Purpose
This article explains the Birthday Gift feature - how it works, how to configure it, and how it applies to consumers and operators.
Overview
Birthday Gift allows Operators to automatically reward eligible consumers during their birth month. Operators can configure a gift as either a balance credit or reward points, and eligible consumers receive the gift in their account along with supporting app messaging.
How Birthday Gift Works
Birthday Gift is configured by location. When the feature is enabled for a consumer’s home location, eligible consumers receive the configured birthday gift during their birth month.
A birthday gift can be configured as one of the following gift types:
- Balance credit: Adds a monetary value to the consumer’s account balance.
- Reward points: Adds points to the consumer’s rewards balance.
When a birthday gift is issued, the system credits the consumer’s account and records the gift in the consumer’s transaction history. If the consumer has app push notifications enabled, they also receive a birthday push notification. The next time the consumer opens the app, or when they tap the push notification, they can see an in-app birthday message.
Birthday gifts are intended to encourage consumer engagement and re-engagement. Consumers do not need to meet a minimum purchase or activity requirement to qualify.
Consumer Eligibility
A consumer is eligible to receive a birthday gift when all of the following are true:
- The consumer has a valid birthday saved on their account.
- The consumer’s home location has Birthday Gift enabled.
- The consumer has not already received a birthday gift in the current calendar year.
If any of these requirements are not met, the consumer does not receive a birthday gift, push notification, or in-app birthday message.
A consumer can receive only one birthday gift per calendar year, even if they are associated with more than one location.
Birthday Timing
Birthday gifts are normally issued on the first day of the consumer’s birth month at 8:00 AM, based on the local time zone of the consumer’s home location.
For example, if a consumer’s birthday is in July and their home location is configured for Birthday Gift, the gift is issued on July 1st at 8:00 AM in that location’s local time zone.
Late Birthday Entry or Late Signup
If a consumer signs up or adds their birthday after the monthly gift run for their birth month has already occurred, the birthday gift is issued on the next monthly gift run.
For example, if a consumer with an April birthday adds their birthday after the April 1st gift run, the gift is issued on May 1st at 8:00 AM.
Consumers in this scenario receive late birthday messaging in the app and, when push notifications are enabled, in the push notification.
Home Location or Configuration Changes
If a location enables Birthday Gift after the monthly gift run has already occurred, or if a consumer changes to an eligible home location after the monthly gift run, the gift is issued on the next monthly gift run.
This is not treated as a late signup scenario. The consumer receives the standard birthday messaging.
February Birthdays and Leap Day
Birthday Gift uses the consumer’s birth month to determine when the gift is issued. February birthdays, including February 29 birthdays, are treated the same. The gift is issued on February 1st at 8:00 AM in the consumer’s home location time zone.
Process
Configure Birthday Gift
Birthday Gift is configured in ADM.
To configure Birthday Gift:
- In ADM, go to Admin > Consumer Engagement > Birthday Gift > Create Birthday Gift.
- A popup will appear with configuration options:
- Select the location or locations where Birthday Gift should be enabled.
- Choose the Gift Type:
- Balance Credit
- Reward Points
- Enter the gift value in the Amount to Add field:
- For balance credit, enter the monetary amount to add to the consumer’s account balance.
- For reward points, enter the number of points to add to the consumer’s rewards balance.
- Review the selected location(s) to confirm the gift type is supported.
- Save the Birthday Gift configuration.
- Select the location or locations where Birthday Gift should be enabled.
Once saved, Birthday Gift is applied to eligible consumers whose home location is included in the configuration.
Gift Type Availability
Balance Credit
Balance credit gifts add a monetary amount to the consumer’s account balance.
Balance credits are treated as account adjustments, and are included in EFT charges.
Reward Points
Reward point gifts add points to the consumer’s rewards balance.
Reward point gifts are available only for locations using Enhanced Rewards. Reward point gifts are not supported for locations using Legacy Loyalty.
If reward points are selected for a location that uses Legacy Loyalty, the reward points do not apply to that location.
Consumer App Experience
When an eligible consumer receives a birthday gift, the app reflects the gift in the appropriate account areas.
