RGCA Minneapolis 2025 Forum - Digital Adoption Trends

At the recent RGCA Forum in Minneapolis, Two Igloos’ 2025 industry research identified Digital Adoption & Access as the #1 trend shaping the gift card market.  Nearly 45% of U.S. consumers now store gift cards in their mobile wallets, signaling a fundamental shift in how customers expect to receive, manage, and redeem value.   

And the data goes deeper. When asked what digital features would make them more likely to purchase or use gift cards:

1. 48% said easy balance tracking 

2. 32% said ability to add to a mobile wallet

3. 27% said reminders for unused balances

4. 23% said ability to send via text or email

Together, these insights point to a major behavioral shift. Gift cards are no longer static payment tools, they’ve become living marketing channels that can carry offers, reminders, and brand updates directly to consumers’ phones.

For decades, gift cards were treated as the end of the transaction, a closed loop that started and ended at the register. Today, mobile wallets are changing that. When a gift card lives in a digital wallet, it becomes dynamic: its balance can update automatically, its design can refresh with seasonal messaging, and it can even deliver offers in real time.

This means marketers can now think of the gift card as a digital touchpoint, one that persists long after purchase and redemption. Instead of competing for inbox space or social-media attention, brands can communicate directly within the wallet and through mobile push notifications, where intent and attention are naturally higher.