Preston to launch its own ‘local currency’ gift card

Preston is set to launch its very own local currency gift card.

A brand-new Preston Gift Card is being launched in the next few weeks to encourage people to spend locally and help aid the recovery of the city centre.

Preston Business Improvement District (BID) is launching the scheme, with a number of popular businesses having already signed up to it.

Local shops, restaurants, cafes, bars, leisure attractions, beauty services, hotels and more, are being urged to sign up to accept the card, for free, thanks to the BID funding the scheme.

The idea is that customers purchase a pre-loaded gift card online – of between £10 and £200 value – which they can then use themselves or give as a present.

The card can be spent just like any other card allowing customers to spread their spend across as many participating businesses as they wish. They will also be able to add to their gift card value by spending over the amount and paying the difference themselves.

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The Preston Gift Card, which will only be able to be spent in the city centre, has been developed in partnership with brand-leader, Miconex.

The aim is that the card will be accepted in over 100 city centre businesses – including independents and national brands – within the next few months.

Jonathan Halton, BID’s lead for the Gift Card said: “We want to work with a minimum of 100 businesses in the coming months to ensure the card is widely accepted and that users have an abundance of choice on where to go, and what to buy.

“We are excited to launch this product and shout loudly from the rooftops that spending locally matters.”

The hope is people who purchase a card will be able to discover new participating businesses that they may not have tried before, while also supporting some of their regular favourite places.

Omar Mitha, from Ocean Designer Menswear on Cannon Street, the first independent retailer to sign up to accept the card, said: “We’re really proud to be the first independent business in Preston to sign up to accept the Preston Gift Card. We’re passionate about Preston and to see our great city succeed.

“We’ll be accepting the card as a payment method and would encourage other businesses to back the BID and sign up to accept it too, so we, as a community, can see more monies kept within our local community”.

Read more: Will you take the Preston Pledge?

Michelle Ragozzino, General Manager of popular late-night venue Baker Street, said: “We jumped at the chance to be one of the city’s first bars to sign up to accept the Preston Gift Card.

“We think it’s a great idea, to keep money circulating in the local economy at the same time as providing a brilliant gift for people to spend in lots of great places in our fab city centre, including Baker Street.”

A website will launch soon for purchasing the cards.

Will you be purchasing a Preston Gift Card? Let us know in the comments below