SVM (company)

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SVM

Type	Private
Founded	1997
Headquarters	Des Plaines, IL
Key people	Marshall Reavis (Founder and Managing Director)
Industry	Promotions and Incentives
Products	Gift cards
Revenue	Undisclosed
Employees	33
Website	www.svmcards.com

SVM LP began as Stored Value Marketing in 1997. SVM is based in the Des Plaines, Illinois and is a provider of gasoline, restaurant, and other retail gift cards (also known as stored value cards). SVM sells gift cards both to businesses and to consumers, and provides other related services to its clients. SVM is a privately held company and is considered a pioneer in the marketing of stored value products (gift cards).^[1]^[2]

1 Corporate history
2 Products and Services
3 The Growth of Gift Cards and Card Usage
4 References
5 External links

[edit] Corporate history

SVM was founded in 1997 by Marshall Reavis, a former employee at Mobil Oil Corporation. While at Mobil Oil, Reavis was instrumental with the introduction of one of the earliest-known prepaid “gasoline gift cards,” then called the Mobil GO Card. When SVM first opened, the company only provided gasoline gift cards and had two employees.

In 1998, the company expanded its product offerings with the first non-gasoline gift card product. In the same year, the company expanded it service by adding production, inventory management and fulfillment services. In 1999, SVM hosted its first client internet landing page.

In 2001, SVM began issuing gift cards in an outsourced environment. In 2005, SVM establishes a relationship with American Express Incentive Services and becomes a reseller of the American Express-branded Fill It Up Card (prepaid gasoline card). By 2008, SVM hosts 21 client internet landing pages and SVM customizes a multi-use gift card.

[edit] Products and Services

SVM’s gift card products include a full range of major gasoline brands. SVM’s product line also includes gift cards for fast food and casual dining restaurants, retail, travel, and specialty retailers.

SVM’s role in the issuance of gift cards is in two main ways:

In some cases, SVM is the third-party issuer. In this situation SVM contracts with the processor who holds a database of all card numbers, and SVM holds the funds until cards are redeemed. SVM then settles with the retail companies.

In other cases, SVM does the same functions as in the first example except that SVM does not hold the funds. Gift cards are resold through an agreement with the retail company. Cards in this scenario may be sold either in a retail store environment, or may be sold directly business to business.^[3]

SVM’s additional services include card program production, fulfillment of cards (to both retail outlets and customers who purchase the cards), and inventory management services. SVM also provides customer service and Internet hosting services.

SVM has a “sister company,” SFS (SVM Fulfillment Services), that provides fulfillment of gift cards to actual retail locations. This company was established in 2005.

[edit] The Growth of Gift Cards and Card Usage

The use and popularity of gift cards has grown in recent years, especially during the holiday season.^[4]

Nationally, holiday gift card sales in the U.S. were expected to reach an all-time high of $35 Billion in the 2007 holiday season, a 25% increase as compared to 2006’s actual holiday spending figure of $27.8 Billion. Gift card sales during the 2005 holiday season reached $18.48 Billion.^[5]

Consumers often buy gift cards for personal gifts.^[6] Companies use gift cards as rewards to employees as a way to motivate, reward and thank their workers either as a one-time program or on an on-going basis.^[7]^[8] Companies also use gift card to attract and retain customers and motivate them to purchase their products and services.^[9]^[10]^[11]