From street-side shops to shopping apps, Indian consumers are everywhere and so are their expectations. They want flexibility. They want speed. And when it comes to gift cards? They want to use them wherever, whenever, and however they like.

That’s where omnichannel gift card strategies come in and if you’re not already thinking this way, it’s time to catch up.

At Razorpay, we’ve seen first-hand how Indian businesses are turning gift cards from a passive product into a powerful customer experience lever. And here’s how you can do the same. 

The Shift: Digital First, but Not Digital Only

The Indian gift card market is going through a massive evolution. Digital gift cards are on the rise giving customers a seamless, connected experience across all the places they shop.

The brands getting it right are seeing:

And it’s no coincidence, they’re building smarter, omnichannel systems behind the scenes.

What Powers a Great Omnichannel Gift Card Experience?

Delivering a truly frictionless experience isn’t just about slapping a code on a card and calling it digital. It’s about stitching together every part of the customer journey from discovery to redemption across every touchpoint.

Here’s what that takes:

1. Unified Payments Infrastructure

Your gift cards should work the same across your POS system, website, app, basically anywhere your customer shops.

2. Real-Time Sync

Balance checked on the app? It should reflect in-store instantly. No delays. No mismatches.

3. Secure Transactions

AI-driven fraud detection to ensure every redemption is safe, across every channel.

4. Flexible Redemption Rules

Want to set custom rules by location, product type, or time? A good platform lets you do just that.

Razorpay Engage Gift Cards are built to support all of the above, fully integrated into your existing stack, fully secure, and future-ready.

Stay Compliant, Stay Ahead

Any gift card strategy in India also has to play by RBI’s rules for Prepaid Payment Instruments (PPIs). That means:

  • Minimum 1-year validity
  • Escrow accounts for issued funds
  • KYC checks for higher-value redemptions
  • No cash withdrawals

Razorpay Engage is built ground-up to ensure every compliance box is checked—so you focus on growth, not paperwork.

What Does Omnichannel Success Look Like?

It’s more than just higher redemptions. The real markers of success include:

  • Channel Crossover Rate: Are your customers shopping online and redeeming offline (or vice versa)?
  • Time to Redemption: How fast are gift cards being used across different channels?
  • Average Order Value: Are gift card users spending more?
  • Customer Satisfaction Scores: What do people really think about your gift card experience?

Closed-Loop or Semi Closed-Loop: What’s Right for You?

For most Indian brands, closed-loop gift cards—usable only with your brand and your checkout —deliver stronger business impact. They:

  • Drive direct sales
  • Create upsell opportunities
  • Build brand stickiness

Semi closed-loop systems (usable across selected retailers) offer more flexibility, but come with more regulations.

The Bottom Line 

Gift cards aren’t just a product. They’re a channel, a marketing tool, and a growth engine, if you build them right.

If you’re ready to offer customers a seamless, modern gift card experience—across app, web, and store, Razorpay Engage has everything you need.

Let’s make gifting work smarter for your business.

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