News & Events

Check here for regular announcements and updates from HQGiftFlex® Limited. This is where we'll announce the most recent additions to our web sites. If you've visited us before and want to know what's changed, take a look here first.

May 2006

SCL & HQGiftFlex® launch the first Shopping centre Gift Card Programme in Ireland

Forget the paper gift vouchers & book tokens of yesteryear; the future for gift giving has arrived in the shape of the pre-paid debit card. SCL & HQGiftFlex® are excited to have launched Ireland’s very first.

Gift Cards are the modern equivalent of the antiquated paper Gift Voucher but they use up-to-date technology. Based on MasterCard’s Maestro® platform and branded by the issuing shopping centre, this innovative idea gives both the giver & recipient greater choice, convenience and flexibility, making paper vouchers a thing of the past.

HQGiftFlex® is a joint venture of GiftFlex Ltd and HQ Gift Cards LLC and was set up specifically to address the Shopping Centre Gift Card market in Europe. Capitalising on HQ Gift Cards US experience and GiftFlex’s knowledge of the European market, HQGiftFlex® is paving the way to a successful roll-out of many Shopping Centres in the UK, Ireland and the rest of Europe.

HQGiftFlex® Irish launch has built on the US success story of HQ Gift Cards LLC & SCL, but has been specifically tailored for the Europe market. In the United States, Electronic Gift Cards have taken the Shopping Centre Gift Voucher market by storm. The European version, using MasterCard® Maestro® infrastructure is set to replicate the benefits for the European consumer and retailer alike. The Irish launch began with Dundrum Shopping Centre in Dublin. This very busy mall was an ideal starting point for what is set to be a mass roll out of the tailor-made programme's.

The fortunate recipients of Gift Cards are able to spend the loaded value in any of the retailers within the shopping centre rather than being restricted to a specific outlet, chain or product type. Acceptability, ease of use & product familiarity are some of the most obvious benefits of Gift Cards for the consumer. Once issued, a Maestro® HQGiftFlex® Gift Card can be used like any other Maestro® payment card until the funds are completely depleted, offering the cardholder the largest choice of retailer and products. Mall Owners will benefit from improved reporting, security, financial control, ease of administration, reduced costs and a ‘hassle-free’ programme.

From a Shopping Centre’s perspective, Electronic Gift Cards are far more cost effective than the older paper version, and relieve the Shopping Centre management from day to day issues such as reconciliation & merchant acceptance.

SCL's automation software UltraPoS processed almost 3,500,000 Gift Cards with a staggering combined value of just under $200,000,000 in the US last December alone. This was with HQGiftFlex® US Gift Card partners HQGiftFlex® Gift Cards LLC who are proud to be the world’s largest independent operators of Gift Card programme's. The development of their partnership withHQGiftFlex® in the UK and SCL’s robust technology platform UltraPoS surely has a recipe for success.

Philippe Cherpin of HQGiftFlex® says; “We are delighted with the product and services supplied by SCL, it gives us the edge in addressing all major issues related to selling and activating Gift Cards from a Shopping Centre. We are confident that, given SCL’s vast experience in the US, coupled with our understanding of the European payment and Shopping Centre market place, we will capitalise on a seamless roll-out throughout the United Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland and, moving forward, the rest of Europe”.

News & Events.

GiftFlex® Terms & Conditions

creativevenom & decode.uk