By Emily Shap

This week merchant services leader PaymentMax introduced a new gift card designed especially for salons. The new “Salon Trends” gift card lets salons provide an effective incentive for customers to return again and again.

In an industry where return customers are a major source of profits, leading salons nationwide are looking for new ways to keep customers coming back. “Walk-in or new clients are often asked to fill out an informational card with their telephone number and home

address when they come in for service. This information is used to verify appointments and send coupons, but it is also being used to send new clients ‘Thank You’ card with enclosed gift card,” said Diane Kraatz, Account Executive with PaymentMax.

The salon trends gift card carries a small balance a customer can apply for a future purchase. The gift card provides two important benefits: Customers are thanked for trying the salon and are invited to come back and use the gift card any way they like to purchase products or services. “New clients now have one more reason to come back to your salon, increasing your repeat business. Clients truely feel appreciated!” Kraatz said.

Salon trends gift cards are available from PaymentMax, one of America’s leading merchant services providers specializing in small, medium-sized, and online businesses. The gift cards can be custom designed to fit a salon’s taste. There are many designs to choose from. “Gift cards are convenient. They are only activated by the salon’s cash register, reloadable, and processed with their point-of sale-machine,” Kraatz pointed out.

Industry observers say plastic gift cards are quickly replacing paper gift certificates in our increasingly electronic world. Gift cards have been shown to increase revenue, introduce new clients, establish a salon’s brand, and create customer loyalty.