✨ SUMMARY: When you’re looking for a gift card API provider, you’re not just shopping for a piece of code. Look for one that helps manage costs while also offering a wide variety of digital rewards (including international eGift cards, if you need them). You’ll also want access to technical support whenever you need it, no matter how big or small your program is.   

The right gift card API company will bring much more to the table than an endpoint and some documentation.

Namely, you’ll want to find a reliable gift card distributor with a RESTful API that’s coupled with a broad, accurate, up-to-date global gift catalog and full visibility into your program.

It’s this global catalog that will give you access to the digital incentives your recipients will actually want (from Apple gift cards to local grocery store brands and beyond), in the regions where they actually live (from Poland to the Philippines and beyond). 

You’ll also want to find a distributor that handles tricky things like currency conversion, so you can send rewards across borders without worrying about exchange rates (pre-warned: some companies will actually make you open an account for every country you’re sending to⚠️).

If you’re sending cards in high volumes, you’ll also want bulk discounts and partnership-style pricing to help your budget go further.

Finally and just as important, a top-tier gift card API provider won’t disappear after you go live. 

That’s critical, because ongoing support, responsive customer service, and clear onboarding make a world of difference, especially as your needs evolve or if you run into questions down the road. 

Who else is out there? Giftbit alternatives:

Giftbit isn't the only player in the space. There are several gift card API competitors worth comparing:

• Tremendous is known for a large global catalog and flexible payout options.
• Tango is a long-standing player focused on enterprise rewards and branded delivery experiences.
• Runa offers a broad international catalog with strong EMEA coverage.

These providers have their strengths, but many businesses find their approval processes and redemption flows more complex than ideal.

Giftbit is the clear choice for speed, transparency, and control—plus a smooth experience for everyone involved. And when it comes to support, we’re head and shoulders above the rest, no matter how big or small your program.

Gift card API providers & visibility: where the rubber meets the road

There is one area where gift card companies and their APIs are not created equally: how they handle visibility, transparency, and claim status. 

Namely, while most providers will let you request status info through their APIs, the actual detail they provide here varies wildly. 

And a word to the wise: you can’t assume that you’ll automatically get the level of information you need. 

For example, at least one popular, mainstream gift card API simply won’t let you access claim status. Their API will confirm whether an order was processed. But it won’t confirm what happens after that—like if the recipient actually claimed their reward or converted it into a card. 

Why does this matter?

It all comes down to the long term success of your program. 

You can’t just click ‘send’ and assume everything is hunky dory. Wifi times-out, people get busy, emails get caught in junk folders. Maybe you send a curated list of coffee gift cards, but people were really hoping for gas gift cards to help them out the daily commute. 

Ultimately, you can’t fix what you don’t see. You need to know if, when, and where your cards are being redeemed, so you can make better decisions going forward. 

Nat Salvione, Giftbit CCO, sums it up:

Having an incentive program is an investment. What cards are used? Have they been delivered? Who’s making money? All of that can be opaque in most gift card providers. But we’re leaning into sharing all of that with our customers because we believe the more information you have about your program, the more successful it’s going to be."

And how does using the right gift card API specifically help with that financial clarity?

All Giftbit customers, even those simply using our web dashboard, have complete visibility into their programs’ financials. Like Giftbit CEO Leif Baradoy says, “if we know, you know.”

But with the API, integrators can build in even more visibility.

First, you can include an idempotent request ID in every order placed programmatically over the API. This lets you inject as much information as you want to track for that transaction. 

For example, you can include a transaction number, a timestamp, and a recipient identifier to match up with your CRM, all in a single request ID. This can make it a lot easier to see if your records line up with ours. 

Don’t underestimate how valuable this is,” says Giftbit Director of Business Development Matt Brossard. “API integrators often have to reconcile data coming back from third-party tools that may not relate to their own records. Using idempotent request IDs means they can ensure details match up across multiple tools. This is helpful if something goes wrong or there’s a missing order."

Second, you can dynamically request status details about your orders—whether they were placed just now, yesterday, or weeks ago. 

For example, the Giftbit API lets you request information for specific transactions. Each order gets a unique identifier (like ‘Order 123456,’ say), which allows your integration to request relevant status details about any specific order or reward. This makes it easy to zero in on a specific record while also monitoring your program more broadly. Being able to catch any fulfillment issues as they happen helps you maintain a smooth experience for participants.

Note: not every gift card API gives this same level of claim status information, so be sure to ask about visibility on your demo calls. 

  With the Giftbit API, you can pull up exactly the record you want, when you want it,” says Matt. “It’s definitely a big benefit."

API = maximum flexibility

✨ SUMMARY: APIs give maximum flexibility. A gift card API sends your instructions to a provider via specific endpoints (like catalog, order, wallet, status, ping). Developers can often integrate in under 48 hours thanks to clear docs, REST patterns, and sandbox testing. 

Remember, a gift card API’s main job is to relay your instructions so your gift card provider can act on them. You’re basically telling your provider what you want them to do on your behalf. 

Each request you send goes to a specific endpoint—a dedicated URL that represents a single function, like listing brands, placing orders, sending cards, or adding funds. 

