‘Downtown Dollars’ e-card program will make shopping Dayton easier
Downtown Dayton Partnership’s initiative launchesMonday.
A new electronic gift-card program is set to launchMonday that will allow users to spend freely at any of their favorite Dayton businesses using a single card.
The DowntownDayton Partnership (DDP) announced Friday the creation of an e-gift card program calledDowntownDollars. Goingon saleMonday, Dec. 7, theDowntown Dollars cards are designed to keep local dollars with Dayton’s downtownbusinesses, including restaurants, pubs, shops and other retail services. DowntownDollars canbe purchased and loaded onto a digital e-gift card, and those dollars can be redeemed at participating locations.
The Downtown Dollars card will be accepted at more than 30 participating downtown merchants, and more vendors will be added soon, according to DDP officials.
“Wewanted to create aprogram thatwas a simpleway for our community to load money into one account but spend at a network of their favorite small businesses in our downtown,” said Sandra Gudorf, theDDP’spresident.“Every time Downtown Dollars are used, we’ll know that money is directly impacting our small businesses in downtown Dayton.”
BeginningMonday, customerscan go to the www.downtowndayton. org/dollars to purchase the e-cards for themselves or to send as a gift cardin a selectedamount. Thepreloaded e-card will then be delivered via email or text message. An option to “print for hand deliver” upon checkout is available.
There is ane-delivery fee of $1, in addition to 5% of the card’s value, which DDP said supports its technology partner.
Benefits of the program, DDP officials said, include: no monthly inactivity fees; Downtown Dollars balance is listeddirectlyonthe card and is updated as it’s used; it’s a great option for a last-minute gift; funds become available immediatelyafterpurchasing; andmonthly reminders are sent via email or text to remind the user that the Down
town Dollars are available.
A“small inactivity fee” does kickin if the cardis not used after 12 consecutive months, DDPofficials said.
Downtown Dollars is a free programforqualifyingdowntownDayton businesses. For more information, go to www.downtowndayton.org.