In March 2025, Caleb Sangwin joined Miconex as Customer Experience and Business Development Executive. With a background in finance and strong...
Jennings O’Donovan used the tech to reward their 90+ staff members with a digital local gift card for Christmas 2024. The firm say the tech reduced...
Available as either a physical gift card or an e-card, the Newark and Sherwood Gift Card is a local option for gifts, employee rewards and tourism.
Mullingar Chamber’s paper gift vouchers will be upgraded to the Mullingar Gift Card in the spring, enhancing the ease of use and boosting ‘shop...
Sligo BID’s Love Sligo Gift Card has hit a milestone of €1 million in sales in one year, with around 70% of sales to organisations. Sligo consumer...
ShopLK, Letterkenny’s shop local initiative, has attained a record breaking year of sales, the 20th consecutive year of growth for the programme.
6 Irish towns and cities introduced their own high tech local gift card in 2024 to encourage local shopping. Sales topped €10.5 million in 2024...
£15.9 million of local Gift Cards were purchased in 2024. An estimated 480,000 specific trips will be made into shopping districts to spend the...
Cavan Chamber of Commerce and Cavan County Council have partnered on a new gift card for Cavan Town which can be spent with all types and sizes of...
The new commission-free Tipperary Gift Card will launch pre-Christmas, offering an inclusive approach to driving footfall and spend in the county....
The Donegal Town Business Focus Group say their new gift card is vital to stop money earmarked for Donegal leaving the town. Merchants in the town...
County Wexford Chamber’s paper Shop Local Vouchers will be upgraded to a County Wexford Shop Local Gift Card ahead of the Christmas season, making it...
The Kilkenny Gift Card will replace the paper vouchers that have generated over €1.3 million since launch. Leaders say the new gift card will...
A shop local initiative is one of the actions set out in the More Prosperous pillar of the Mayoral Programme. Customer facing businesses in Limerick...
Corporate social responsibility, aligning with organisational purpose and support for local are key considerations in R&I efforts. 89% said support...
Winter is the least motivating time for employees. 56% of employees showed a preference for unexpected rewards and 97% would feel more motivated if...
The new technology aligns to key industry trends including the move to digital gift cards, increased focus on CSR by organisations, and changes in...
Malmaison is powering the city with an exciting new Eat, Sleep, Love Local package and staff rewards.
Miconex's end of term client campaign picks up Best Creative Marketing Campaign at GCVA awards
The Hereford Gift Card has joined a range of national gift cards on allpay’s reward and recognition platform.
The introduction of the digital ShopLK Gift Card in Letterkenny marks 20 years since the launch of the program and over €22.7million cards/vouchers...
The Stoke-on-Trent City Centre Gift Card is set to launch in the city in August as both a digital and physical card.
The Think Waterford First Gift Card is a local Gift Card that has to be spent in the city. Over 130 businesses across a range of sectors accept the...
Miconex picked up the PayTech: A Force For Good award at the June 2024 PayTech Awards in London, we look at the award winning projects that make...
Miconex has launched its statement of intent to be net-zero on emissions by 2045.
We look at why major Leicester employer, McDonald’s, switched to the city's gift card to support local.
With 1200 local businesses and over £9 million in spend, we look at the trailblazing Glasgow Gift Card, the story so far and what's next.
Global gift card operator Miconex is partnering with group collecting platform GiftRound in a move that is set to drive an estimated £1 million...
Regina Downtown Business Improvement District’s (RDBID) launched their Regina Downtown Gift Card in November 2023 as part of ongoing efforts to...
Kelly Swinney is Head of Customer Hub at Ocado Retail and told us more about how they use the Sunderland Gift Card.
Delivered by fintech Miconex in association with loyalty firm Stampfeet, Mi Rewards first launched in 2018 with over £2.5 million spent locally...
Selkirk Biz updated to a modern Gift Card with Miconex January 13th, 2022. Over $595,000 Selkirk Biz Buck$ were sold in 2023
In March 2024, Miconex welcomed Mark Cunningham to the Miconex team as Business Development Manager, Ireland.
Introduced by Sligo BID in 2022, the Love Sligo Gift Card achieved €500,000 in sales in 5 months. Mark Cunningham is the Love Sligo Programme...
