Description
In the School of Education we have only purchased gift cards available online. This allows us to easily keep track of the when the gift cards are bought and when they are sent to the award recipient. There is no worry about gift cards going missing or keeping a lock-box because of the ease of online orders. The gift card, whether to Amazon, Starbucks, etc, is sent directly to the awardee's email address so you have that confirmation that they have received the card. This makes for an easy reconciliation of receipts.
How does this impact the University?
This limits the potential liability for theft or fraud for the university by not having a physical asset that could be misplaced. It is also more time efficient for staff members to not have to leave their desk and go out to purchase a physical gift card.
Implementation Status
I think it would be a great idea to implement this university wide as it also saves staff members time from having to travel out to purchase a plastic gift card at whatever store. With just about everyone in our culture having an email address that an electronic gift card can be sent, it makes the most sense to move in this direction.
Submitter's Information
Submitter's Name: Timothy Halliday
Submitter's Email: timothy.halliday@ucdenver.edu
Additional Team Members: