What is the RGCA?
The Retail Gift Card Association (RGCA) is a member created and member sustained, non-profit association with a mission to create consumer centered policies and procedures. Members will follow a Code of Principles which will promote best practices to help the industry grow and shape in ways that in ways that benefit both members and consumers.
Who is eligible for membership?
RGCA membership is open to retailers, restaurants, and travel-and-entertainment merchants whose core part of their business is to sell products or experiences but who also issue and offer closed loop gift cards.
How many individuals are included in a membership?
The RGCA is a corporation membership. The number of individual members from each company will depend on the level of membership the company joined.
What are the membership requirements?
Members must be retailers that issue closed-loop gift cards and who agree to abide by the Code of Principals which may be viewed on the RGCA website under Become a Member. www.TheRGCA.org
What are the membership levels?
The RGCA currently offers three levels of memberships: Leadership, Executive, and Associate. Details on the benefits of each level are available at www.TheRGCA.org under Become a Member.
Does the RGCA have any plans to collaborate with industry suppliers to help support its efforts in proactively promoting the benefits of closed-loop gift cards?
Gift card vendors, suppliers, processors, marketers, etc. are not eligible for membership in the RGCA. There may be occasions where it would benefit the industry to unite the RGCA’s voice with other associations, companies, or events, but only as a non-member.
Will there be a required compliance for all members to utilize the RGCA logo?
Usage of the RGCA logo is voluntary. We encourage all members of the RGCA to prominently feature the logo on their website, collateral, and gift cards to reinforce that their gift cards offer “consumer friendly” practices. The RGCA will distribute press releases that promote the association of the RGCA logo and the Member as a “best practice” company.
What type of budget is the RGCA working with and how will it be divided among the different initiatives?
The RGCA is a member-sustained association; as such, the budget and the allocation of the budget will be dependent on the number of members who support the association. An approved budget will be shared amongst the members after the main membership drive which ends on May 31st, 2009.
What are some of the work stream initiatives the RGCA will focus on in 2009?
The RGCA is focusing its resources on building positive perceptions on gift card usage, developing a benchmarking program for gift card sales and identifying legislative initiatives. There will also be useful information on gift card trends, innovations, and issues that are associated with gift cards on the website at www.TheRGCA.org.