“It’s a game-changer for Ardee.” New Ardee Gift Card announced

Ardee Traders and Business Association is set to upgrade its paper voucher scheme to a high-tech Gift Card as part of efforts to enhance ‘shop local’ ease and convenience in the town.

The Ardee Gift Card is due to launch in the autumn as a physical and digital Gift Card, succeeding the popular Ardee Town Voucher which has operated in the town for over 15 years and has generated over €1m of sales in the last 5 years alone.

Three Ardee businesses, Ardee Credit Union, furniture manufacturer Farrell and transport solutions firm Ardee Coach Trim, are funding the launch of the Ardee Gift Card.

Working on the Mastercard system, Ardee traders will be able to accept the card with no additional equipment. Once launched, there will be zero commission for traders to accept the card. An information event is being held for local business owners on the 8th October at Brian Muldoons, Bridge Street, Ardee at 7pm.

Pauline Sharkey is the owner of Paul Sharkey Fashion and has managed the paper Ardee town vouchers for many years. Pauline said: “The new Ardee Gift Card will streamline supporting local for everyone. Once launched, recipients will be able to spend their Ardee Gift Card with their chosen businesses, with the balance on the card instantly updated. There is an easy online balance checker too. And it will be so much easier for organisations to reward their staff with a physical or digital Ardee Gift Card rather than managing heaps of paper vouchers.”

Brendan Kerin from Ardee Traders and Business Association said the new Gift Card will bring the initiative into the 21st century: “Ardee is seeing lots of new growth and development since covid, particularly given the move to hybrid and home working. It’s feasible now for people to live outside of the cities, and Ardee, with its rich history, good schools and strong business community is very attractive. The new Ardee Gift Card will build on the success of our paper voucher scheme with a Gift Card that’s fit for the 21st century. It’s a game-changer for Ardee.”

Conor O’Brien from the Ardee Traders and Business Association: “The paper vouchers tended to be more useful for larger transactions. The ease of use of the new Ardee Gift Card will mean even more businesses in Ardee can benefit from it, the new Gift Card will allow people to spread the value of the card to more local businesses be it a cup of coffee in the local café or a big trolley shop in the local supermarket, all businesses can benefit. The commission free nature of the card is a huge plus for businesses, especially in comparison to the high charges on many national cards. Businesses will also be paid quickly straight into their bank, so no more having to bring paper vouchers in for reimbursement. Every customer facing business in Ardee that accepts card payments will benefit from this new card.”

The Ardee Gift Card will be part of the multi-award winning Town & City Gift Cards initiative which is active across Ireland. Over €17.4 million in Town & City Gift Cards sales were achieved across its network in 2025, driving an estimated 335,000 visits to Irish towns and cities this year.

Colin Munro, CEO, Miconex, said: “Ardee Traders and Business Association has achieved great success with their paper vouchers, with over €1m locked into the town through the initiative in the last 5 years alone. But paper programs come with lots of administration as well as friction for the businesses accepting them and the people spending them. The technology behind the Ardee Gift Card will make support for local simple, enabling Ardee Traders and Business Association to elevate their paper program to the next level, and lock even more spend into the town for the benefit of its business community.”