# Gift Card Rewards Explained

Digital gift cards are a flexible, high-value reward you can offer to advocates and referred customers in your referral program. These gift cards are fulfilled through our direct integration with **Tango Card**, which supports a wide range of global brands.

This guide walks you through how to configure gift card rewards, define when and how they’re issued, and set protections to keep your program healthy.

To connect your Tango Card account and configure templates, follow the [Tango Card Integration Guide](https://integrations.impact.com/impact-brand/docs/tango-card-integration).

#### What Can Participants Do With a Gift Card?

Through Tango Card, participants can:

* Choose from a curated selection of popular gift card brands based on their region and currency
* Donate their reward amount to a [charitable organization](https://www.tangocard.com/reward-catalog?rewardcategory=donation)
* Use [Reward Link](https://www.tangocard.com/solutions/reward-link), Tango’s flexible option that lets users choose their preferred gift card

Participants receive a redemption email from Tango Card with instructions to claim their gift card. If you’ve configured a custom email template (ETID), the email will reflect your branded messaging. Learn how to [configure custom branded emails](https://integrations.impact.com/impact-brand/docs/tango-card-integration#email-templates).

#### Choose how to connect with Tango Card

You can:

* Use your own Tango Card account for full control over catalogs, users, and funding
* Have impact.com provision a sub-account for a streamlined, managed setup (insert lock as this is for premium brands)

Not sure which setup is right for you? Review [integration options and steps](https://integrations.impact.com/impact-brand/docs/tango-card-integration).

#### Fund your Tango Card account

Before gift cards can be issued, your Tango Card account must be funded. Tango supports multiple funding methods, including:

* Bank account
* ACH or wire transfer
* Credit Card
* Check
* Pay-at-checkout (for select account types)

Funding is managed directly through your Tango Card account. impact.com does not collect or manage funds on your behalf. Learn more about [Tango Card funding options](https://help.rewardsgenius.com/s/article/FundingFAQ) .

{% hint style="warning" %}
**Warning:** If your Tango Card account has insufficient funds, your rewards in Advocate will enter a "Pending - Fulfillment error" state. Advocate will attempt to re-try sending the reward every 12 hours for 7 days. Rewards will be sent automatically once funds are added to your Tango card account.
{% endhint %}

#### Create a Gift Card Reward

1. In the left navigation menu, select ![](https://4048883401-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FwMLlMoFBtKJa8ptd3zaw%2Fuploads%2Fgit-blob-230534471fef5f40808e921e41ee44e4a06ded03%2Fe6cb9548999afdc1ed3ce4942e4cb5b45b5cecbd323267aac2a7cd1915fccc09.svg?alt=media) **Engage → Rewards → Catalog**.
2. In the top right corner, select **Create Reward**.
3. Give your reward a name and reward key.
4. Select **Gift Card** as the *Reward Type*.
5. Select an option from your available catalog.
6. Set the **fixed reward value** (e.g., $25) (Dynamic reward values are not supported).
7. Optionally, add a custom ETID for branded reward emails.
8. Select **Create Reward**.

Learn more about [creating rewards](https://help.impact.com/brand/advocate-program/advocate-rewards/create-a-reward).

#### Define When Gift Cards Are Issued

Gift card rewards are triggered based on your Program Rules. These rules determine when a participant qualifies and what reward is issued. Common triggers include:

* Advocate referral converts (e.g., referred user signs up or makes a purchase)
* Referred friend completes a milestone (e.g., completes their first order)

You can also:

* Localize rewards by region or currency
* Set up fallback rewards for users without a matching locale
* Apply a **pending period**, which delays the reward until a set number of days after conversion
* Trigger **transactional emails** either on conversion or after the pending period

For best results, we recommend triggering transactional emails on conversion. This allows you to inform participants that a gift card is on the way and will be delivered after the pending period ends. Learn how to [configure program rules](https://help.impact.com/brand/advocate-program/getting-started-with-advocate/advocate-program-rules-explained).

**Add Security Limits (Optional but Recommended)**

To prevent fraud and maintain control over your budget, you can configure a reward cap per participant.

* Once the limit is reached, future referrals are placed in a pending status for manual review
* This works in combination with Advocate’s built-in fraud detection and referral security features

{% hint style="info" %}
**Example**: Set a limit of 10 gift card rewards per user to avoid over-incentivization.
{% endhint %}

#### What the Participant Receives

When a participant earns a gift card reward:

* They receive a redemption email from Tango Card, with instructions to select their gift card
  * If you’ve set up custom Tango Card email templates using ETIDs, the participant will receive your branded messaging
* They also receive any transactional emails you’ve configured in your program (e.g., “You earned a reward!”)

If you’ve set a reward pending period in your Program Rules:

* The Tango Card email and reward will only be sent after the pending period ends
* However, you can still trigger your transactional email immediately on conversion. This is recommended so you can:
  * Let users know a reward is on the way after the pending period
  * Prompt them to watch for the Tango Card email (which may be missed or filtered)

#### Get support

For questions about different gift card offerings, account funding, or troubleshooting issues reported by your customer advocates, reach out to [Tango Card's support team](https://www.tangocard.com/contact-us) .

For other support requests, including program rule configuration, contact our [support team](https://app.impact.com/secure/advertiser/support/customer-support-portal-flow.ihtml).
