3 Gift Cards Selling Business Success Stories [2026]
We all love receiving gifts from friends for occasions such as birthdays, weddings, or festival celebrations like Christmas and Easter. As times change, people's tastes and preferences are changing rapidly, and offering variety is the best way to fulfill customers' expectations.
Therefore, if you are looking for a good business idea, you may consider setting up a gift card shop at a convenient location. A strip mall with high traffic of target customers makes a good choice for a gift card business.
In this list, you'll find real-world gift cards selling business success stories and very profitable examples of starting a gift cards selling business that makes money.
1. Thankbox ($420K/year)
Val, the founder of Thankbox, came up with the idea while working as a contractor and noticed the challenges of organizing a card and cash collection for team occasions. After realizing there was no existing solution that covered both aspects, Val launched Thankbox in May 2020. Through strategic marketing and design improvements, Thankbox experienced rapid growth and generated over $2 million worth of gift cards since its launch.
How much money it makes: $420K/year
How much did it cost to start: $2.5K
How many people on the team: 3
30-year-old Val shares how she founded Thankbox, an online group card and gift collection service in Scotland that has been used to send over 40,000 cards, issued over $2 million worth of gift cards, and now pulls around $25k in revenue per month, with plans to expand and offer physical versions of cards.
2. EcardForest Ltd ($180K/year)
Driven by the pandemic and the need for digital greeting cards during remote work, Dayana Doncheva founded EcardForest. Frustrated by the lack of European-focused options, she assembled a team and launched the company with a viable product. EcardForest now generates over $15K in monthly revenue and prioritizes environmental sustainability and user privacy.
How much money it makes: $180K/year
How much did it cost to start: $30K
How many people on the team: 3
EcardForest, a digital greeting card company that allows multiple people to sign and send ecards, generated over $15K in monthly revenue by prioritizing environmental protection and privacy, optimizing their website for speed and user experience, and investing in quality and advertising, while remaining agile and efficient.
3. Periwinkle Greetings, LLC ($12K/year)
Candace McGinn, the founder of Periwinkle Greetings, came up with the idea after surviving cancer and embracing her passion for photography. Inspired by the beauty of a full moon reflecting over the ocean, Candace used a unique printing technology to create stunning metal greeting cards. With a focus on artistry and sustainability, Periwinkle Greetings aims to revolutionize the greeting card industry.
How much money it makes: $12K/year
How much did it cost to start: $15K
How many people on the team: 1
Periwinkle Greetings uses Dye-sublimation to create unique metal greeting cards that can be displayed as art, with an average monthly revenue of $1000, and plans to pivot to B2B sales in 2023.
