Giftify Deploys AI-Driven Development Across Restaurant.com Platform, Delivering Optimized Consumer Experience at Accelerated Speed and Scale
Rhea-AI Summary
Giftify (NASDAQ: GIFT) announced on March 5, 2026 that it has deployed AI-driven development practices across Restaurant.com, enabling faster feature delivery and a pipeline of platform improvements. The first live change is a passwordless registration rollout, with additional checkout and deal-discovery upgrades expected in coming weeks. The company says the AI program spans marketing, support, fraud detection, and product development to scale operations more efficiently.
Positive
- Passwordless registration launched on March 5, 2026
- Company-wide AI rollout across marketing, support, fraud, and product
- AI-accelerated pipeline of platform improvements expected in weeks
Negative
- None.
News Market Reaction – GIFT
On the day this news was published, GIFT declined 8.05%, reflecting a notable negative market reaction. Argus tracked a trough of -2.5% from its starting point during tracking. Our momentum scanner triggered 3 alerts that day, indicating moderate trading interest and price volatility. This price movement removed approximately $2M from the company's valuation, bringing the market cap to $25M at that time. Trading volume was above average at 1.9x the daily average, suggesting increased trading activity.
Data tracked by StockTitan Argus on the day of publication.
Market Reality Check
Peers on Argus
GIFT fell 3.04% while momentum-screened peers like GITS, PODC, and ZDGE each moved up. Core peers showed mixed moves, with SCOR up and SJ, BODI, VBIX down, pointing to stock-specific dynamics rather than a coordinated sector move.
Previous AI Reports
| Date | Event | Sentiment | Move | Catalyst |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 13 | AI deployment update | Positive | +15.5% | Enterprise-wide AI deployment delivering operational gains in marketing and customer service. |
| Feb 13 | AI deployment update | Positive | +15.5% | Artificial intelligence rollout improving efficiency, costs, and engagement metrics across operations. |
Prior AI-focused announcements produced clearly positive price reactions, suggesting the market previously rewarded AI execution updates.
Recent history shows Giftify using AI to drive operational efficiency and customer experience improvements. In February 2025, enterprise-wide AI deployments across marketing, sales, and customer service cut response times by 40% and reduced support email volume by 20%, with shares rising about 15.5%. Today’s Restaurant.com AI deployment extends that strategy from back-office and service functions into product development and user experience, deepening the company’s AI-led operating model.
Historical Comparison
Past AI-tagged updates saw an average move of 15.5%. Earlier efforts centered on enterprise-wide efficiency, while this news emphasizes AI-driven product development at Restaurant.com.
AI use has progressed from enterprise operations and customer service to core product development and user experience on Restaurant.com, broadening Giftify’s AI-driven operating model.
Market Pulse Summary
The stock moved -8.1% in the session following this news. A negative reaction despite another AI deployment would contrast with past AI updates that saw about 15.5% gains. With shares below the 200-day MA and near the 52-week low, broader concerns from recent filings about losses, liquidity, and insider selling activity may be outweighing operational AI progress, making the stock more sensitive to risk perceptions than to incremental technology enhancements.
Key Terms
ai-driven development technical
passwordless login technical
fraud detection technical
AI-generated analysis. Not financial advice.
AI integration enables Restaurant.com's technology team to operate with the speed and precision of a much larger organization, rapidly delivering platform upgrades designed to improve user engagement and conversion across the Company's restaurant partner network
SCHAUMBURG, IL, March 05, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Giftify, Inc. (NASDAQ: GIFT) (the “Company”), the owner and operator of CardCash.com, Restaurant.com, and Takeout7.com, and a leader in the incentives and rewards industry, today announced the deployment of AI-driven development practices across Restaurant.com, enabling the Company to deliver an optimized consumer experience at significantly accelerated speed and scale. This AI-powered approach is driving a pipeline of platform improvements designed to improve user engagement, reduce friction, and strengthen customer acquisition across all Restaurant.com's digital dining and deals marketplace.
Restaurant.com's technology team has integrated advanced AI tools across the full development lifecycle—from scoping feature requirements and generating design recommendations to synchronizing development tasks across project management systems. This AI-augmented workflow has enabled Giftify to move from concept to production at a pace that would have previously required significantly larger engineering resources. The initial results of this approach are now live in production, with a pipeline of additional improvements expected to roll out in the coming weeks.
