A digital e-card version of the York Gift Card is to be available this Christmas.

The announcement, shared by York BID, means that the prepaid Mastercard, intended for use in businesses in York's city centre to "lock money in" to the community, will be distributable by organisations to their staff, clients, and customers online.

Previously, organisations were only able to issue physical York Gift Cards as rewards.

The York Gift Card was launched by York BID as a not-for-profit scheme in October 2019, and "over 350 businesses" are apparently now partnered with the card.

Additional functionality means cards can be sent by organisations to multiple people at once; cards can be scheduled to send immediately as well as on a future date; cards can be activated with any email address; and cards can be forwarded to another person.

The government’s Trivial Benefits scheme allows an organisation to give their staff a non-cash gift of up to £50 with no tax or National Insurance to pay, said a York BID spokesperson.

York Gift Card recipients will receive an email with an activation code, as well as instructions to download the Love Local app and add the gift card to their digital wallet.

Recipients are then able to "tap to pay" with the card at participating businesses.

Carl Alsop, operations manager at York BID, said: "We know that at this time of year, organisations are beginning to think about how to reward their staff for Christmas, and our aim with the digital enhancements is to make it easy for organisations to support local this Christmas by choosing a reward option that ensures their investment is locked into the local community.

"For organisations already using physical York Gift Cards for their team, the digital option presents a new opportunity to reward their team with an e-card that can be delivered on a date and time of their choosing, taking the headache out of choosing a gift."

More information is available at https://www.theyorkbid.com/york-gift-card/