Gift an Event: Lift Pre-Christmas Sales with Sticky Tickets Gift Vouchers

Introducing “Gift Vouchers”

Most people remember the experience, not the box it came in. Behavioural research at OUP Academic finds that experiential gifts create stronger satisfaction and even strengthen relationships – exactly the feeling people want at Christmas.

Just as important, Australians now pay mostly with cards and digital wallets, so e-vouchers match how people already shop online – quick, mobile, and last-minute friendly.

And when checkout is clear (no late surprises), more people finish the purchase; “extra costs” are the #1 reason for abandonment in large checkout studies. Keep the path simple and upfront, and completion rates rise.

Gift Vouchers meet the moment, organiser-wide credit that’s fast to buy online, flexible to redeem across your events, and a neat way to bring new people through your doors.

A quick case note: Gift-card research shows the channel tends to drive incremental spend, many recipients redeem more than the voucher’s value (e.g., 42–68% overspend in recent studies). For organisers, that often means higher average order value when the voucher is used for tickets.

Why “Gift an Experience” Works (especially now)

• Fast to buy, perfect for last-minute. E-vouchers fit Australia’s card-first, mobile checkout habits – one link, choose an amount, done.
• Simple to redeem. The recipient can use the voucher on any eligible event you host (you set the rules). Decision friction drops.
• New audience, $0 extra ad spend. Fans gift credit to friends, and you meet first-timers—no new campaign required.
• Steadier cash flow. You bank the voucher sale now; redemptions land across your calendar. Overspend behaviour can lift the eventual basket
• Seasonal message that cuts through. “Give an event experience” is quick to grasp and backed by evidence that experiences are remembered and valued.

Gift Vouchers

• What they are: Store credit for your events (not a one-off promo code). Buyers pick an amount; recipients redeem across any eligible event you’ve enabled.
  Why it works: It’s flexible credit, not a single-event discount so it fits more gifting moments and converts better.
• Built for digital-first Australia: E-vouchers land by email and fit our card-heavy habits – quick to buy, easy to redeem.
• Compliance (AU): Gift cards/vouchers must have a minimum 3-year validity. State the expiry clearly.

How to set it up at Sticky Tickets (about 5 minutes)

Note: vouchers are valid only for the organiser/venue that sold them.

1. Create vouchers in your Sticky Tickets dashboard: Transactions → Vouchers → Create Voucher
2. Make them visible: ensure your Organiser Page is enabled → Gift Vouchers tab
3. Start selling: link from your site, socials, email, and at the door
4. Redemption: at checkout, the buyer enters the voucher code; the amount deducts automatically

What top teams do (and why it works)

• Offer 3–4 amounts (e.g., $25, $50, $100, $200) to speed decisions.
• Name clearly (e.g., “$50 Gift Voucher”) for quick mobile scanning.
• Add a one-liner on your Organiser Page: “Use this voucher on any of our events.”
• Put “Gift Vouchers” in your site menu and on key event pages.
• Keep copy simple and seasonal: “Give an event, not more stuff.” / “Let them choose the date.”
• Promote first where uptake is strongest: theatres, music venues, workshops, classes, community events.

Clear options reduce hesitation; obvious placement means people find vouchers; and a simple promise (“use on any of our events”) matches what persuasion research says people act on immediate, flexible value, presented early (not as a surprise at the end). Keeping the total picture visible up-front also avoids the top abandonment trigger (late “extra costs”).

What to do next

What organisers typically see after launch: faster last-minute conversions in December (mobile + card behaviour makes buying instant), new-to-file attendees coming via gifted credit, and more predictable cash flow. When redemptions happen, many recipients spend above face value, lifting average order value on those transactions.

If you’re the organiser, here’s the play in each lane: theatre – use vouchers to bank demand ahead of openings, fill midweek seats, and convert first-timers (they’ll often top up at checkout); music venues – push vouchers in your gig guide and at the bar for instant mobile gifts, then capture extra spend on drinks and merch when they redeem; workshops – sell “learn-a-skill” credit packs to smooth cancellations and upsell materials or extra sessions; community events -offer simple dollar-value vouchers to widen reach, support fundraisers, and stabilise cash flow for volunteer rosters.

In all cases: surface “Gift Vouchers” in your menu and organiser page, offer 3–4 clear amounts, show terms plainly, and drop a QR code at the counter – easy to sell, easy to redeem, money in sooner.

Get your free voucher check with Sticky Tickets

Want a second set of eyes before you launch? We’ll design the right voucher amounts and placements for your audience – free, with no obligation. Share your event mix and goals (e.g., “new patrons,” “December cash flow”), and we’ll reply with a short, practical plan you can use immediately—whether or not you change platforms.

Get a free, no-obligation voucher consult for your events with Sticky Tickets or set up your first gift voucher in minutes, learn more: https://www.stickytickets.com.au/gift-voucher

Sources 

• Experiences > things (gift psychology). Journal of Consumer Research & Psychological Science summaries. OUP Academic+1 
• Aussie payments reality. RBA: cash down; cards & digital dominate. Reserve Bank of Australia 
• Checkout behaviour. Baymard: “extra costs” are the top abandonment reason; global abandonment ~70%. Baymard Institute+1 
• Overspend on gift cards. Fiserv/PaymentsJournal & other analyses show many recipients spend beyond face value. Fiserv+1 
• 3-year expiry rule (AU). ACCC & Consumer Affairs Victoria. ACCC+1 

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