The Love Sligo Gift Card, introduced by Sligo BID, has reached half a million in sales. Local community platform Sligo LEADER Partnership part funded...
Retail, hospitality and arts/culture are all benefiting from local gift cards across both independent and national businesses
The Watford Gift Card has reached a key milestone for its program, benefiting local businesses and the local eocnomy
The media group behind a Hertfordshire awards ceremony is encouraging organisations to look local for rewards, incentives and prizes
We looked back at the big trends of 2023, with a sneak peek of what to look out for in 2024.
Meet Tony Fasson, Non-Executive Director for Miconex
Following the $400,000 success of the Downtown Dollars Gift Card, Downtown London BIA introduced a promotional version of their Gift Card in 2023.
Miconex are collaborating with Swedish firm CBScity in a unique alliance that will enhance the accessibility of local gift cards
How places around the world are using local gift cards to drive tourism recovery
In August, Davin Doherty joins the Miconex team. Entrepreneur Davin is one of the founding members of the Carndonagh Traders’ Association and was...
From award winning clients to a thought provoking workshop, meeting friends old and new to contributing to the discussion around Reactivation and...
With mobile payments via digital wallets becoming ubiquitous in the UK, a new Gift Card has come into play, one that offers exciting personalisation...
Trailblazing Perth Gift Card reaches £500,000 milestone.
City businesses reap the rewards of York Gift Card. The York Gift card has reached the milestone of £200,000 of Gift Cards sold, with City...
A new Gift Card is on its way for Argyle as part of efforts to keep dollars local. The Argyle Currency Gift Card is a physical Gift Card that can be...
The Love Cambridge Gift Card launched in 2018 and can be spent in over 170 businesses in the city. In 2023, Cambridge BID is collaborating with Pay...
Over 130 businesses are part of the Wight Gift Card, including W. Hurst & Son, voted Town & City Gift Cards UK’s Favourite Local Business 2022. The...
In February 2023, Samantha Scott joined Miconex. With skills spanning finance, sales, marketing and account management, Samantha is looking forward...
Leigh Brown is the Chief Operating Officer at Miconex. With a career spanning retail, higher education and place management, Leigh told us more about...
People can now give the gift of a night out in Canterbury with the launch of the new Night Out Gift Card. Canterbury has recently been awarded the...
Over 75 businesses are part of the Our Bury St Edmunds Gift Card, which launched in the town in October 2020 and reached a milestone £100,000 sales...
Joining Miconex in February 2023 is Karen Nearing. A customer service pro, experienced retail manager and keen baker, Karen told us more about how...
The Watford Gift Card launched in 2020. Over 150 businesses are part of the Watford Gift Card. Glen Hempenstall is Marketing and Communications...
Over 150 businesses are part of the Love Bristol Gift Card, which launched in the city in 2022. Steve Bluff is the Head of Redcliffe and Temple BID...
In January 2022, David O’Neil joined Miconex. Formerly Director of Customer Success EMEA at EML, David brings a wealth of experience spanning retail...
Edmonton Downtown Business Association (EDBA) has launched a new Gift Card program to stimulate consumer spending and support businesses in the core....
Isle of Wight home, DIY and garden retailer W. Hurst & Son has taken the top spot in a nationwide search to find the UK’s favourite local business,...
Norma Graham won the national prize – an Ooni Pizza Oven – through the town’s loyalty initiative to encourage local shopping and support small...
Beck Prior set up the independent shop, workshop, gallery and community hub in 2019, and now it’s in the running to be the UK’s favourite local...
McCash’s Country Store is one of the Perth businesses in the running to be crowned as the best in the UK – any local business can be put forward,...
Keith Tiplady set up Indulgent Chocolates after being made redundant during the pandemic – and now his Ashby based shop is up for the UK’s favourite...
Quirky Colchester gift emporium Bill & Bert’s has been nominated in a national competition to find the UK’s favourite local business A gift shop...
There have been multiple nominations for iconic Isle of Wight business Hurst in the national competition – any local business can be nominated, with...
National and independent businesses in Ballymena are welcoming the launch of the town’s new gift card, giving customers an easy way to shop local and...
