How to send gift cards to employees
Gift cards are one of the ways companies can fund employee merchandise orders inside Launch by Lead Apparel.
Although many companies now prefer Launch codes for ongoing employee merchandise programs, gift cards are still useful for certain employee gifting scenarios and milestone-based rewards.
Gift cards allow companies to purchase a prepaid balance upfront and distribute that balance directly to employees for use inside their company store.
How gift cards work
Gift cards function like a prepaid store balance.
The company purchases a fixed dollar amount, and employees redeem that balance over time until the gift card is exhausted or expires.
Unlike Launch codes, the company is charged for the full gift card amount immediately regardless of how much is ultimately used.
Gift cards can still work well for:
- Employee rewards
- Holiday gifting
- Anniversary programs
- One-time employee incentives
- Promotional campaigns
Some companies also prefer gift cards because they are familiar with traditional employee gifting workflows.
Sending gift cards to employees
Gift cards can be created and distributed directly through the Launch dashboard either individually or in bulk depending on the company’s gifting workflow.
Admins can:
- Select the gift card amount
- Choose the employee recipients
- Set expiration dates
- Send the gift cards by email
Employees can then redeem their gift card balance directly at checkout when placing an order through the company store.
If the employee’s order total exceeds the gift card balance, they can pay the remaining amount using a credit card or PayPal.
Gift card expiration settings
Gift cards can include optional expiration dates depending on how the company wants to structure the program.
Expiration dates are commonly used for:
- Holiday gifting campaigns
- Limited-time employee programs
- Anniversary rewards
- Seasonal merchandise launches
Launch also supports employee anniversary workflows for gift cards when employee start dates are available inside the system.
This allows companies to automate milestone-based employee gifting programs more easily over time.
Sending gift cards by email
Gift cards can be delivered directly to employees by email through the Launch platform.
The employee receives:
- Their gift card information
- A link to the company store
- Instructions for placing their order
Unlike Launch codes, gift cards are not tied to automated employee segmentation or recurring reminder workflows.
Gift cards are generally used for simpler employee gifting programs where companies want to distribute a prepaid store balance directly to specific recipients.
Gift cards vs Launch codes
Many companies today prefer Launch codes because they provide:
- More budgeting flexibility
- Better employee segmentation
- Reduced unused spend
- More scalable long-term program management
However, gift cards can still be a useful option for simpler employee gifting programs or milestone-based rewards.
The best option depends on how the company plans to structure its employee merchandise program.
Best practices
- Use expiration dates for seasonal employee gifting programs
- Keep employee lists updated for accurate gift card distribution
- Include premium products to improve employee participation
- Use gift cards for simple one-time gifting scenarios