🥜 In a nutshell: send the right data to the right endpoint, and you can let the system handle everything else.

Core endpoints across gift card APIs

Note: Table provided for reference only. Always see API docs for complete, accurate endpoints.

🔘︎ Think of each endpoint as a clearly labeled button.

Press the right button with the right info, and the gift-card vending machine handles the heavy lifting—whether you’re rewarding one helpful survey taker or thousands of loyal customers at once.

Is special coding knowledge required

Typically, yes—you’re likely going to lean on a developer for your initial API hookup. 

But with a straightforward API and clear API documentation, most devs can get everything up and running quickly and easily. This is true, whether they’re hardened industry veterans or fresh off their last internship. 

For example, Prime46’s engineer wired Giftbit into their Sawtooth survey tool in just two days. 

It wasn't difficult for our developer to implement at all," says Project Manager Greg Augustine.

Indeed, it’s not unusual for Giftbit clients to build, test and request production access in that 48 hour timeframe. 

  We built our API for easy, reliable integration,” says Bryan Dwyer, Chief Product Officer at Giftbit. “It gives your system access to our global catalog of digital gift cards and prepaid cards, delivered as rewards which can be customized just how you need.” 

Specifically, Giftbit’s REST endpoints follow predictable patterns (catalog, fund, create/deliver, status). Once authentication is set up, most work is simply plugging in values and adjusting parameters. 

The combination of clear docs and a Testbed sandbox keeps integration hurdles low. Expect to measure in hours, not weeks, for a basic flow. 

No dev on deck? You've still got options

Full API integration isn’t the only option for gift card programs. And indeed, it’s not always the best fit—especially for smaller or pilot projects. 

For example, there’s always the option to use the Giftbit gift card platform directly. 

Simply login, upload a CSV of recipients, and start sending rewards. User-friendly templates and on-screen reports will give you day-to-day control, and you’ll never have to touch a line of code (or even know what a line of code is 😉). 

Note: you can set up a Giftbit account and start sending rewards in as little as a few minutes. 

Need automation without coding? More options still…

Even when you want to fully automate gift card fulfillment, you still might not need a full API integration. 

Namely, if you don’t have a developer on staff, or you just want to get started really quickly with a really flexible workflow, you might consider a simpler gift card integration via a connecting tool like Zapier. 

For example, integrating Giftbit with Zapier is a fast, straightforward way to start automating gift card delivery. 

Think of it as the self-starter’s shortcut API that lets you start automating without any technical background or special know-how. 

How? Instead of using an API directly, you’ll use Zapier to connect gift card delivery to apps you already use, like HubSpot, Google Sheets, Typeform, Salesforce, and thousands more. 

Anytime one of these apps is ‘triggered,’ (say, anytime a new user signs up in HubSpot), Zapier can automatically deliver a digital gift card or prepaid card. The end result is similar to one delivered via API, but without the developer hours. 

This no-code process is how Curipod COO & Co-Founder Eirik Hernes Berre was able to set up a referral rewards program in just ten minutes. 

Specifically, Eirik used a Zapier integration to set up his company’s most effective growth channel. He simply connected HubSpot to Giftbit with a quick Zap after watching a five-minute tutorial video.  

Now, every time a Curipod app user meets the right criteria, they’re automatically issued a prepaid Visa incentive card. 

I watched the Zapier video on Giftbit's website and set it up in 10 minutes using Giftbit, Zapier, and HubSpot,” says Eirik. 

Ultimately, for teams without dedicated engineering resources, this kind of no-code automation means you can still run reward programs at scale, even if an API is off the table. It’s a practical option for anyone who wants to get started quickly, test an idea, or just save time on repetitive tasks (don’t we all?). 

Plus, if-and-when your needs grow, you can always layer on more advanced workflows or connect additional apps later.

Below is a quick matrix that matches typical business requirements to four common integration methods—from signing in and sending a few rewards by hand to running a fully automated, high-volume program.

Of course, as your program evolves, you have the option to move from manual or CSV-based sending to Zapier or a direct API, without changing providers. Like you’d expect, each step brings more automation, deeper branding control, and tighter integrations.

Critical features in a gift card and prepaid card API

Let’s assume that you’ve chosen a gift card company with fair and transparent pricing, a robust catalog, and dedicated client and recipient support. 

Once you’ve covered those basics, what else should you look for in the API itself?

The most helpful reward APIs are built around “idempotency.” This is what your devs will be looking for first. 

In plain speak, this means that if you accidentally hit “send” for the same reward twice, it only issues one card. 

Idempotency is also a lifesaver when your system retries a request after a network timeout—no matter how many retries occur, the API still creates just one order

In other words, true idempotency means there’s no risk of duplicate payouts or surprises in your budget.

Beyond idempotency, your developer will also want the following gift card API features: 

Secure payments and data storage: Look for SOC 2 compliance, encrypted traffic, and strong identity features.

Clear docs and consistency endpoints: It should be easy for your team to create and send gift cards, check balances, and pull reports.

