Galway Chamber, in partnership with Galway City Council and Galway County Council, has unveiled plans to launch the Love Galway Gift Card / Grá do Ghaillimh Gift Card, a new initiative designed to encourage people to spend locally and support businesses across Galway city and county.
The new Gift Card will be accepted exclusively by participating Galway businesses, ensuring that every euro spent stays within the local economy. By encouraging people to shop locally, the initiative aims to help keep Galway City Centre vibrant while also supporting the many towns and villages that make Galway such a unique place to live, work and visit.
Businesses from across Galway city and county including retailers, cafés, restaurants, hotels, pubs, visitor attractions, health and beauty providers, leisure businesses and professional services – are now being invited to register their interest in accepting the card ahead of its public launch later this Autumn.
Unlike many national Gift Card schemes, the Love Galway Gift Card will operate on a commission-free basis, meaning participating businesses retain 100% of every sale, with no commission deducted from transactions.
The card will be available in both physical and digital formats, making it an ideal gift for individuals, visitors and employers looking to reward staff through the Government's Small Benefit Exemption Scheme.
As part of the award-winning Town & City Gift Cards program, already successfully operating in over 100 locations across Ireland and the UK, the Love Galway Gift Card will provide a secure, convenient and modern way for consumers to shop locally while giving businesses access to a new sales and marketing platform.
Karen Ronan, CEO of Galway Chamber, said: “The Grá do Ghaillimh Gift Card is about much more than a Gift Card. It's about investing in Galway. Every time someone chooses the Love Galway Gift Card, they're helping to support local jobs, independent businesses and the communities that make Galway unique. By keeping spending local, we can help ensure our city centre remains vibrant while also supporting the towns and villages throughout the county that are so important to our local economy.
“One of the biggest advantages for businesses is that there is no commission charged on transactions, allowing them to retain the full value of every purchase. We would encourage businesses from every sector – retail, hospitality, cafés and restaurants, tourism, visitor attractions, health and beauty, entertainment, leisure and professional services – to come on board and be part of what we believe will become a valuable shop local initiative for Galway.”
Mayor of Galway City, Cllr. Helen Ogbu, said: “Galway City Council is delighted to support the Love Galway Gift Card initiative, which provides a practical and innovative way for residents, visitors and employers to invest directly in our local economy. By encouraging spending in Galway businesses, the card will help strengthen our city centre, support local jobs, increase footfall and contribute to the long-term vitality of our communities.
“This initiative aligns strongly with the objectives of the Galway Joint Retail Strategy by helping to keep spending local, supporting retail diversity, and creating opportunities for businesses of all sizes to benefit from increased consumer engagement. We encourage businesses across the city to get involved and help make the Love Galway Gift Card a lasting success for Galway.”
Cathaoirleach of Galway County Council, Cllr Andrew Reddington said: "The Love Galway Gift Card is a practical way of encouraging people to spend locally and support businesses across the city and county.
“Galway has a diverse and vibrant business community, and this initiative will help showcase the wide range of products, services and experiences available on our doorstep. Spending with local businesses means more money stays in the local economy, helping to sustain jobs, support business growth and create new employment opportunities. Every purchase made locally, throughout Galway county and city has a positive impact, strengthening our businesses and the communities they serve.”
The Love Galway Gift Card also presents a significant opportunity for employers. Under the Government's Small Benefit Exemption Scheme, employers can provide staff with tax-free Gift Cards up to the annual allowable limit, making the Love Galway Gift Card an ideal way to reward employees while supporting the local economy.
The partners aim to build a strong network of participating businesses ahead of the public launch, ensuring consumers have a wide choice of places to spend their Gift Cards throughout Galway city and county.
Onboarding of Galway businesses will commence in the coming weeks. In the meantime, businesses can register their interest now by visiting:
www.galwaychamber.com or calling Galway Chamber on 091 563536.
Registration is free, and Galway Chamber will be hosting a series of information sessions over the coming weeks to guide businesses through the onboarding process and answer any questions.
The Love Galway Gift Card forms part of the internationally recognised Town & City Gift Cards program, which is already operating successfully in communities across Ireland. Millions of euro are spent annually through the program, with a significant proportion of sales coming from businesses purchasing Gift Cards as staff rewards and corporate incentives.
Colin Munro, CEO, Miconex, said: “The Town & City Gift Cards initiative is rapidly expanding in Ireland, with over €17.4million in sales in the country in 2025 alone, driving an estimated 335,000 trips into Irish towns and cities this year. The forthcoming Love Galway Gift Card is a significant opportunity for Galway businesses to drive footfall and spend to their business and we encourage businesses to register their interest at this early stage.”
Mark Cunningham, business development manager for Miconex Ireland said: “Miconex is delighted to be working alongside Galway Chamber, Galway City Council and Galway County Council on the launch of the Love Galway Gift Card. By bringing the initiative to Galway, we aim to create a lasting Gift Card program that benefits businesses, employers, residents and visitors alike. The Love Galway Gift Card will be especially useful for organisations looking to directly support the Galway business community, whilst helping to bolster their CSR commitments. As cards can only be spent in person, it will guarantee increased local footfall for Galway merchants, locking spend into business communities.”