Incentive Gift Card Council

What Incentive Gift Card Council does

The Incentive Gift Card Council (IGCC) is a Strategic Industry Group (SIG) operating within the Incentive Marketing Association (IMA), a nonprofit trade association headquartered at 4248 Park Glen Road, Minneapolis, MN. Founded in 2001, IGCC serves as the leading industry organization dedicated to advancing gift cards, prepaid reward cards, and stored-value products in corporate incentive, recognition, and loyalty programs. Its membership spans brands seeking B2B gift card distribution, vendors providing processing, issuing, and printing services, distributors operating across B2B and B2C channels, agencies and program managers, and program buyers using gift cards in loyalty, rewards, and incentive programs. The organization curates a network of 150+ gift card professionals and operates as an industry hub rather than a product company.

IGCC delivers its value through membership services, networking and convening (anchored by the IMA Summit, with the 2026 edition scheduled for Baltimore, MD on July 20-22), educational programming including Hot Topics webinars on Trends, Fraud, International, and DEIB, industry research such as the Points Liability White Paper, advocacy for gift card usage in corporate incentives, and a vetted provider directory. Distribution is direct, via online membership application (subject to chair approval) and IMA member meetings.

The business model is dues-driven plus sponsorship. IGCC membership requires concurrent IMA membership; Primary IGCC membership is $500 annually plus IMA dues (IMA Primary $500 or IMA Affiliate $125), and Affiliate IGCC membership is $250 annually plus IMA dues. Sponsorship revenue supplements dues, with the 2026 slate led by SVS as Title Sponsor alongside Blackhawk Network and InComm. Revenue is not publicly disclosed. Governance is currently led by IGCC Board President Anne Jetter (elected August 2025) under parent IMA Board President Brian Dodds (elected August 2025).

Name

Incentive Gift Card Council

Legal name

Incentive Gift Card Coalition

Website

https://usegiftcards.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2001

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

The Incentive Gift Card Council (IGCC) is a Strategic Industry Group within the Incentive Marketing Association that serves as the leading trade body advancing gift card and prepaid card usage in corporate incentive, recognition, and loyalty programs, serving brands, vendors, distributors, agencies, and program buyers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Trade Association Membership Services

NAICS

Business Associations (813910), Professional Organizations (81392)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Rewards, Incentives & Gift Card Program Services (MPAAAIAG)

akta.pro secondary industry

Loyalty, Rewards & Incentive Programs (BPAFAMAE)

Keywords

• Gift card industry association
• Corporate incentive programs
• Prepaid card advocacy
• B2B incentive networking
• Stored value industry group

Headquarters

HQ city

Minneapolis

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Incentive Gift Card Coalition (IGCC) is a Strategic Industry Group (SIG) within the Incentive Marketing Association (IMA) that operates as a membership-based trade association advancing the use of gift cards, prepaid reward cards, and stored-value products in corporate incentives, recognition programs, and customer loyalty initiatives. It sells annual membership subscriptions and provides members with networking opportunities, educational resources, industry research, advocacy, an events calendar, and a gift card provider directory.

Product overview

The Incentive Gift Card Council (IGCC) is a strategic industry group (SIG) within the Incentive Marketing Association (IMA) that serves as an industry organization rather than a product company. It provides membership services, networking opportunities, educational resources, industry research, an event calendar, and a directory to connect gift card professionals. The organization facilitates connections between brands, vendors, distributors, agencies, program managers, and program buyers in the corporate incentives space.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• IGCC Membership (Primary and Affiliate) Annual membership subscriptions for individuals from companies in the gift card, prepaid, and stored value industry. Primary Membership is $500 annually for the first individual from a company; Affiliate Membership is $250 annually for additional team members. Requires concurrent IMA membership (IMA Primary $500 or IMA Affiliate $125). Memberships grant access to networking, education, advocacy, and industry resources.
• Gift Card Provider Directory Online directory of vetted gift card providers, including vendors, distributors, and program managers, that facilitates B2B connections within the gift card industry.
• Webinars and Educational Sessions Education sessions covering Hot Topics including Trends, Fraud, International, and DEIB topics, delivered as webinars and virtual events to IGCC members and the broader IMA community.
• Industry Research and White Papers Resource library with research reports and white papers including the Points Liability White Paper, regional reports, and industry guides for the gift card and prepaid card ecosystem.
• Events Calendar and Member Meetings Calendar of industry events, member meetings at the IMA Summit, and networking sessions for IGCC members to connect with the broader incentive industry ecosystem.

