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Home Points vs. gift cards for employees
A variety of colorful gift cards are scattered across a wooden surface. The cards are in shades of green, blue, orange, and yellow, each with the text Gift Card written on its surface.

Points vs. gift cards for employees

The New Rules of Engagement® research shows employees who feel their organization’s incentives are exciting are eight times more likely to be inspired at work. But not all rewards drive behavior change and results.

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William Johnson , Division Vice President, Sales and Channel More about the author

Here are seven stats highlighting the differences between points versus gift cards. Gift cards are often seen as a form of cash, whereas points can be used for inspirational rewards like experiences, travel and merchandise.

Two arrows, one gold with a star and one green with a dollar sign, illustrate a statistic: Over 85% of employees saved reward points for luxury items, while 85% spent cash or gift cards on purchases under $30.
Illustration of a target with an arrow in the bullseye. Text reads: In a recent study with a telecom company, employees who received points achieved their sales goals 28% more often than employees rewarded with cash. BI WORLDWIDE Insights Lab, 2022.
A graphic showing a broken orange gift card with a bow. Text explains that gift card breakage accounted for nearly $106 million in 2017, with a note that this refers to discarded cards with small amounts left.
An infographic shows an upward arrow, a star, and a circle with text stating employees rewarded with points perceived a 52% greater incentive value per dollar spent by the company, citing Carlson School of Management.
An infographic shows a dotted line graph with increasing performance, star and dollar icons, and text: Employees earning points outperformed those earning cash by 43%, while cash earners had a 16% decrease. BI WORLDWIDE Insights Lab, 2022.

Many companies use gift cards or cash to reward their employees because they are simple, scalable and convenient. But studies show they are often lost or forgotten, and along with that, so are the achievements and behaviours they were rewarding. Consider a points and/or hedonic reward structure for your next sales team incentive or employee motivation program. Inspire your employees and deliver results.

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