Giftify's CardCash.com Leverages NBA Playoff Enthusiasm to Accelerate Platform Growth

Rhea-AI Summary

CardCash.com, a subsidiary of Giftify (NASDAQ: GIFT), is experiencing significant growth during the sports playoff season. The platform reports a 21% increase in unique customers and a 13% rise in order volume during playoffs compared to pre-playoff periods. CardCash.com is offering up to 37% discounts on NBA Store gift cards and seeing substantial increases in gift card usage across sports retailers: Nike (+12%), Dick's Sporting Goods (+27%), and REI (+26%). This growth coincides with strong sports viewership, with NBA Playoff games averaging 4.4M viewers, up 13% year-over-year. The platform's ability to adapt to seasonal trends and offer significant discounts positions it well to capitalize on increased sports merchandise demand while providing value to inflation-conscious consumers.

Positive

• 21% increase in unique customers during playoffs
• 13% rise in order volume compared to pre-playoff periods
• Significant gift card usage growth: Dick's Sporting Goods +27%, REI +26%, Nike +12%
• Strategic alignment with growing sports viewership and merchandise sales
• Platform's demonstrated ability to adapt to seasonal consumer trends

Negative

• None.

Insights

E-commerce Growth Strategist

CardCash.com shows strong operational growth during sports playoffs with 21% more customers and 13% higher order volume, effectively capitalizing on seasonal consumer spending.

Giftify's CardCash.com is demonstrating impressive operational momentum by strategically leveraging the current sports playoff season. The platform reports a 21% increase in unique customers and a 13% rise in order volume during playoffs compared to pre-playoff periods - concrete evidence of effective customer acquisition tied to seasonal consumer interests.

The company's marketplace flexibility is particularly noteworthy, with gift card usage spikes across major sports retailers: 12% for Nike, 27% for Dick's Sporting Goods, and 26% for REI versus previous 28-day averages. This adaptability allows CardCash to quickly align offerings with consumer demand patterns.

CardCash's ability to offer substantial discounts (up to 37% off NBA Store cards) creates a compelling value proposition for inflation-conscious consumers during a period of heightened spending interest. This positioning as a value intermediary between price-sensitive fans and their desired merchandise demonstrates sound strategic execution.

The platform's growth aligns perfectly with broader market tailwinds, including ESPN's 13% viewership increase for NBA Playoffs and the NBA's 21% growth in jersey sales compared to last year. This correlation suggests management has correctly identified and executed against a validated market opportunity.

While these operational metrics show positive momentum, investors should note the comparisons are to pre-playoff periods rather than year-over-year figures, which would provide better context for evaluating sustainable growth. Additionally, the release focuses on transaction volumes rather than financial impact, making it difficult to assess the revenue significance of these increases.

The demonstrated ability to capitalize on seasonal consumer behavior indicates a nimble operational approach that could potentially be applied to other vertical markets throughout the year, creating more consistent performance across what would otherwise be highly seasonal business cycles.

Platform Reports Up to 37% Discounts on NBA Store Cards as Playoff Viewership Surges 13% Year-Over-Year

SCHAUMBURG, IL, May 08, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Giftify, Inc. (NASDAQ: GIFT) (the "Company"), the owner and operator of CardCash.com and Restaurant.com, and a leader in the incentives and rewards industry, today announced that its subsidiary CardCash.com is experiencing substantial transaction volume growth during the ongoing sports playoff season, driving increased user acquisition for the Company.

With NBA and NHL playoffs in full swing and the MLB season building momentum, CardCash.com is strategically leveraging unprecedented levels of fan enthusiasm and spending. The platform features significant discounts on gift cards from popular sports retailers, including up to 37% off NBA Store cards, enabling fans to purchase team merchandise at substantially reduced prices.

"We're seeing a 21% increase in unique customers and a 13% rise in order volume during the playoffs compared to pre-playoff periods," said Ketan Thakker, CEO of Giftify. "This surge in activity demonstrates the flexibility of our business model to capitalize on seasonal consumer interests."

CardCash.com's ability to quickly adjust marketplace offerings to align with seasonal trends provides Giftify with a competitive advantage in the gift card marketplace sector. The platform has seen Nike gift card usage jump 12%, Dick's Sporting Goods rise 27%, and REI climb 26% compared to the previous 28-day average.

This flexibility allows the platform to offer consumers compelling value, particularly important as inflation concerns continue to impact retail spending patterns.

The increase in CardCash.com transaction volume aligns with record-breaking sports viewership and merchandise sales across major leagues:

• ESPN platforms are averaging 4,448,000 viewers for NBA Playoff games, up 13% from last year, with certain matchups peaking at over 10 million viewers¹
• The NBA reported a 21% increase in jersey sales on NBAStore.com compared to the same period last year²
• MLB recorded its largest attendance in seven years with over 71 million fans in 2024, while its streaming platform MLB.TV set a new high of 14.5 billion minutes watched³
• NHL merchandise sales continue to surge, with fans increasingly preferring online shopping for team apparel⁴
  

"As sports fans look to maximize their purchasing power without sacrificing their passion for playoff merchandise, CardCash provides the perfect solution," said Tom Ochoa, Head of Sales at CardCash. "Our platform enables fans to get the gear they want while saving significantly during these peak engagement periods. The increased user activity we're experiencing isn't just driving immediate revenue—it's expanding our user base with highly engaged consumers who return to our platform for future purchases."

The increased transaction volume during the sports playoff season has the potential to continue as the MLB season progresses and summer sports merchandise sales remain strong.

"The current activity we're seeing from sports-related gift card transactions demonstrates the resilience and adaptability of our business model," added Thakker. "We continue to identify and capitalize on consumer spending patterns across various high-margin vertical sectors, providing value for both our users and our shareholders."

For more information, visit www.cardcash.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 and Restaurant.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. 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 at over 184,000 restaurants and retailers.

For more information, visit: www.giftifyinc.com, www.cardcash.com and www.restaurant.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

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¹ Rajan, R. (2025, May 1). ESPN platforms averaging largest NBA playoffs audience ever through 11 games. ESPN Press Room U.S. https://espnpressroom.com/us/press-releases/2025/04/espn-platforms-averaging-largest-nba-playoffs-audience-ever-through-11-games/

² From NBA.com Staff. (2025, April 14). Luka Dončić leads way among top-selling NBA jerseys in 2024-25 season. NBA. https://www.nba.com/news/top-selling-jerseys-2024-25-nba-season

³ The reasons why baseball ratings are improving. (2025, May 6). Temple Now | news.temple.edu. https://news.temple.edu/news/2025-04-24/reasons-why-baseball-ratings-are-improving

⁴ Mehra, A. (2025, April 17). NHL merchandise in Canada: Playoffs fuel a retail surge. Retail Insider. https://retail-insider.com/articles/2025/04/nhl-merchandise-in-canada-playoffs-fuel-a-retail-surge

FAQ

What discounts is CardCash.com offering on NBA Store gift cards during the 2025 playoffs?

CardCash.com is offering up to 37% discounts on NBA Store gift cards during the 2025 playoff season.

How much has GIFT's CardCash.com customer base grown during the playoff period?

CardCash.com has seen a 21% increase in unique customers and a 13% rise in order volume during the playoffs compared to pre-playoff periods.

Which retailers are seeing the highest gift card usage growth on CardCash.com during the 2025 playoffs?

Dick's Sporting Goods leads with a 27% increase, followed by REI at 26%, and Nike at 12% compared to the previous 28-day average.

How has NBA playoff viewership changed in 2025 compared to the previous year?

ESPN platforms are averaging 4,448,000 viewers for NBA Playoff games, representing a 13% increase from the previous year.