Reward Cards
For Employees In Ireland
Reward employees with meaningful prepaid reward cards designed specifically for employee recognition. Whether you own a small business or manage a large enterprise, tax-free reward gift cards let you motivate and retain employees.
What Are Reward Cards?
Reward cards are prepaid gift cards that businesses give to employees as a part of recognition or a company incentive program. These reward cards can be both digital and physical. Today, most businesses prefer digital reward cards because they are faster to deliver, eco-friendly, cost-effective and convenient for remote teams.
Open-Loop vs Closed-Loop Reward Cards
Closed-loop cards are restricted to specific retailers or store chains. Open-loop cards are widely accepted across payment networks like Mastercard, so employees can use these cards anywhere the network is accepted, both online and in-store worldwide.
How To Reward Employees Tax-Free In Ireland?
Under Ireland's Small Benefit Exemption Scheme, employers can provide non-cash benefits of up to 1,500 tax-free to every employee each year. Here are the rules every employer must comply with under the SBE scheme:
Each employee can receive up to €1,500 in non-cash benefits per year
The benefit must be non-cash and cannot be redeemable in cash, partially or fully
Employers can give employees up to five non-cash benefits in a year
The benefit must be genuine and should not form part of a salary sacrifice agreement
Advantages Of Corporate Reward Gift Cards?
Corporate reward cards offer more than just a perk. Here's why they are ideal for employees:
Reward cards qualify under the Small Benefit Exemption Scheme, meaning businesses can reward employees up to €1,500 tax-free
Digital reward cards can be delivered instantly via email, which means employees can receive timely recognition
Mastercard-powered reward cards allow employees to choose their gifts and spend them at multiple stores worldwide
Benefits Of Reward Cards For SMEs & Large Companies
Prepaid cards are pre-funded, meaning they are ready for use as soon as employees receive them. Businesses can issue and activate business prepaid cards for employees in 3 easy steps:
Cost-Effective
Reward cards for employees are more affordable than traditional bonuses. Employers save on PAYE, PRSI and USC because rewards are tax-free. Further, digital employee reward cards in Ireland remove printing, postage and administration costs.
Simplified Tax Compliance
Corporate reward cards qualify under the Small Benefit Exemption Scheme, allowing up to €1,500 per employee per year tax-free. This eliminates the complexity of paying taxes for staff rewards and maximises the benefit of the reward.
Scalable Program
Sending reward gift cards to staff is simple for both SME and large enterprises. Digital reward gift cards help run a structured reward program in companies.
Easy Tracking
With digital rewards for employees, businesses gain real-time visibility and can track whether the employee has received their employee reward gift card and manage distribution at scale.
Versatile Gifting
Unlike store-specific vouchers, open-loop corporate reward gift cards give employees true freedom. Use rewards online or in-store, and for multiple use cases.
Increases Engagement
Recognising employees with staff rewards can boost employee motivation and loyalty. Rewarding employees creates a positive culture of appreciation within teams.
Best Tax-Free Reward Gift Cards For Businesses
When it comes to recognising staff, businesses in Ireland are increasingly choosing reward cards for employees over cash bonuses. Reward cards combine the financial efficiency of tax rewards in Ireland with the flexibility employees truly value
CleverCards offer prepaid Mastercards that can be used to reward employees. These reward cards can be accepted anywhere online or in-store at over 50 million merchants worldwide. Employees can add their CleverCards' reward card to Google Pay or Apple Pay wallet to make payments.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
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