Digimarc and Zebra Technologies Team Up to Dramatically Reduce Gift Card Fraud and Improve the Shopping Experience

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Key Terms

point of sale technical

A point of sale is the place where a retail transaction occurs, such as a checkout counter in a store or an online shopping page. It is where goods or services are exchanged for payment, often involving a cash register or digital payment system. For investors, the point of sale indicates where sales happen, helping to measure a company's revenue and customer activity.

digital security layer technical

A digital security layer is a set of protective measures that safeguard online information and transactions from unauthorized access or attacks. Think of it as an invisible shield around digital data, similar to how security guards or locked doors protect physical valuables. It matters to investors because it helps ensure their digital assets and sensitive information remain safe, reducing the risk of financial loss or fraud.

multi-plane scanners technical

Multi-plane scanners are advanced imaging devices that capture detailed pictures of objects from multiple angles simultaneously. They help create comprehensive, three-dimensional views, making it easier to identify features or detect hidden details. For investors, understanding this technology is important because it enhances accuracy and efficiency in fields like security, manufacturing, and medical diagnostics, potentially influencing the development and adoption of new tools and services.

on-scanner software technical

On-scanner software is the program that runs directly on medical imaging machines (like MRI, CT or PET scanners) to control how images are captured and immediately process and display results. For investors it matters because this built-in software can improve scan quality, speed, and workflow like a smartphone app that makes a camera take better pictures, and it can create competitive differentiation, drive upgrade and service revenue, and carry regulatory and compatibility implications.

Items Per Minute (IPM) technical

Items per minute (ipm) measures how many units of a product or item are produced, processed, or moved within one minute. It helps gauge the speed and efficiency of manufacturing or operational processes, similar to how counting cars passing a point per minute shows traffic flow. Higher ipm values generally indicate faster production, which can be important for evaluating a company's ability to meet demand and control costs.

12/04/2025 - 08:00 AM

Zebra handheld imagers are first to market with Digimarc-enabled scanner software that automatically detects tampered gift cards and prevents card activation at the point of sale.

BEAVERTON, Ore. & LINCOLNSHIRE, Ill.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Digimarc Corporation (NASDAQ: DMRC), a leading provider of digital identity and authentication technologies, is working with Zebra Technologies Corporation (NASDAQ: ZBRA), a leading global provider of connected frontline, asset visibility and automation solutions powered by AI, to help retailers and brands fight gift card fraud.

By configuring their front-of-store scanners to detect Digimarc’s new digital security layer for gift cards, Zebra plays a key role in helping retailers automate the detection of tampered cards to help prevent their activation and sale. Digimarc’s end-to-end solution is over 3x more secure than “card-only” security features and removes the need for cashiers to manually inspect or otherwise prepare cards prior to scan. This combination helps protect retailers, brands, and consumers from the financial losses of fraudulent gift cards and accelerates checkout.

“Zebra’s devices, including the DS8100 handheld and MP7000 multi-plane scanners, were utilized for our first in-store rollout with a grocery retailer that uses Zebra’s solutions across all of their store locations,” said Ken Sickles, Digimarc’s Chief Product Officer. “Their devices have performed brilliantly, and the results to date have exceeded all expectations. From zero incidents of fraud to faster card scanning and a simplified cashier workflow enabling reduced checkout times, the results have delighted cashiers and consumers as well as the broader gift card ecosystem.”

In preparation for the retail industry rolling out Digimarc’s new gift card solution, Zebra is planning to include the newest version of Digimarc’s on-scanner software across its retail scanner portfolio. This latest release will deliver even greater tamper detection and faster gift card scanning than the current version.

“Retailers, cashiers, and consumers demand the best in anti-fraud protection as well as a frictionless checkout experience, and this drives everything we do,” continued Sickles. “The latest version of our on-scanner software improves upon our current offering by delivering a step-change improvement in tamper evidence and first-pass read rates, delivering more robust anti-fraud protection and an improvement in Items Per Minute (IPM).”

In addition to improving the shopping experience, this technology is welcomed by retail associates. According to Zebra’s 18^th annual Global Shopper Study, 78% of associates say they are concerned their store lacks technology to spot safety threats or criminal activities.

“We are planning to roll out Digimarc’s most recent software across more of our retail scanners in early 2026,” said Robert Puric, Vice President General Manager at Zebra Technologies. “Protecting consumers and improving checkout speeds are perpetually front of mind for retailers, and we’re excited to build upon the success of our initial rollout by incorporating the latest version of Digimarc’s on-scanner software across our retail scanner portfolio to help our retailers fight gift card fraud and improve the checkout experience.”

About Digimarc

Digimarc (NASDAQ: DMRC) is building the trust layer for the modern world. As AI accelerates how we produce, share, and interact with the world, the risks of fraud, counterfeiting, and misinformation are growing exponentially. Our innovative, highly scalable, and ultra-secure solutions make it possible for consumers, businesses, and intelligent systems to instantly verify what’s real, protect what matters, and transact with confidence. Digimarc’s solutions for loss prevention, authentication, and digital are built to counter the speed and sophistication of today’s AI-enabled threats. Trusted by the world’s central banks to deter the counterfeiting of global currency, we exist to protect truth in every interaction, spanning both the physical and digital worlds. Learn more at Digimarc.com.

About Zebra Technologies

Zebra provides the foundation for intelligent operations with an award-winning portfolio of connected frontline, asset visibility and automation solutions powered by AI. Organizations globally across retail, manufacturing, transportation, logistics, healthcare, and other industries rely on us to deliver outcomes today while driving innovation for what’s next. Together with our partners, we create new ways of working that improve productivity and empower organizations to be better every day. Learn more at www.zebra.com.

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