“I’m thrilled about leaving my credit card with a stranger” said nobody, ever. But, I do want to buy my parents dinner on their anniversary. Until recently, restaurants did not have a good tool to accomplish this gifting option other than writing credit card details on a yellow sticky and placing it in an obvious and vulnerable place so that it is not overlooked.
GiftRocker’s unique “Buy Someone Dinner” service is a better solution. With this offering, GiftRocker preauthorizes a charge for the purchaser for up to a set amount plus tax and tip. The preauthorized charge is “captured” (a credit card term) following dinner. The purchaser receives a receipt and the recipient does not see a bill. Unlike traditional gift cards, if the gift is not used, the preauthorized charge rolls off the purchaser’s credit card account. Also, the purchaser does not have to worry about a gift card denomination. With this offering, the preauthorized gift captures an exact amount. There is no shortage or leftover balance. Lastly, the purchaser doesn’t have to worry about a recipient taking advantage. This offering only allows the restaurant to charge up to a designated amount.
From a performance perspective, restaurants using this offering have experienced revenue that exceeds gift card revenue. For one popular Manhattan restaurant, preauthorized gift card averages exceeded an already high gift card average by 240%. The secret seems to be that this offering allows gifting a complete meal without risk. Customers are happy to spend knowing that they are not throwing money away for unused gift cards or leftover value.
To see this in action, check out these incredible restaurants: The Red Hen (DC), Batard (NYC), Tribeca Grill (NYC), Liholiho Yacht Club (San Francisco) and Table 128 (Clive, Iowa).
About GiftRocker
GiftRocker provides gifting and marketing tools to extraordinary shopkeepers. With the GiftRocker service, restaurants and businesses can sell gift cards, events, experiences or just about anything from their website, on Facebook or from their iPhone.