This text is replaced by the Flash movie.

The Latest
Market Studies:

82% of consumers gave or received gift cards in the 2005 holiday season and two-thirds (66%) both gave and received them. (Accenture Survey)

U.S. gift cards sales are poised to exceed $80 billion in 2006 -- a more than 20% increase over their 2005 level. (TowerGroup market research)

In the 2005 holiday season more than two-thirds (75.5%) of consumers polled said that they plan on purchasing at least one gift card, and more than half (52.3%) of consumers would like to receive gift cards. (National Retail Federation survey)

More than nine out of ten (92%) of online shoppers believe that gift cards eliminate the risk involved with holiday gift giving. Also, four out of five agree that gift cards are great last minute gifts. (Shopzilla)

Restaurants and food service companies are catching on rapidly -- more than one in four gift cards (27%) sold last holiday season were be used at sit-down restaurants. Restaurant gift card sales are projected to hit $18 billion in 2006. (Deloitte & Touche)

Smart Transaction Systems Partners with Cruz Bay Solutions to
Roll out Touch-screen, Print on Demand Kiosks

New product allows customers to select an existing gift card design or
create their own design

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE -- September 4, 2007 Smart Transaction Systems (STS), a provider of gift card and customer loyalty programs for retailers, announced that it has partnered with Cruz Bay Solutions, a company specializing in self-service kiosks, to offer customers the iGift Print on Demand Kiosk.

The iGift Print on Demand Kiosk introduces a level of customer personalization never before seen in the industry by using touch-screen technology to enable customers in malls, sports venues, special events, and general retail locations to design, load, and print their own gift cards.. The iGift Kiosk allows customers to choose from a large selection of stock photos, card designs, and colorful fonts stored in the machine. Customers can also import their own photos and edit them with options similar to a photo editing kiosk. Using the kiosk, customers are able to choose from a much greater array of design options than can be found by purchasing gift cards from a display case.

A senior retail executive in the movie theater industry stated, "While Cruz Bay's kiosk concept appeals to customers for its flexible personalization features, it also solves critical issues from the retailer's perspective. For example, since the cards are printed and encoded at the kiosk on plain white stock, we are able to offer many more holiday-themed cards. They can be offered just prior to the holiday and replaced just after the holiday. We can basically offer an unlimited number of card designs, without inventory and logistics concerns."

Retailers also have many customization options when it comes to running a Print on Demand Kiosk. Merchants may choose to place it within a store, or outside in high foot-traffic locations such as a mall, where, with easy on-screen instructions, it doesn't need to be attended. Retailers can decide whether the customer pays and prints at the kiosk or at a customer service area. Maria Dent, VP of Operations at Smart Transaction Systems, stated, "The future of the gift card industry is in technologies like the iGift Print on Demand Kiosk. Personalization has become very important to consumers, and retailers are excited to integrate this new technology into their gift and loyalty card programs."

The iGift Kiosk also allows customers to make balance inquiries and to reload existing cards. It is particularly well-suited for people who are only purchasing a gift card and don't want to wait in line during busy holiday seasons. With the iGift Print on Demand Kiosk, a gift card can become a more personal, unique gift.

Merchants or developers interested in using the iGift Print on Demand Kiosk can obtain more information by contacting STS at 888-494-9760 or visiting www.smart-transactions.com.

About Smart Transactions
 Founded in 1998, Smart Transaction Systems provides card-based payment systems, customer loyalty and customer relationship management (CRM) programs to a wide variety of companies throughout the United States. For small to medium-sized businesses, Smart Transaction Systems provides hosted gift card and loyalty programs that are reliable, easy to use, and affordable. For larger organizations, the company provides powerful transaction processing systems that allow these organizations to bring gift, loyalty, and private label credit card programs in-house so they can gain maximum control of these programs. Smart Transaction Systems has operations in Boulder, Colorado, Lodi Wisconsin, St. Louis, Missouri and Oslo, Norway.

About Cruz Bay Solutions
 Cruz Bay Solutions, LLC is located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and specializes in self-service gift card technology. Cruz Bay offers kiosk options for gift cards ranging from units that sell gift cards on a display rack to card dispensing and Print on Demand units. Cruz Bay also offers an integrated e-commerce platform that enables retailers to offer personalized gift card features and sales capabilities on their web sites. For more information about Cruz Bay Solutions, please visit www.cruzbaysolutions.com or call 617-661-6420.


Return to News and Events page