Between the years 2015 and 2019, the gift card market in Egypt recorded steady growth, particularly with a CAGR of 19.6 percent.
This data disclosed by the Q2 2020 Global Gift Card Survey also indicated that the gift card market in Egypt is expected to be impacted across retail and corporate segments, drawing from the disruption caused by the Covid-19 outbreak.
So yes, Egypt has gift cards and these vouchers are used for buying apps, books, songs, and more. You can also send and receive gift cards in Egypt in exchange for cash. However, not all gift cards are available in Egypt, especially if you want to use gift cards to purchase items.
In the rest of this post, we will look into the gift cards that are available in Egypt and other things you should know about the gift card market in the monumental North African country.
Popular Gift Cards in Egypt?
Mazaya gift cards
Mazaya is a cosmetic store located in Obour city, Egypt. The fashion brand has branches scattered around the city and they have a gift card that customers can use to pay for items. It is similar to Sephora and other fashion-related companies’ gift cards.
People who have Mazaya gift cards can choose to use the card for either buying things online on the Mazaya website or physical stores or sell the gift card to those who need it in exchange for cash (using exchange platforms or P2P marketplaces)
Etam gift cards
Etam is a boutique mall in Egypt. People who shop at this mall are entitled to own a gift card issued by the Etam that facilitates easy transactions after purchasing items from any of their outlets.
The company, just like the most company of this age, would not let their customer spend money elsewhere, so you can only use the Etam gift card to purchase things sold at Etam stores. Though the card can be sold in exchange for fiat currency or crypto using supporting exchange platforms online.
Parfois gift cards
In a mission to make customers enjoy simple and inspiring shopping experiences both offline and online, Parfois issues a gift card that can be loaded using the money for the purchase of items in its stores. The company deals in the sales of apparel, accessories, and female wear.
Tally Weijl gift cards
Online gift cards, vouchers, promotional codes, and discounts apply to transactions made with Tally will online. The shopping store has a gift card that customers can use to experience cashless payments each time they shop at Tally will in Egypt.
Okaïdi gift card
Okaidi is a global French children’s wear brand for boys and girls aged 0 to 14 years with an avalanche of products to buy. They have their Mall gift card that can be used for cashless payments. People who have these gift cards can send them to familiars or friends, sell them, or use them in exchange for cash or other assets.
Other popular online shopping gift cards available for use in Cairo East, Egypt include but are not limited to eBay Gift Card and Amazon Gift Card.
Does Egypt have an iTunes gift card?
Yes, iTunes gift card is used almost everywhere in the world even in places where Apple doesn’t have its recognized outlets there. In Egypt, you can instantly and securely buy or send iTunes gift cards online
There is no limitation to buying apps, books, songs, and more gifts that are available for purchase from Apple Store in Cairo East, Egypt as long as you have an iTunes gift card.
It is worth noting that iTunes gift cards are available from $2 to $400 for any store you want in Egypt.
Is There Steam Gift Card In Egypt?
Yes, Steam gift cards are available in Egypt, but it depends on what you need gift cards for. For example, Codashop in Egypt has announced the official Steam Wallet Gift Cards as a secure and easy way to purchase at their stores.
So you can just select the Steam Wallet Gift Card you wish to purchase, complete the payment, and the Gift Card will be ready for redemption.
Can I buy a gift card in Egypt?
Retailers and malls in Egypt have been launching gift cards, so there is the opportunity to buy or sell these gift cards if you have one already.
Like most African countries, the rapid embrace of gift cards as a payment method is to tap opportunities in this lucrative market segment.
For example, The Mall Gift Card in Egypt is gaining popularity, especially beginning from the moment they began to allow consumers to make purchases in the mall and spend them at restaurants or shops without holding cash.
How Do I Buy And Sell Gift Cards In Egypt?
Buying and selling gift cards can be done from anywhere in the world so long as it is legal in that area and you have access to the internet.
Plenty of online exchange platforms facilitate such transactions, provided you have the details of the gift card and other necessary information related to the purchase. Meanwhile, you have to make sure that the exchange you choose can make payment into your Egypt bank account or any account of your choice and in the preferred currency.
SnappyExchange is the easiest way to buy Bitcoin, gift cards in Egypt. All you have to do is create an account to purchase gift cards of your choice using different payment methods or even sell at favorable rates.
There are other alternatives like Paxful, Gemini, and Tbay among many others that offer gift card services to African countries.
What You Should Know About Gift Card Market In Egypt
Aside from the monumental pyramids and amusing riversides, Egypt is known for its amazing festival periods. During these times, you can expect a boost in the growth of the gift card industry in the country, especially drawing from the rise in demand for Christmas gifts in Egypt.
The adoption of gift cards as payment options and even means of business is not new in Egypt. Over the years, the Corporate segment in Egypt has issued these gift cards to offer rewards and incentives.
This is exemplified in retailers and malls within the country that have launched gift cards to tap opportunities in this lucrative market segment.
Now that one can buy crypto using gift cards, you can expect the use of gift cards in a country like Egypt to skyrocket. Statistics prove that only one-third of the population in Egypt has a formal bank account since most of its populace is seeking alternative methods to trade in cryptocurrencies.
Since people can buy bitcoins and other altcoins using gift cards, the future of the gift card market in Egypt is solid.
Read: Brazil Gift Card
Pros of Using Gift Cards in Egypt
If you do transactions with Gift cards in Egypt, you will notice that it offers several advantages, especially in the area of providing alternative payment methods beyond the conventional cash and use of credit cards.
But there are other advantages which include:
It is an alternative gifting idea to give to family, friends, and loved ones during a special occasions. It is more convenient to give your friend a loaded Mazaya gift card than to go to the store to shop for things that they may not like
It helps to control your spending during your stay in Egypt. Through the use of this card, you can avoid bank overdrafts.
Cons of using Gift Cards in Egypt
Using Gift cards in Egypt can also have some downsides. For example, after purchases are made with a gift card, some extra money may be left on the card as a balance. If you forget to utilize the rest and do not Check your gift card balance, the extra money may end up wasted.
But there are other downsides
Depending on the type of gift card you are using, you may have limited purchasing power. This may help in economizing your spending but using Closed-loop cards harps on this limitation.
Another thing to be wear of is forgetting to register or keep your gift card number, especially if it is an online voucher. Without this number, you could lose the gift card and the money in it.
To put money into the gift card, you may pay money for such services. The fees may be very little but every penny counts. Also, some gift cards charge an inactivity fee if you do not make use of your card for an earmarked period.
Read: Does India Have Gift Card?
Conclusion
Using Gift cards in Egypt can be a convenient and useful substitute for cash, especially when the need to make a purchase or offer a gift to someone arises.
If you are in a North African country, there are no limits to your access to using gift cards but you have to make sure the bandwidth of the card facilitates the transaction you want to make.
Many restaurants, malls, accessory brands, and tech companies based in Egypt (and even foreign ones that have branches in Egypt) offer gift cards that you can own for cashless payment each time you shop in their stores.
Fortunately, these gift cards can be sold in exchange for cash, crypto, or other assets provided by the exchange platform you choose to deal with.
