Key Takeaways
- By 2030, 42% of payments leaders surveyed expect an AI concierge to recommend, select and send gift cards without consumers ever visiting a retailer’s website or app.
- A quarter of payments leaders are already building or piloting agentic commerce and another 47% are exploring it
Artificial intelligence (AI) could fundamentally change how consumers discover, select and purchase gift cards, according to Blackhawk Network (BHN), a global branded payments leader.
According to BHN’s AI & Branded Payments Study, 42% of the payments leaders surveyed believe AI will most likely reshape consumers’ path to purchasing gift cards through an AI concierge by 2030. This assistant will recommend a gift card, select the value and send it— without the consumer ever visiting the retailer’s website or app.
Additionally, 32% expect AI will recommend gift cards based on a recipient’s interests, past purchases and preferences, while 24% expect AI assistants to purchase and deliver the right gift card for preapproved occasions.
How Will AI Change the Way Consumers Buy Gift Cards?
AI has the potential to change not only how consumers find the right gift, but how that purchase ultimately gets made, said Talbott Roche, CEO and president of BHN.
“As AI assistants take a more active role in shopping, brands will need to consider how they remain discoverable, relevant and connected to customers when agents are helping determine what gets purchased,” said Roche in a statement.
How Are Businesses Preparing for Agentic Commerce in Branded Payments?
Businesses are already beginning to prepare for that shift— 25%of the payments leaders surveyed said they are building or piloting for agentic commerce, while another 47% are actively exploring what it means for their branded payments programs. Another 25% are aware of agentic commerce but have not yet taken action, while just 8% said they are not thinking about it yet.
Thirty-five percent of businesses surveyed also identified customer experience as an area where they expect AI to have the greatest impact on branded payments over the next four years. The research found businesses are looking for better data and analytics and more personalized gifting experiences as they consider how to put AI to work within their programs.
“For brands, the broader opportunity is to make stored value more useful in the moments when consumers are ready to act, while still giving them transparency and control over the experience,” Roche said.
Download BHN’s AI & Branded Payments Study here.
