With TV and radio advertising rates sky high and Internet advertising reaching only a percentage of customers, companies are turning to more focused and targeted marketing programs. Gift cards can be an inexpensive way to generate guaranteed sales, increase foot traffic, and raise brand awareness.

For about one dollar per card, you can set up a gift card system to handle gift certificates, loyalty programs, and even credit for merchandise returns. Customers can determine how much the gift cards are worth and can recharge it when needed. And since most gift cards are shaped like credit cards and feature your company logo, they fit easily in customers' wallets or purses, which keeps your company's name fresh in their minds.

Gift cards are becoming a significant part of some businesses' bottom lines, particularly during the holiday season when millions of consumers buy some form of gift card. These days, it's hard to find any consumer-focused industry that doesn't offer gift cards. They've become a staple for coffeehouses, retail outlets, auto body shops, and hardware stores as gift card system vendors try to grab a piece of this $45 billion a year industry.

This BuyerZone Gift Cards Buyer’s Guide will walk you through the types of gift cards you can offer, the pros and cons to offering gift card systems, and the pricing involved in getting started.