Boosting footfall and encouraging people to discover local businesses are two of the aims of a new gift card program for Pontypridd. Led by Your...
Sue Sanderson from Ilkley, is celebrating after winning a £1000 Ilkley Town Centre Gift Card in our national ‘Win Your Dream Christmas’ competition....
Help Us Find The UK’s Favourite Local Business Local businesses are the beating heart of every community, offering unique products, and providing...
Shops, restaurants, bars and other businesses across Brighouse are set for a big boost as a new town centre gift card is launched just in time for...
City Centre Grande Prairie has unveiled its new Gift Card as part of its mission to revitalize the heart of the city. The Grande Prairie City Centre...
Spencer Chamber has unveiled its new Gift Card in an effort to keep more dollars local, sponsored by Spencer Municipal Utilities. The Spencer Chamber...
Miconex’s Christmas competition will run across its 80 plus Town & City Gift Card programmes in the UK and Ireland – the winner receives £1000 in...
In October 2022, Donna Stewart joined Miconex as an Administration Assistant. A Perth native and shop local supporter, Donna is looking forward to...
53% of employees would like to receive a gift card from work this Christmas, 73% would prefer a multi-store gift card, and 90% are keen to support...
Enniskillen in Northern Ireland is celebrating after reaching over £500,000 in sales for its local gift card – designed to lock money in locally and...
Supporting local has just got easier with the launch of the digital version of the Exeter independent gift card, and a brand-new look. Exeter is one...
In September 2022, Bradford BID celebrated winning the Best B2B Campaign at the Prolific North Marketing Awards in Leeds. The campaign highlighted...
The new Strabane Gift Card has a fresh look, can be spent with more businesses, and is eco-friendly Strabane is bolstering its shop local efforts...
Fintech Miconex collected the Social Impact award at the Scottish Financial Technology Awards 2022 – recognising the firm’s commitment to positively...
An innovative new gift card has launched in West Lancashire to support economic recovery in the Borough. The Enjoy West Lancs Gift Card is available...
The city of culture will use its local gift card to ‘ignite the night time economy’ and encourage people to experience Bradford after 5 Bradford in...
Yarmouth & Area Chamber of Commerce has introduced a new Gift Card to support businesses and make local shopping easy, made possible following...
Fintech Miconex picked up the award for Small to Medium Business of the Year at the 2022 GCVA Hall of Fame awards – held on the 14th September at The...
In August 2022, Helen Kathuria joined Miconex. We spoke to Helen about her interesting career including stints with the BBC and VisitBritain, what it...
How Valley Chamber of Commerce onboarded their businesses The Valley Chamber Gift Card launched in May 2022 and is being led by the Chambre de...
A coalition of Newberg organizations and businesses is banding together to offer a Gift Card accepted at participating locally owned businesses in...
The Valley Chamber Gift Card is now available to purchase. The Gift Card program is being led by the Chambre de Commerce de Grand Sault/Valley...
Gift vouchers or certificates were first used in the early 20th century but became popular in the late 1990s. Seen as a notch above giving cash, and...
A new gift card program is set to launch in Ashby in September – and businesses of all types and sizes are being encouraged to sign up for free The...
We spoke to Lisa about the article that inspired a career spanning retail, finance, merchandising and place management, the pitfalls of paper gift...
Rock Valley Chamber has introduced a new Gift Card as part of efforts to increase population growth and support businesses in Iowa. The Rock Valley...
Mashpee Commons has introduced a new Gift Card which can be used at over 70 merchants at the Cape Cod shopping destination, including retail, dining,...
The Boro Gift Card is an initiative from the Peterborough Downtown Business Improvement Area to support its businesses in the pandemic era and...
The Canada's Food Island Gift Card - an interview with Crystal MacGregor, Director of Marketing and Communications at Food Island Partnership.
Seward County Gift Card
Bristol’s three city centre BIDs create new digital and physical gift card to help boost local economy A brand-new gift card that can be spent in...
Strawberry Corner Garden Centre is a family owned garden centre that has been in business since 1947. Part of the East Lothian Gift Card, Strawberry...
The District Towns Gift Card launched on the 30th November 2020 for the towns of Falkirk, Denny, Stenhousemuir, Grangemouth and Bo’ness. The scheme...
