Sodexo Launches Gift Card Program 2008-12-01

Sodexo has launched a gift card program called Esteem Pass. The cards can be used for recognizing, rewarding and motivating employees, clients and customers and can be used at more than 20,000 locations operated by Sodexo retail partners. These include major retail brands like Macy's, Borders, The Gap, Home Depot, Bath & Body Works, Marriott, Outback Steakhouse, Carrabba's and Bonefish Grill.

The move marks the first offer in North America by Sodexo's global Service Vouchers and Cards business. Sodexo Pass, which recently posted $10 billion in issue volume, is designed to offer flexibility and choice to holders, giving them a single card that is acceptable at thousands of outlets covering 35 popular retail brands. For corporate clients, Esteem Pass is competitively priced with other similar programs and customizable to fit different reward and recognition programs.

Sodexo says one of its recent human resource studies showed that reward and recognition are key factors in employee decisions to stay with an employer. The use of gift cards by businesses in the U.S. exceeds $20 billion and is growing by more than 40 percent yearly, adds Sodexo Pass USA President Vincent Hillenmeyer.

“Today's challenging economy means companies have an almost unprecedented need to motivate their employees and to reward customer loyalty in order to remain competitive,” he notes. “Companies are eager for programs that are innovative and provide real value back to their employees.”

The Esteem Pass gift cards are Discover Network Prepaid Gift Cards issued by Palm Desert National Bank. They are fulfilled and managed by Sodexo Pass USA. Sodexo Pass is currently ranked second in the world in the prepaid card sector, offering meal and food vouchers, childcare vouchers, prepaid gift cards across 30 countries with additional tailored gift programs in 24 countries.