Balance Credit Gifts
If the gift is a balance credit, the amount is added to the consumer’s account balance. The updated balance is shown anywhere the account balance is normally displayed, such as the home screen, wallet, and pay flows.
For example, if a consumer has a $3.00 balance and receives a $2.00 birthday gift, the updated balance is $5.00.
Reward Point Gifts
If the gift is reward points, the points are added to the consumer’s rewards balance. The updated points are shown in rewards areas of the app.
Birthday reward points also count toward the consumer’s rewards status tier, including annual points earned and progress toward the next tier.
For example, if a consumer has 100 points and receives a 50-point birthday gift, the updated rewards balance is 150 points.
Push Notifications
If the consumer has push notifications enabled, a push notification is sent when the birthday gift is issued.
The standard push notification with celebratory emojis will read:
- Title: It’s Your Month!
- Message: Enjoy your birthday treat
For late birthday gift scenarios, the push notification will read:
- Title: Surprise!
- Message: A little late—but your birthday gift is here
When the consumer taps the push notification, the app opens to the Home screen and displays the birthday popup.
Push notification content is not customizable.
In-App Birthday Popup
The in-app birthday popup is shown after the birthday gift is issued. It displays on the consumer’s first eligible app open, and is shown once per calendar year.
The standard birthday popup will read:
- Title: Happy Birthday!
- Message: It’s your birth month! We’re celebrating you with X on us. Enjoy your gift and treat yourself.
- Button: “View my gift
In the message, X is replaced with the configured gift value, such as $3.00 or 100 points.
For late birthday gift scenarios, the popup will read:
- Title: Happy Birthday!
- Message: Looks like you missed your birthday credit earlier—but we’ve got you covered! We’ve added X to your account so you can still celebrate. Treat yourself!
- Button: View my gift
Selecting View my gift takes the consumer to the Receipts page, where the gift appears in their transaction history.
In-app popup content is not customizable.
Transaction History
Each birthday gift creates a transaction history entry on the Receipts page.
The transaction entry includes:
- Label: Birthday Gift
- Source: My Account
- Gift value: shown as either a currency amount or reward points.
- Amount is displayed in green, as consistent with other funding events.
The Birthday Gift transaction entry is informational only and cannot be selected.
Additional Impacts
Reporting and EFT
Balance credit gifts are treated as account adjustments and are included in EFT charges.
Rewards Status
Reward point gifts count toward the consumer’s rewards status tier when the location uses Enhanced Rewards. This can affect the consumer’s annual points earned and progress toward the next tier.
FAQ
Can an Operator configure more than one location at a time?
Yes. Birthday Gift can be configured for multiple locations at the same time.
What gift types are available?
Operators can configure either a balance credit or reward points.
Can all locations use reward point birthday gifts?
No. Reward point birthday gifts are available only for locations using Enhanced Rewards. They are not supported for locations using Legacy Loyalty.
Can a location without a rewards program use Birthday Gift?
Yes. Locations without a rewards or loyalty program can use Birthday Gift when the gift type is balance credit.
When is the birthday gift issued?
Birthday gifts are normally issued on the first day of the consumer’s birth month at 8:00 AM, based on the consumer’s home location time zone.
What happens if a consumer adds their birthday after their birth month gift run?
The consumer can receive the gift on the next monthly gift run if they meet all eligibility requirements.
Can a consumer receive more than one birthday gift in a year?
No. A consumer can receive only one birthday gift per calendar year.
Does the consumer need to make a purchase to qualify?
No. There is no minimum purchase or activity requirement.
What happens if push notifications are disabled?
The consumer can still receive the birthday gift and in-app birthday popup, but they do not receive the push notification.
Can Operators customize the push notification or popup message?
No. Push notification and popup customization are not included in the initial release.
Where can consumers see the birthday gift after it is issued?
Consumers can see the updated balance or rewards points in the app. They can also view the Birthday Gift entry on the Receipts page.
Do reward point birthday gifts count toward rewards tiers?
Yes. Reward point birthday gifts count toward the consumer’s rewards status tier, including annual points earned and progress toward the next tier.