How a research agency saved over 40% on respondent gift cards
A Dutch research agency rewards respondents to a national survey with a gift card. Since switching to MrGift, the agency only pays for the cards that are actually chosen.
Thousands of gift cards per survey, all paid upfront
The agency runs large-scale research, including [research topic]. Every respondent received a fixed €15 gift card as a thank you. Those cards were bought in advance at full value.
Far from everyone uses such a card. Respondents often receive the reward later by post, and a letter like that quickly ends up on the pile. Yet the agency paid the full amount for every card.
A code instead of a card
- Respondents receive a code by letter that is valid for 3 months.
- With the code, they choose a gift card from dozens of brands in the MrGift shop.
- MrGift only buys a card when someone chooses it.
- New batches of codes simply keep running, with no extra work for the agency.
55% of codes redeemed so far
Of the 5,555 codes sent, 3,048 have been redeemed so far. For the rest, the agency pays nothing apart from €0.50 per code.
Follows once MrGift supplies the data from the first batch.
| Item | Before | MrGift |
|---|---|---|
| What respondents got | A fixed gift card from one brand | A code to choose from dozens of brands |
| What was purchased? | All 5,555 cards upfront, at full value | Only the cards that are actually chosen |
| Unused cards | Paid in full, even if never used | Not paid. Only €0.50 per code |
| Cost for 5,555 respondents | € 83,325 (5,555 × € 15) | €48,498 (3,048 × €15, plus €0.50 per code) |
How many codes go unused depends on a few things
The value per code
Codes with low amounts are left unused more often than those with high amounts.
How it arrives
A letter with a code is less likely to be noticed than a card in the hand.
The effort someone made
Someone who spent a day taking part in a study redeems sooner than someone who stood at the door for two minutes.
Get the full business case
All the figures and the approach in a PDF you can easily forward to a colleague. We'll then get in touch with you briefly.
- Business case as a PDF
- An estimate for your own volume
- Prefer email? support@mrgift.nl