Chamber and Council partnership on county-wide gift card to be transformative for our towns

County Tipperary Chamber and Tipperary County Council are collaborating to introduce a county-wide gift card to champion ‘shop local’ and boost the local economy.

The Tipperary Gift Card is set to launch pre-Christmas as part of efforts to drive footfall and spend across the county and in the towns of Carrick-On-Suir, Clonmel, Cahir, Cashel, Tipperary Town, Thurles, Templemore, Nenagh and Roscrea.

Once launched, the Tipperary Gift Card will only be able to be spent with registered businesses, in person, locking spend into the county. There will be a 0% commission rate for the first 12 months for Tipperary businesses to accept the new gift card, keeping 100% of the transaction within the business.

All types of businesses are eligible to accept the card, including retail, hospitality, leisure and tourism, health/beauty and services, with no additional equipment required. Businesses don’t have to be a County Tipperary Chamber member to be a part of the new gift card.

Michelle Aylward, Chief Executive at County Tipperary Chamber said: “Local businesses are the backbone of our Tipperary communities and now is the time for us to work together on a single shop local gift card for the whole county that will be transformative for our towns.

“The Tipperary Gift Card is a phenomenal opportunity for Tipperary businesses to bring people through their doors with money to spend. With the zero commission to accept the card, there is no reason for a business not to be a part of this gift card. And as all types of consumer facing businesses can accept the card, it spreads out the benefit across Tipperary. It will provide tangible support for businesses and help to pull our communities together.”

Sinead Carr, C.E. of Tipperary County Council stated: “The availability of such an opportunity in County Tipperary is something I have long envisaged and I am particularly delighted to see that it will be in place for the Christmas 2024 period.   Registering to accept the forthcoming Tipperary Gift Card is straightforward and cost-free. As we approach the key Christmas trading period, being a part of the gift card is a route to new revenue and new customers.”

The Tipperary Gift Card will be part of the multi award winning Town & City Gift Card concept active across Ireland in Ballinrobe, Carndonagh, Drogheda, Letterkenny, Sligo and Waterford. Over €7 million Town & City Gift Cards were sold in Ireland in 2023, with around 80% of sales to organisations for staff rewards and incentives.

Colin Munro is the managing director of Miconex and said: “What makes the Tipperary Gift Card unique is the technology behind it. The card is Mastercard backed so the balance gets automatically updated when customers spend. Customers can check their balance in moments using the QR code on the gift card. And there will be a digital version of the card that customers can upload to digital wallets. This all makes the process of accepting the gift card friction-free for businesses, and that is vital.”

Cathaoirleach of Tipperary County Council Cllr Declan Burgess stated: “The collaboration between County Tipperary Chamber and Tipperary County Council on the forthcoming county-wide Tipperary Gift Card is a fantastic example of organisations joining together for the benefit of their communities both socially and economically. When we look at the success of Town & City Gift Card programmes across Ireland, the potential of the new gift card to keep Tipperary money in Tipperary towns is considerable.”