Powered by this AI-accelerated development model, Restaurant.com's current and upcoming enhancements are focused on reducing friction across the full consumer journey—from registration and deal discovery through checkout and redemption. The first phase, now live, eliminates password requirements for new user registration. Additional improvements in the pipeline are designed to streamline checkout, enhance deal discovery, and deliver a faster, more intuitive platform experience for Restaurant.com's growing user base.
Giftify's AI integration strategy extends well beyond a single platform. The Company has been executing a company-wide AI implementation initiative across its portfolio, deploying AI solutions in marketing communications, customer support operations, fraud detection, and now product development. This systematic, multi-platform approach to AI adoption positions Giftify to scale its operations with greater efficiency and speed than traditional models allow—creating a durable competitive advantage as the Company continues to grow its digital ecosystem.
“Integrating AI into our development process has been transformative for Restaurant.com,” said Thomas Butt, Chief Technology Officer of Giftify. “From scoping features and designing user flows to creating and managing development tasks, AI has allowed our team to operate with the speed and precision of a much larger organization. The passwordless login we just launched is the first visible result of this approach, and it’s just the beginning. We have a full pipeline of enhancements that will make Restaurant.com faster, simpler, and more intuitive for our users.”
“AI is fundamentally changing how we build and operate our platforms at Giftify,” said Ketan Thakker, Chief Executive Officer of Giftify. “What we’re doing with Restaurant.com is a clear demonstration of how AI integration creates tangible business value, enabling our team to deliver a better consumer experience faster and more efficiently than traditional development approaches would allow. Restaurant.com’s partners represent a significant growth opportunity, and AI is the engine we’re using to unlock that opportunity at scale.”
As Giftify continues to expand its AI-driven development capabilities across its platform ecosystem, Restaurant.com’s modernized infrastructure is expected to contribute to improved user engagement and stronger value for the Company’s network of restaurant and retail partners. Additional platform updates powered by the Company’s AI development model will be announced as new features are released.
For more information, visit www.restaurant.com or www.giftifyinc.com.
About Giftify, Inc.
Giftify, Inc. is a pioneer in the incentive and rewards industry with a focus on retail, dining & entertainment experiences, as the owner and operator of leading digital platforms, CardCash.com, Restaurant.com, and Takeout7.com. CardCash.com is a leading secondary gift card exchange platform, allowing consumers and retailers to realize value by buying and selling gift cards at various scales from over 1,100 retailers. Restaurant.com is the nation’s largest restaurant-focused digital deals brand, connecting digital consumers, businesses and communities by offering thousands of dining, retail and entertainment deal options nationwide. Takeout7 is a restaurant technology company offering comprehensive online ordering solutions and AI-powered digital marketing services.
For more information, visit: www.giftifyinc.com, www.cardcash.com, www.restaurant.com, and www.takeout7.com.
Forward-Looking Statements
Press Releases may include forward-looking statements. In particular, the words “believe,” “may,” “could,” “should,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “estimate,” “project,” “propose,” “plan,” “intend,” and similar conditional words and expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Any statements made in this news release about an action, event or development, are forward-looking statements. Such statements are based upon assumptions that in the future may prove not to have been accurate and are subject to significant risks and uncertainties. Such statements are subject to a number of assumptions, risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the control of the company. Accordingly, you should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. Although the company believes that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking statements are reasonable, it can give no assurance that its forward-looking statements will prove to be correct. Investors are cautioned that any forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially from those projected. The forward-looking statements in this press release are made as of the date hereof. The company takes no obligation to update or correct its own forward-looking statements, except as required by law or those prepared by third parties that are not paid by the company. Statements in this press release that are not historical fact may be deemed forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Although Giftify, Inc. believes the expectations reflected in any forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, Giftify, Inc. is unable to give any assurance that its expectations will be attained. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from expectations include the company’s ability identify a suitable business model for the corporation.
Investors Contacts: IR@giftifyinc.com
FAQ
What did Giftify (GIFT) announce about AI at Restaurant.com on March 5, 2026?
What live user change did Giftify roll out on Restaurant.com with the AI deployment?
How will the AI changes affect Restaurant.com user experience and partners?
Is Giftify applying AI beyond Restaurant.com and what areas are targeted?
When will additional Restaurant.com platform improvements be released after the March 5, 2026 announcement?