The Choc Stop in Cumnock is an independent business selling sweet treats such as crepes, sundaes, smoothies and cakes, and is one of the most popular...
The popular Uptown Dollars program in Waterloo has had an upgrade as part of ongoing efforts by the Uptown Waterloo Business Improvement Area (BIA)...
BetterPoints is a behaviour change platform that enables organisations to challenge, motivate and reward people for being greener and heathier – for...
Bristol’s three business improvement districts are encouraging city centre businesses to sign up to a new gift card initiative, designed to drive...
Preston BID’s Jubilee Spending Spree will run over the Jubilee bank holiday weekend, with £28,000 of Preston Gift Cards distributed between Thursday...
Two Shawlands businesses have praised the area’s local gift card for keeping money locked into the area. Curious Liquids and Phillies both accept the...
Background to the Cambridge Gift Card The Love Cambridge Gift Card launched in 2018 and can be spent in approximately 200 businesses in the city....
Colin Munro is the Chief Executive Officer of Miconex. A trained chef and former restaurateur, we spoke to Colin about the challenges faced by places...
A North West charity that supports autistic children and young people has given families a community gift to help support their mental health and...
Arran Active is an independent outdoor retailer based on the Isle of Arran, and is part of the ArranCard. We spoke to Arran Active founder Andrew...
A Yorkshire town has become one of the first in the county to have its own digital and physical gift card. The new Ilkley Town Centre Gift Card is...
The Burlington Downtown Business Improvement Area (BDBA) has launched a new Gift Card as part of their efforts to support participating small...
Mi Rewards, the next generation loyalty program for towns and cities, has introduced enhanced tools for businesses alongside new national prizes. The...
Browns of York Browns is an independent department store in York, and has been a family business since 1896. Part of the York Gift Card, Browns is...
Quincy Town Center has upgraded its Gift Card. The new Quincy Town Center Gift Card replaces the old Quincy Mall Gift Card and features a new-look...
In April 2022, Alasdair McGill joined Miconex’s Board of Directors. A trained accountant and service designer with almost 30 years of experience both...
If you look at some of the biggest and best Town & City Gift Card programs in the UK and Ireland, you’ll notice that they all have one thing in...
The historic port city of Saint John has upgraded its popular paper Uptown Dollars for a modern Gift Card system. Over 100 businesses accept the new...
In April 2022, Miconex welcomed Sarah Parsons to Miconex. We talked to Sarah about her knack for spotting famous faces, working for the Government...
Two years on from the onset of pandemic restrictions, local gift cards are powering retail and hospitality recovery on the high street Payments...
Background to the York Gift Card The York Gift Card launched in 2019 and achieved almost £70,000 in sales in 2021, an increase of 47% on 2020. Over...
A Director for Miconex and driving business development for Downtown Gift Cards in North America is Janette MacDonald. Glaswegian Janette has lived...
Join our Webinar Join us for a short webinar where we will explain how you can easily reward local spend and communicate directly with customers in...
Join Our Webinar Join us for a short webinar where we will explain the fundamentals of the Gift Card Program and provide examples of how they have...
Background to the Carndonagh Gift Card In March 2021, the Irish town named as Ireland’s most enterprising in the 2020 Bank of Ireland Begin Together...
Background to the East Lothian Gift Card In January 2022, a Financial Times report credited East Lothian, home of the East Lothian Gift Card, with a...
In March 2022, Alex McCrindle joined Miconex as an Account Manager. With strong account management experience, a business and marketing degree and...
Yankton Thrive has introduced a new high tech Gift Card program thanks to financial sponsorship from Kopetsky’s Ace Hardware and Ace Bike & Fitness....
In March 2022, Miconex welcomed Louisa Baines to the team. A trained ski instructor and resort manager who has travelled extensively, we caught up...
In March 2022, Miconex welcomed Anna Taylor to the Miconex team. With a fascinating career in theatre production, and experience working with a...
Case study: The Cardiff, Merthyr Tydfil, Newport and Swansea Gift Cards Fintech Miconex works with four Business Improvement Districts in Wales...
