no need to involve third-party processors, which often come with additional costs.
  • Restaurants get to keep 100% of the gift card sales and redemptions—helping increase revenue without extra expenses.

This makes our solution one of the most cost-effective ways to implement a restaurant gift card program.

3. Customizable Gift Cards That Match Your Brand

Gift cards are an excellent way to promote your restaurant’s brand, and we make it easy to create a unique design that represents your business.

  • For a one-time setup fee of $50, we can customize your gift cards with your restaurant’s logo, colors, or any design you choose.
  • This gives your gift cards a professional and branded appearance, making them more appealing for customers to buy and gift to others.

Having a branded gift card helps reinforce your restaurant’s identity and ensures that customers remember your business when they see or use their gift card.

4. Standalone Gift Card Software Option

For restaurants that don’t yet use our BPA POS system, we also offer a standalone gift card software option:

  • This option allows restaurants to use BPA’s gift card system separately for just $30 per month.
  • It’s a great way for restaurants to start offering gift cards even if they aren’t yet using the full BPA POS system.

This flexibility ensures that any restaurant can take advantage of our gift card program, whether or not they use our complete POS solution.

5. Increased Revenue and Customer Loyalty

A strong gift card program can bring in new customers and increase sales. Our system helps restaurants:

  • Attract new guests — when someone receives a gift card, they often visit a restaurant they haven’t tried before.
  • Encourage repeat visits — customers with unused balances on their gift cards are more likely to return.
  • Increase overall spending — many customers spend more than the gift card’s value, leading to higher ticket sizes.
  • Benefit from unused balances — if a gift card isn’t fully redeemed, the restaurant keeps the remaining balance as additional revenue.

With BPA’s easy-to-use gift card system, restaurants can take full advantage of these benefits without extra costs or complicated processes.

Woman dining in a restaurant with a call-to-action to enhance customer loyalty using BPA POS gift cards.

FAQs about Gift Card System for Restaurants

Do gift card kiosks still exist?

Physical gift card kiosks are less common now with customer-friendly alternatives. Some still exist in grocery stores and malls, focusing on visibility and impulse purchases.

They offer various restaurant cards to a captive audience. Kiosks often partner with specific vendors and benefit from those vendor promotions.

How do gift cards work for restaurants?

Restaurant gift cards are prepaid cards with a set amount. Customers use them for meals or goods at that restaurant or its chains. The POS system tracks the purchase of the card and tracks its use, making inventory management and tableside ordering simple.

Do restaurants make money off gift cards?

Restaurants profit through breakage—the unused portion of cards. Many states have laws regarding breakage profits, often claiming them, especially on small sums. Restaurant management software, rewards programs and other support resources can greatly help reduce breakage.

Restaurants also profit from increased spending tied to POS programs and selling gift cards. Customers often spend more than the gift card’s value. Loyalty programs work together with the gift card programs to create opportunities for more sales.

Both digital and physical gift cards have increased breakage when coupled with loyalty programs and rewards programs. Gift card system features give additional profits.

How much do gift card kiosks pay?

Gift card kiosks don't usually pay directly; customers don't work there. Temporary holiday positions might exist to handle peak gift card sales, similar to increased retail staffing around special occasions. Kiosks make a profit through fees associated with sales and redemption.

Conclusion

A gift card system is a smart way to boost restaurant sales and keep customers coming back. It attracts new guests, increases spending, and improves cash flow—all while enhancing customer loyalty. If your restaurant isn’t offering gift cards yet, now is the time to start.

At BPA POS, we provide a seamless, cost-effective gift card system for restaurants that integrates with your POS. Whether you need physical or digital options, we’ve got you covered. Get started today and watch your business grow!

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