Town hails ‘new era for Pontypridd’ ahead of shop local gift card launch.

Pontypridd businesses are being encouraged to sign up to a collaborative gift card project for the town – leaders say the gift card will reflect the changing offering in Pontypridd.

A new gift card to encourage local shopping and drive footfall to Pontypridd will launch before Christmas. All types and sizes of businesses are eligible to accept the Pontypridd Gift Card, free of charge.

Led by Your Pontypridd Business Improvement District, which is funded by businesses in the town centre, the gift card will be available as both a physical gift card and a digital gift card.

James Payne, projects officer at Your Pontypridd Business Improvement District, said the time is right for the town to introduce its own gift card:

“Pontypridd is a market town steeped in history that has navigated not only the pandemic but the floods of 2020 too. However, our businesses have stayed true to the town, moving to bigger and better premises. We’ve also been welcoming many new independent businesses to Pontypridd. The town is holding its own and it’s time to build on that with our own gift card.“Shop local is important to the people of Pontypridd, and they are proud of where they live. Pontypridd is also the gateway to the Valleys with unique attractions like the National Lido of Wales. The Pontypridd Gift Card will gather everything that’s great about Pontypridd into one gift card. It will encourage people to stay local to shop and encourage visitors to our town too. We want as many businesses in Pontypridd to join the card as possible.“We’re fortunate to have lots of large organisations in the area, like Transport for Wales. The Pontypridd Gift Card will offer employers a local option for their employee rewards and incentives. We also have a large student population in Pontypridd, who the gift card will be ideal for, particularly the digital version of the card.“Developing the digital side of Pontypridd is important as part of our move towards the new era of Pontypridd. With all of the development and investment that’s happening in Pontypridd right now, it’s important that we continue to evolve.”

Once launched, the Pontypridd Gift Card will work through the Mastercard system, and can be accepted by registered businesses in the same way as other debit or credit cards. Retail, hospitality, leisure, health & beauty, and services, and both independent businesses and national brands, can join the gift card.

James is encouraging all businesses in Pontypridd to register to accept the cards as an additional payment method:

“As the Pontypridd Gift Card is a Mastercard, businesses don’t need any special equipment. It’s another way for customers to pay, and in this economic climate, it’s important that we find different ways for our levy payers to generate revenue but also make shopping more convenient for visitors. As we approach the key Christmas trading period, being a part of the gift card is a route to new customers and new sales. But more than that, it’s a chance to be involved in an exciting, collaborative project for Pontypridd. Pontypridd is changing, and with the gift card we’ve got the perfect tool to showcase that.” The Pontypridd Gift Card is part of the award-winning Town & City Gift Card initiative active across Wales, including in Swansea, Cardiff, Merthyr Tydfil and Newport.“Shop local is important to the people of Pontypridd, and they are proud of where they live. Pontypridd is also the gateway to the Valleys with unique attractions like the National Lido of Wales. The Pontypridd Gift Card will gather everything that’s great about Pontypridd into one gift card. It will encourage people to stay local to shop and encourage visitors to our town too. We want as many businesses in Pontypridd to join the card as possible.“We’re fortunate to have lots of large organisations in the area, like Transport for Wales. The Pontypridd Gift Card will offer employers a local option for their employee rewards and incentives. We also have a large student population in Pontypridd, who the gift card will be ideal for, particularly the digital version of the card.“Developing the digital side of Pontypridd is important as part of our move towards the new era of Pontypridd. With all of the development and investment that’s happening in Pontypridd right now, it’s important that we continue to evolve.”

The Pontypridd Gift Card is part of the award-winning Town & City Gift Card initiative active across Wales, including in Swansea, Cardiff, Merthyr Tydfil and Newport.

Colin Munro, managing director of Miconex, said it couldn’t be easier for businesses to register to accept the new gift card:

“Registering to accept the Pontypridd Gift Card takes under 10 minutes and involves taking a test transaction, so the business’ payment terminal is registered. The first thing a customer will do when they receive the gift card is go online and see where it can be spent. 50% of cards are used with new businesses and 50% of those go on to become regular customers. People also typically spend 65% on top of the gift card value on redemptions. We look forward to helping lots of businesses in Pontypridd to accept this new local currency for the town.”The Pontypridd Gift Card is part of the award-winning Town & City Gift Card initiative active across Wales, including in Swansea, Cardiff, Merthyr Tydfil and Newport.“Shop local is important to the people of Pontypridd, and they are proud of where they live. Pontypridd is also the gateway to the Valleys with unique attractions like the National Lido of Wales. The Pontypridd Gift Card will gather everything that’s great about Pontypridd into one gift card. It will encourage people to stay local to shop and encourage visitors to our town too. We want as many businesses in Pontypridd to join the card as possible.“We’re fortunate to have lots of large organisations in the area, like Transport for Wales. The Pontypridd Gift Card will offer employers a local option for their employee rewards and incentives. We also have a large student population in Pontypridd, who the gift card will be ideal for, particularly the digital version of the card.“Developing the digital side of Pontypridd is important as part of our move towards the new era of Pontypridd. With all of the development and investment that’s happening in Pontypridd right now, it’s important that we continue to evolve.”

Pontypridd businesses can sign up to accept the new gift card online.