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered flagship and core.

• SVS (Title Sponsor)flagshipGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026SVS serves as the Title Sponsor for IGCC 2026. SVS is a leading provider in the gift card and prepaid industry, providing brand visibility and support for coalition activities including educational sessions, resources, research, and industry news.
• Blackhawk NetworkcoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026Blackhawk Network is a 2026 IGCC sponsor. Blackhawk Network is a global provider of prepaid and gift cards, supporting the coalition's educational and networking activities.
• InCommcoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026InComm is a 2026 IGCC sponsor. InComm provides payment technology solutions for prepaid products, supporting IGCC's industry advancement efforts.
• Incentive Marketing Association (IMA)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerIGCC is a Strategic Industry Group (SIG) within the Incentive Marketing Association. This formal structural relationship provides governance, shared resources, and integration with IMA's broader incentive industry ecosystem including other SIGs (IMRA, IESP, ITC, RPI).
• Gift Card Provider Directory PartnerscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorIGCC maintains a directory of gift card providers including vendors, distributors, and program managers that have been vetted through the membership process. This directory facilitates B2B connections within the industry.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Electronic Transactions Association (ETA): The trade association of the payments industry, encompassing many of the same infrastructure players (Blackhawk, InComm, SVS-adjacent) that sponsor IGCC. Comparable as a larger membership organization serving overlapping corporate members in payments and prepaid.
• Promotional Products Association International (PPAI): The largest trade association serving the promotional products industry, with which gift cards compete for corporate incentive budgets. Comparable as a mature membership-based industry association with conventions, education, and advocacy services for the broader promo/incentive ecosystem.
• Direct Selling Association (DSA): National trade association for direct selling companies that extensively use gift cards and incentives in channel programs. Comparable as a membership association with advocacy, education, and member services targeting industries that are heavy buyers of IGCC's member offerings.

Direct peers

• Recognition Professionals International (RPI): A peer Strategic Industry Group within IMA focused on the recognition/rewards segment. Comparable as a membership-based industry group serving adjacent buyers and program managers within the same IMA ecosystem.
• Incentive Marketing Research Alliance (IMRA): Another IMA Strategic Industry Group with a research-oriented mandate for the incentive industry. Directly comparable as a sister SIG sharing members, infrastructure, and the IMA Summit platform.
• Incentive Marketing Association (IMA): IGCC's parent organization and the broader umbrella trade association for the incentive industry. Directly comparable because IGCC is structurally a SIG within IMA, shares the same members, event calendar (IMA Summit), and governance model.
• Incentive & Engagement Solutions Providers (IESP): An IMA SIG representing solution providers in incentive/engagement. Comparable because it operates under the same parent, addresses overlapping members (vendors, agencies, program managers), and co-locates at the IMA Summit.

Emerging players

• The Incentive Research Foundation (IRF): A research-focused organization studying incentive, reward, and recognition programs. Comparable because it operates in the same industry with member-supported research output, partially overlapping with IGCC's educational content (e.g., Points Liability White Paper).
• Merchant Risk Council (MRC): A membership-led community for payments and fraud risk professionals, many of whom work at the same brands and processors involved in gift card programs. Comparable as an event- and education-driven community serving overlapping corporate stakeholders.
• Loyalty & Awards Network: A smaller industry network for the loyalty and rewards sector, covering program buyers and providers. Comparable as a community/networking organization overlapping with IGCC's Program Buyer and Agency/Program Manager segments.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/incentive-gift-card-council

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Incentive Gift Card Council