The Choc Stop in Cumnock is an independent business selling sweet treats such as crepes, sundaes, smoothies and cakes, and received over £5000 in...
One of the most innovative uses of local gift cards as local currency is the East Ayrshire Gift Card. Read about how East Ayrshire supported families...
The GCVA’s State of the Nation 2021 report says that 76.3% of respondents have purchased a gift card over the past three years. The £7bn UK gift card...
The GCVA’s State of the Nation 2021 report says that 76.3% of respondents have purchased a gift card over the past three years. The gift card market...
93% of Americans are said to have given or received a gift card and the market is set to grow by 8.8% in the US in 2021. Every downtown wants and...
What it really takes to run a successful gift card program (the truth might surprise you!) 70% of Canadians prefer giving gift cards over cash found...
Enniskillen in Northern Ireland has a population of around 11,000 and introduced the Enniskillen Gift Card in 2017. Enniskillen achieved £140,000 in...
In Canada, the 2020 Global Consumer Gift Card survey suggests that over 43% of Canadians prefer gifting and receiving gift cards, with the gift card...
In a 2016 Incentive Research Foundation survey, 81% of UK companies were offering non-cash rewards to staff, with 71% having reward and recognition...
With the release of the UK Government’s Levelling Up plan, including a £2.6bn UK Shared Prosperity Fund to revive high streets, two UK towns and...
In a 2016 Incentive Research Foundation survey, 81% of companies were offering non-cash rewards to staff, with 71% having reward and recognition...
In the US, 84% of organizations use tangible non-cash rewards, spending more than $100 billion annually on rewards including gift cards. An average...
In January 2022, Miconex welcomed Ria Beeson to the Miconex team. Ria has over 10 years’ experience in business development. We caught up with Ria to...
In this case study looking at the many and varied returns on investment for a local gift card, we spoke with Colin Munro and Leigh Brown of Miconex,...
The gift card market in the US is set to be worth $221billion by 2024, up from $163billion in 2019. That’s money that could be spent in your downtown...
The gift card market in Ireland was valued at €496 million in 2019 and is projected to reach €690 million by 2024. That’s money that could be spent...
10 tips for a successful gift card program The gift card market in the UK was valued at £6.9 billion in 2019, and is projected to keep on rising....
The gift card market in Canada was estimated at US$ 6312.2 million in 2021, reaching US$ 8368.4 million by 2025. That’s money that could be spent in...
The Chautauqua County Chamber of Commerce has upgraded its popular Gift Card program, the ShopLocalCHQ Gift Card, alongside Miconex and EML....
Local gift cards are widening their appeal across the UK, and across the generations. Aberdeen, Enniskillen, East Ayrshire, Cambridge, Belfast,...
Mi Rewards is a place based, frictionless loyalty program that rewards users every time they shop at local businesses, and drives local spend....
Downtown Cranford has launched its own Gift Card to support the small business community. The Downtown Cranford Gift Card can be loaded with $20 –...
Our Team Founded in 2010, Miconex work with towns and cities across the UK to help support successful local economies. In 2015, we developed the UK’s...
About Miconex Miconex’s objective is simple: providing communities, be they towns, cities, downtowns or organisations, with a tangible means to...
Contact Us Get in touch today and see how we can help you Contact Us VISIT 13 Rose Terrace, Perth, PH1 5HA Email: info@mi-cnx.com For all enquiries...
9 biggest problems with paper gift card programs You see the need for a local gift card program for your town or city and you want to get it going as...
9 biggest problems with paper gift card programs You see the need for a local gift card program for your downtown and you want to get it going as...
Julie joined Miconex as our Finance Manager in April 2021. In the past, Julie worked as an office and finance manager for a legal firm from the age...
Background to the Aberdeen Gift Card The Aberdeen Gift Card launched on the 26th November 2020 and can be spent with 200 businesses in Aberdeen. In...
Background to the East Ayrshire Gift Card The East Ayrshire Gift Card is a joint initiative between the local council and the Kilmarnock Business...
Nicola Johnston joined the Miconex team as a Project Manager in April 2021, working on the delivery of regional Scotland Loves Local Gift Cards for...
Catriona Mackay joined Miconex full time in 2021. Many of you will already know Catriona, or Cat, as she has been working with Miconex in a freelance...
