Blackhawk Partners with Coinstar to Provide E-Gifts for Change (Dec. 17, 2013)
Blackhawk Network has inked a deal with Coinstar that will give consumers the option of receiving Blackhawk e-gifts in return for change cashed in at Coinstar’s coin-counting kiosks. Under the partnership, the Blackhawk e-gifts are available for no fee, unlike cash vouchers, which are offered to Coinstar customers for a fee that varies by location. E-gifts are available for brands including Gap Inc., iTunes, Lowe’s, Southwest Airlines and Toys R Us, and can be redeemed in-store, online or via mobile device.
“The Coinstar relationship brings our digital network capabilities to the physical retail environment,” said Tomas Campos, general manager, digital, Blackhawk Network. “It expands the convenience of gift cards to the consumer, while increasing revenue opportunities for retailers.”
Blackhawk has been expanding its digital gifting business. Earlier this month, the company announced the acquisition of Germany-based gift card distributor Retailo AG, which operates an extensive digital platform. That deal followed a pact Blackhawk signed with PayPal Inc. in October to make its digital gift cards available via PayPal’s mobile app, enabling users to purchase, redeem and top-up the e-gift cards via mobile device. Meanwhile, Coinstar early this year announced the pilot of a kiosk platform—dubbed Alula—that enables consumers to convert unused funds on gift cards into cash.