Test environments: Make sure there’s a sandbox or staging area where your team can safely try out API calls and workflows before anything goes live to avoid surprises when you start sending real rewards.

Other must-haves include fast setup and reliability (think 99.99% uptime). 

You might also need features like white-label solutions, clear documentation, or flexible funding options. We’ll explore how to determine your unique needs further below. The Giftbit API is flexible, intuitive, and designed to fit into your workflows,” says Bryan.

What basic security measures keep rewards funds safe?

Of course, smart companies will also want to assess security risks when looking to add financial rewards and incentives into their work flows. 

At a minimum, your security checklist should contain the following: 

• Authentication keys and role-based access
• HTTPS (secure data transit)
• Minimal storage of sensitive information
• SOC 2, encrypted traffic, and best-in-class controls

SOC 2 compliance specifically is a strong indication that the partner you’re considering takes security as strongly as you do. SOC 2 wasn’t a box to check,” says Bryan. “It was a way to help our customers gain confidence and get started faster. We’d already built security into our stack: encrypted traffic, secure identifiers, AWS controls, encrypted-at-rest data, and a strong culture of least-privilege design.”

Potential hurdles when integrating gift card rewards

✨ SUMMARY: Launching a gift card API is simpler than it seems, even for non-technical users. With clear docs and support, setup can be quick. Start by identifying your needs (like payout types, integrations, constraints, and reward preferences) before exploring providers. Ask about pricing, support, documentation, sandbox access, and key features, and let your developers focus on API robustness and testing ease. 

Launching a gift card API isn’t as scary (or as technical) as it sounds.

Of course, your developers are going to have their own process for analyzing any new tools. 

But for the non-technical among us, you can still have a basic understanding of what to look for in a provider (and why). 

Before you start doing research, you’ll want to ask yourself some questions. 

Will you need any specific payout types? Will your integration need to connect with other tools and services, and if so, which ones? What constraints are you working within? What types of error scenarios do you anticipate? What rewards do you expect to motivate your audience most? 

Answer these questions for yourself, and you’ll be in a much better position when you start requesting demos and sales calls. 

Then, on those demos, be sure to ask:

• What’s the pricing model? Are there integration or usage fees? Minimum contracts?
• What brands and currencies are in the reward catalog?
• Can you reach live support when you need it? What are the support hours? Will you have a dedicated support manager?

And remember that your developers will have their own concerns, like idempotency and end point consistency. So you might also want to ask:

• Is your API idempotent?
• How robust is your documentation?
• Do you offer a sandbox for easy testing?

These last two questions are especially important for your developer. They’re going to use the API docs to determine if they can work with your API. And they’re going to need a sandbox for testing. 

Ideally, both will be ungated. 

You get a sense of everything you can accomplish just by looking at our API docs,” says Nat. “We don't gate it, so you don't need to give us your personal details to get access. We know that if we turn over our docs to talented developers, whatever they can dream up, they can make happen.”

💡Pro-tip: Ask about minimum or maximum order sizes, custom branding, and built-in compliance, too. 

How long does setup usually take?

The clearer the API and documentation, the faster and easier your setup will be. 

For example, integration with Giftbit’s API can start with a sandbox in just an hour or two, and basic workflows can be live in a few days at most. In Prime46’s case, it just took two days from setup to live gift card delivery. 

Like you’d probably expect, rolling out to all teams or high-volume touchpoints may take a bit longer for larger organizations, mostly for testing and sign-off.

But whatever the size of the project, most teams will take a similar approach. After reading the docs, they start testing in the sandbox, and then quickly move to production after sign-off. Easy peasy. 

Which internal resources will you need?

To get going, you’ll want:

• A project owner or point person
• Light developer time (for setup and ongoing tweaks)
• Alignment with finance 
• Alignment with customer support, so everyone knows how rewards and refunds work

And you’ll have Giftbit’s team beside you from sandbox to scale. The testbed environment, sample calls, and customer support are all designed to work together to ensure speedy and successful API integrations. 

After launch, you can lean on the same experts for optimization.

Some of our customers need very little from us,” writes Head of Customer Success Sofia Baltasar.  “Our platform is designed to be intuitive, so many teams are able to jump right in and start sending rewards without much hand-holding. For these users, our Help Center articles and Live Chat are often all they need to get started and stay successful.

“Other clients need more partnership, and that’s where our strategic support comes in. We often kick things off with a planning call to talk through campaign goals, audience nuances, and technical questions—especially if they're integrating with our gift card API or targeting a complex, global audience.”

Modernize your rewards process

Understanding gift card API basics helps businesses move away from manual reward processes and toward a system that’s faster, more reliable, and easier to manage. 

With the right API, teams can automate the process of sending digital gift cards while keeping track of every transaction. This in turn will help them scale up their programs without extra effort. 

Plus, features like strong security, simple integration, and clear documentation make digital rewards more accessible for everyone, whether you’re running a small pilot project or a global incentive campaign. 

Giftbit makes it easy to turn a straightforward gift card API into a resilient, self-sustaining incentive program. Read the docs to get started, or book some time to chat through your goals.