Gift certificates online, anyone?

With the Internet poised to challenge traditional commerce with more convenient and cost-effective alternatives for consumers, a local start-up intends to be at the forefront of this transformation with its own convenient solution for gift-giving: gift certificates online.

The recent launch of its website established GCPhilippines.com as a pioneer in the local e-commerce scene. The site boasts of one-stop shopping for gift certificates (GCs) to over 30 local merchants with a combined total of more than 150 brick-and-mortar outlets throughout the country.

Buyers can select a gift certificate, choose a greeting card, write a personal message and have the gift pack delivered straight to the door of their recipients in under 48 hours.

"Gift certificates are an ideal e-commerce product," says VP for marketing Lee Gibson. "They appeal to a broad market spectrum, are easy to ship (very important in a country of 7,000 islands), and consumers do not feel the need to see or touch the product as part of the purchase decision."

These are the same criteria that have made books, CDs, travel and computer software the top-selling categories on the Web.

"Giving a gift certificate is increasingly the trend of choice for gift givers who are pressed for time, and for businesses seeking a flexible incentive or rewards program for employees and customers," Gibson says. According to a study conducted by Incentive magazine in the US, 87 percent of corporations have used gift certificates as an incentive over the past two years.

GCPhilippines.com expects majority of its customers will be Filipinos outside the country looking for a more convenient and affordable alternative for sending gifts to family and friends back home. Last year, Filipinos abroad sent more than $7 billion through the banking system alone.

But while overseas Filipinos may be GCPhilippines.com’s bread and butter, the company’s service offering is already proving attractive to Filipinos at home. To date, more than half of the company’s sales have come from the local market.

An attraction for local and overseas Filipinos alike is that GCPhilippines.com’s merchant partners have retail outlets all over the country. This means that buyers can send a gift certificate to a loved one in Cebu, Davao or even Zamboanga as easily as they can send a gift to Metro Manila.

Over 30 merchants in 11 shopping categories have enlisted GCPhilippines.com as an authorized selling agent for their GCs. The list includes leading local retailers like Robinsons Department Store, Powerbooks and Bench, as well as top international brands like Tower Records, the Body Shop and TGI Friday’s.

According to Gibson, "The selections get better every week with recent sign-ups like National Bookstore and Enchanted Kingdom."

Locally engineered, the GCPhilippines.com website is nothing short of world-class. As one of the country’s few fully integrated e-commerce sites, transactions are processed in "real time" and buyers can purchase with major credit cards issued both locally and abroad.

"We want to deliver an effortless shopping experience that’s both safe and secure – one that even someone new to the Internet will feel comfortable with," Gibson says.

Conscious of concerns over buying on the Net, the company has spared no expense to ensure a safe purchase environment for its customers. The site uses 128 bit encryption for SSL (Secured Sockets Layer) as compared to standard levels of 48 or 56. This technology makes it virtually impossible for anyone to intercept credit card numbers or other sensitive information.

To provide the customer with a fast and responsive site, the GCPhilippines.com server is hosted in Atlanta and is connected directly to the US Internet backbone.

GCPhilippines.com promises a user-friendly website, extensive selection of merchants, a high level of transaction security, timely delivery, and excellent customer service. Visit the site at http://www.gcphilippines.com.