Add Digital Gift Cards to Your Holiday Sales With CTI

Turn a routine wireless visit into an opportunity to help a customer find a holiday gift. Explore how CTI's digital gift card offering can fit your store, your customers, and your seasonal sales plan.

Digital gift card resale gives wireless retailers another product to offer customers who already visit for activations, refills, or other services. During the holiday season, that additional product can answer a different question at the same counter: “What can I give someone who is hard to shop for?”

CTI's digital card offering includes third-party gift cards alongside other digital products. For a dealer planning the final months of 2026, the opportunity is specific: help customers purchase a gift through a retail location they already know, without stocking a display of physical gift cards.

A useful launch begins with the products your customers recognize, the sales channel CTI enables for your business, and a clear explanation of what the buyer receives.

Why holiday gifting belongs in the wireless-store conversation

Holiday shoppers do not arrive with only one purchase in mind. Someone stopping in for a refill may also be looking for a small gift for a relative, coworker, or friend. A relevant gift card gives that customer another purchase to consider during the visit.

NRF's 2025 holiday research found that 43% of shoppers planned to buy at least one gift card. That is historical evidence about gift cards overall, rather than a digital-only result or a forecast for 2026. For retailers, it offers a reason to test a gifting assortment with their own customers.

The store's role is to make the choice easy. Customers should quickly understand which brands are available, what amounts they can purchase, and how the recipient will redeem the gift.

What your store can explore through CTI

CTI describes digital gift card categories that include shopping, dining, entertainment, and gaming. The active merchant selection and available products depend on the current catalog. Start by asking which options CTI can make available to your business, rather than advertising a brand before access is confirmed.

This is a resale opportunity: the customer purchases a gift card for a supported merchant or service. It is a separate use case from giving someone a virtual prepaid card as an activation incentive. Keeping that distinction clear helps the shopper understand the offer and helps your store promote the correct product.

CTI works with wireless dealers and other retail businesses. Its overview of the businesses it serves can help prospective partners understand where their location fits before discussing a digital gift card launch.

Three customer visits where a gift card can make sense

A refill visit. A regular customer comes in to maintain mobile service and mentions holiday shopping. After completing the refill, an associate can point out the available gift card choices. The offer follows an expressed need and keeps the original service visit simple.

A phone purchase. A customer buying a device as a gift may still need something for another person. A digital gift card can serve that separate recipient. Present it as an optional purchase with its own price and terms; do not imply that it is included with the phone or required for activation.

A dedicated gift purchase. A shopper who learns that your store sells digital gift cards may return specifically for one. Give the product a clear place in your store's messaging so customers can recognize that service without needing to ask about a wireless promotion.

These are examples of how the product might fit a visit. The strongest starting point is the situation your own staff hears most often.

Build a small assortment customers can understand

A large catalog is useful only when customers can find an appropriate gift. Begin with a focused selection from CTI's available products, organized around the reasons people shop: a gift for someone who enjoys games, a dining option, or a flexible choice within a familiar retailer.

Use customer questions to narrow that selection. Which merchants do people ask for? What amounts fit their gift budgets? Will the recipient use the card in the supported country and channel? Those answers are more useful than filling a sign with every possible category.

Keep promotional materials synchronized with the actual assortment. If a merchant or denomination is unavailable, update the display before offering it again. A short, accurate menu is easier to sell than a long list that creates uncertainty at checkout.

Choose the sales setup with CTI

CTI presents portal-based distribution and other routes, including POS, kiosk, and API workflows. The right route depends on the business and the setup CTI supports. A retailer exploring an initial launch should discuss the practical starting option rather than assume a custom integration is necessary.

Before selecting a channel, walk through one complete sale with CTI: locate a product, confirm its value and terms, take payment using the approved process, complete fulfillment, and help the customer find the redemption information. Clarify who handles a delivery problem or an unsuccessful transaction.

Once that path is understood, your team can explain the product confidently. Add more channels when there is a clear business reason and CTI has confirmed their availability for your operation.

Make the offer clear at the counter

Use a simple invitation: “Still looking for a holiday gift? Ask us about our available digital gift cards.” A small counter sign and a concise explanation can introduce the category without interrupting the main transaction.

When a customer is interested, show the current choices and explain the delivery and redemption steps for the selected product. Confirm the intended recipient and any details required by the approved fulfillment process. Avoid collecting information that the process does not need.

A digital product should still feel tangible as a purchase. The buyer needs to know what they paid for, how to access it, and where to get help. Follow CTI's approved process for transaction confirmation and customer support.

Confirm the details before promoting your launch

Ask CTI for the information that determines what your store can sell:

• The active merchant catalog, available denominations, and any location or channel restrictions.
• The commercial terms for your business, including product costs, fees, and how reseller earnings are calculated.
• The fulfillment method, redemption instructions, transaction confirmation, and support route.
• The applicable cancellation, refund, and unsuccessful-transaction procedures.

Use those confirmed details in your offer. A card's face value is the amount purchased for the recipient; it does not describe what the retailer earns from the sale.

Give the product a focused October-to-December launch

October: confirm access and test the purchase experience. Select your initial products, verify the customer instructions, and prepare a small display using only approved merchant and product information.

November: introduce the assortment during relevant customer conversations. Note which products shoppers request and whether they understand how the gift reaches the recipient. Adjust the menu or explanation where questions repeat.

December: keep current choices and delivery instructions visible. Last-minute buyers need a clear answer about what is available and how fulfillment works. Promise a delivery time only when the selected product and approved process support it.

Review the initial sales with a few practical questions: Which products sold? How often did a wireless visit include a gift card purchase? Were fulfillment and support manageable? Did the actual earnings justify continuing the assortment? Use that evidence to decide what deserves a place at the counter after the holidays.

Explore a holiday gift card assortment with CTI

A holiday digital gift card offer can give customers another reason to buy from your wireless store. The next step is to identify the products and sales setup CTI can provide for your location.

Review CTI's digital card program, then contact the CTI team to discuss the current gift card catalog, retailer eligibility, commercial terms, and onboarding. Bring a short description of your store and the customers you serve so the conversation starts with the right assortment.

Frequently asked questions

Can a wireless store sell digital gift cards through CTI?

CTI lists wireless dealers and retailers among the businesses its digital product offering serves. Contact the team to confirm your business's eligibility, catalog access, and onboarding requirements.

Do digital gift card sales require physical gift card inventory?

Digital gift cards do not require a stock of physical gift cards. Your store still needs an approved sales and fulfillment setup, plus a clear process for payment, confirmation, and customer support.

Are these gift cards automatically included with a phone activation?

This article describes gift cards sold as separate customer purchases. Any activation incentive or reward is a different offer and requires its own confirmed program terms.

Which brands and gift card values can my store advertise?

Advertise only the merchants, values, and uses confirmed in the current catalog available to your business. Do not assume that examples or denominations shown for a different prepaid product apply to digital gift cards.

How should a retailer get started?

Ask CTI about catalog access, commercial terms, the available sales channel, fulfillment, and support. Confirm those details and test the purchase process before announcing a holiday launch.