First Data Launches Gift Card Storefront for Walmart’s UK Retail Chain ASDA

First Data, a global leader in commerce-enabling technology, announced in a press release that it will provide Walmart’s U.K. retail chain, ASDA, with a full-service, B2B eCommerce gift card storefront.

The partnership will make it easier for ASDA, which operates more than 600 stores, to sell its gift cards to other businesses by leveraging First Data’s integrated program management offerings. Program offerings include sales and marketing, customer service and support, security and fraud monitoring, fulfillment and analytics tracking.

“Corporate gift cards are extremely popular and represent a tremendous opportunity for businesses to reward their employees,” said Dom Morea, senior vice president and head of gift solutions at First Data. “First Data’s B2B eCommerce storefront solution allows companies to access this opportunity without using internal resources, giving our clients a simpler way to administer and manage corporate gift card programs.”

First Data — which launched the retail industry’s first third-party gift card program more than 20 years ago — will make it easier for other companies to buy ASDA gift cards. Purchasing representatives will go to an ASDA-branded website managed by First Data and, after logging in, can submit a card order ranging from one single card to hundreds of thousands of gift cards.

There is also the option to have purchased cards activated immediately or to hold them for later use.

“First Data has built an intuitive, comprehensive platform that enables companies to reward and incentivize their employees with ASDA gift cards,” said Katie Walley, head of money and mobile at ASDA.

First Data’s Gift Solutions business segment also includes Gyft, First Data’s digital gift app, as well as closed-loop digital and plastic gift cards, prepaid fraud solutions, marketing advisory services and solutions, enterprise prepaid card processing services, card design, fulfillment and distribution.