Gift Subscriptions
Delight customers and gain new subscribers
A Powerful Customer Acquisition Strategy
Gift subscriptions harness the enthusiasm of your best, most loyal customers and lower your customer acquisition costs. Gift subscriptions, like refer-a-friend programs, have an inherent ‘social proof’ that recipients appreciate.
Recurly offers two different gift types: cards and plans, which can be created and managed via Recurly’s direct interface (the UI) or our API. Both options are suited to B2C companies and provide a satisfying user experience for the giver and receiver, further supporting customer acquisition goals.
How Recurly Gift Cards Work
Recurly gift cards are ideal for B2C merchants who sell digital goods and have a number of different plans, necessitating flexibility for the receiver in choosing their gift. Gift cards provide this flexibility along with other benefits.
The subscription business sets up their gift program using Recurly
- Configure any number of pre-set gift card values in available currencies
- Upload an image of the card for use on checkout pages and recipient emails
- Choose whether to require a credit card from recipient upon redemption
- Provide in-store physical cards that can be redeemed online through integrating with providers such as InComm
Subscribers and nonsubscribers alike can purchase gift cards
- Givers choose what denomination card to purchase
- At checkout, they schedule when the gift should be sent and can write a custom message for the recipient
- The gift giver can decide to send a physical card (if offered) or can transmit a digital version (via email)
The gift recipient receives the gift card
- The subscription starts when the recipient redeems the gift card by subscribing to their preferred plan
- Automated emails to the recipient remind them to redeem their gift
- If the card is lost or stolen, a new card can be easily generated and resent
The recipient enjoys their subscription and becomes a paying subscriber
- Prior to the gift subscription ending, automated emails encourage the recipient to enter their payment information to continue the subscription
- Due to their implied “recommendation,” gift certificates often convert customers at a lower cost than other channels
- If the recipient becomes a paying subscriber, they too may give gift subscriptions, bringing in even more new subscribers!
How Recurly Gift Cards Work
Recurly gift cards are ideal for B2C merchants who sell digital goods and have a number of different plans, necessitating flexibility for the receiver in choosing their gift. Gift cards provide this flexibility along with other benefits.
The subscription business sets up their gift program using Recurly
- Configure any number of pre-set gift card values in available currencies
- Upload an image of the card for use on checkout pages and recipient emails
- Choose whether to require a credit card from recipient upon redemption
- Provide in-store physical cards that can be redeemed online through integrating with providers such as InComm
Subscribers and nonsubscribers alike can purchase gift cards
- Givers choose what denomination card to purchase
- At checkout, they schedule when the gift should be sent and can write a custom message for the recipient
- The gift giver can decide to send a physical card (if offered) or can transmit a digital version (via email)
The gift recipient receives the gift card
- The subscription starts when the recipient redeems the gift card by subscribing to their preferred plan
- Automated emails to the recipient remind them to redeem their gift
- If the card is lost or stolen, a new card can be easily generated and resent
The recipient enjoys their subscription and becomes a paying subscriber
- Prior to the gift subscription ending, automated emails encourage the recipient to enter their payment information to continue the subscription
- Due to their implied “recommendation,” gift certificates often convert customers at a lower cost than other channels
- If the recipient becomes a paying subscriber, they too may give gift subscriptions, bringing in even more new subscribers!
How Recurly Gift Plans Work
Recurly also offers gift plans which, similar to gift cards, leverage a subscription business’ ‘raving fans’ and help it to acquire new subscribers at a lower acquisition cost. Gift plans are suited to businesses that ship physical goods because the plan starts upon purchase, so shipping can be immediate rather than waiting for the recipient to redeem a gift card. Gift plans are also suited to businesses which have only a small number of plans, so they don’t need the flexible purchasing options provided by gift cards.
The gift giver purchases the subscription plan they want to give and decides whether it will be recurring or not
The recipient can enjoy their gift without the need to provide any payment or delivery information
Multiple addresses (for multiple gift recipients) can be associated to a single account—such as the gift giver’s
Subscription success starts with Recurly