Nicole Soave joined Miconex in September 2021, working on the implementation of new Gift Card systems across the UK and Ireland, and on a range of...
In July 2021, Alan Williamson joined Miconex. Alan has extensive experience in ecommerce, including at Scobie & Junor, suppliers to 6000 butchers...
A program which aims to future proof Britain’s high streets is underway as Miconex rolls out its digital gift card technology to 17 towns and cities...
We are Miconex Founded in 2010, Miconex work with towns and cities across the UK to help support successful local economies. In 2015, we developed...
Miconex has revealed its 2021 Christmas campaign. The ‘What’s Your Perfect Gift’ quiz offers players the chance to win a £100 Town & City Gift Card...
How to Maximize Corporate and Consumer Sales this Christmas
Hear about the success of the Lakes Gift Card in this case study interview with Pat Donnellan, Chairperson of Ballinrobe Community Development...
Joanne Hynes is the owner of Joanne Hynes Total Health Pharmacy in Ballinrobe, and is part of the Lakes Gift Card. In this case study, we hear about...
Read about the success of the Canada's Food Island Gift card, part of the Downtown Gift Cards concept from fintech Miconex.
Downtown gift card company Miconex has announced new program launches in Canada, alongside EML Payments Limited (ASX: EML), following the success of...
Read how Downtown Lynchburg switched their old gift card program for a new system powered by Miconex- with $35,000 in sales in the first two months.
Read about the success of the Love Drogheda Gift Card in this case study interview with Trevor Connolly, CEO of Drogheda BID.
Miconex has launched a Secret Santa campaign whereby staff can nominate a colleague for a chance to win a £250 Town & City Gift Card. The Secret...
5 years of gift card sales in 1 month: Downtown Dollars, The Boro Gift Card Downtown Dollars, the Boro Gift Card launched on the 9th December 2020 in...
Miconex builds on success of Downtown Gift Card concept in the US Downtown gift card company Miconex is launching new programs in the US, alongside...
The 9 biggest problems with paper gift card programmes in Ireland, and how a high tech alternative can help.
Find out how your employee incentive and reward strategy can benefit local economies too in this article from downtown gift card experts Miconex.
6 reasons to buy a Town & City Gift Card for your staff this Christmas Christmas is traditionally the time to say thank you to staff for their hard...
Scotland Loves Local Gift Cards are now available to buy. Read more about how the Scotland Loves Local Gift Cards will unlock a multi million pound...
Love Downtown. Gift Downtown Lock in spend, drive foot traffic and stimulate economic activity with your own chamber gift card program DOWNTOWN GIFT...
What is the Welcome Back Fund? The Welcome Back Fund, launched in March 2021, providing councils across England a share of £56 million from the...
Locking in money for local businesses and stimulating additional economic activity Miconex is a purpose driven business that works with business...
The Impact of a Local Currency in Pounds and Pence
What our clients say Read what some of our clients have to say. “The Kirkwall Gift Card has been a huge success for us, the amount of positive...
Mi-Rewards- the loyalty scheme for towns and cities.
Christmas Delivered A Christmas project your businesses will really appreciate. Measurable economic impact via a proven, fully-supported, Mastercard...
The Town and City Gift Card programme from fintech Miconex is set for major expansion across Scotland as part of a government backed Scotland Loves...
Miconex has been named as a supplier on Crown Commercial Service’s new £1.5 billion Voucher Schemes Framework. Crown Commercial Service (CCS) is an...
Hereford businesses sign up to city gift card programme designed to drive local economic recovery Over 30 businesses in Hereford have already signed...
Pioneering fintech Miconex has launched a first of its kind digital gifting product for towns and cities, under its new global Love Local brand. The...
Driving Local Spend with Digital Gifting Now, as well as a physical gift card, friends, family and employers can instantly send a local gift card to...
The Chester Gift Card- read how they made this local gift card a standout success.
Find out more about the award winning Town & City Gift Card programs.
Aberdeen and Belfast share their success with their local gift card programs.
Read about the success of the East Ayrshire Gift Card.
The Sunderland Gift Card story Read about how the team at Sunderland BID were able to achieve such brilliant results from the offset, in our...