Giftly is a rapidly growing consumer-centric gift card company. Pulse 2.0 interviewed Giftly CEO Tim Bentley to learn more about the company.
Tim Bentley’s Background
What is Tim Bentley’s background? Bentley said:
“I’ve started three companies, all focused on connecting people. Two were about building communities around Q&A, and Giftly is about connecting people through gift cards. I have a background in engineering and enjoy both the technical and business sides of building products. This realization led me to entrepreneurship, which perfectly combines both interests.”
Favorite Memory
What has been your favorite memory working for the company so far? Bentley reflected:
“There’s always a thrill in pushing code live—seeing an idea go from concept through design and development to finally being released. One highlight was when Giftly launched our iOS app and got featured in the App Store. Even though we no longer have the app, that moment was special. Another memorable experience was the first time we made a sale after launching in 2010. Seeing a stranger use our website to send a gift to a family member was incredibly exciting. That excitement continues today, especially when we push new designs live and see how users engage with our product.”
Core Products
What are the company’s core products and features? Bentley explained:
“Our core product allows people to treat their friends and family to places they love. We are focused on creating a consumer-centric gift card with features that allow customization, like choosing specific merchants with meaning for the recipient and ease of use. The purchasing process is streamlined to feel like a typical e-commerce experience, and each purchase has a 100% satisfaction guarantee. We’ve also added interactive elements, like notifications when a gift is opened and the ability for recipients to send thank-you notes, making the gift card experience more personal and meaningful.”
Evolution Of Giftly’s Technology
How has the company’s technology evolved since launching? Bentley noted:
”We’ve always been on the cutting edge. For example, we were an early Stripe customer. Initially, we were focused on an iPhone app, but we shifted to a web-based platform to make the experience seamless for all users. We’ve adopted new web technologies, moving from Angular to Vue.js. We continue to use Ruby on Rails, Postgres, and Heroku. We’re exploring using AI to enhance our product, like generating personalized guidebooks for gift recipients.”
Challenges Faced
What challenges have Bentley and the team face in building the company? Bentley acknowledged:
“Google’s algorithm changes are a constant challenge, as our primary marketing strategy relies on organic search. We’ve had to adapt by evolving our SEO strategy and overhauling the infrastructure that supports the SEO strategy. The FinTech space has also seen significant shifts, with increased regulatory scrutiny and a pullback in investment. We’ve responded by staying ahead of regulatory changes and maintaining a consumer-friendly approach, but it’s an ongoing challenge.”
Customer Success Stories
When asking Bentley about customer success stories, he highlighted:
“There are countless success stories, from people strengthening relationships with their loved ones with sentimental gifts around holidays to people sending timely, practical gifts…. like groceries or snow tires. One personal success was when I sent a Giftly to someone I was interested in, and we ended up dating for 3-years. Every year, especially around the holidays, we see people using Giftly to connect with family and friends in last-minute situations where they otherwise wouldn’t be able to send a gift. These stories are a testament to how our product helps people connect meaningfully.”
Differentiation From The Competition
What differentiates the company from its competition? Bentley affirmed:
“Giftly has reimagined what a gift card is as a consumer product. Our gift cards are personalized and customized. Many of our competitors simply use the traditional gift card product model as it has existed for 25 years. While traditional gift cards focus on the merchant, we focus on the people—the buyer, the recipient, and their relationship. We’re vertically integrated, handling everything from coding the site to processing transactions. This allows us to fully support our product and offer a satisfaction guarantee, something that’s difficult for other companies with more fragmented operations. We aim to align our incentives with our customers, ensuring they can give great presents to their loved ones.”
Future Company Goals
What are some of the company’s future company goals? Bentley concluded:
“We’re always striving to improve the customer experience—the buyer’s and recipient’s. We’ve made significant changes over the past year, like our design and UX updates and the introduction of guidebooks that accompany our gift cards. These changes are all aimed at ensuring Giftly remains modern and user-friendly. Our North Star is to make Giftly gift cards a great gift to give, receive, and use.”
“We’re currently focusing on allowing gift-givers to specify multiple merchants for a single gift card. For example, if you want to give someone sneakers, the gift card can be used at various shoe stores rather than needing to pick only one.”
“We’re also moving towards offering more curated content and using AI to help customers pick out the right merchant or merchants for their gift cards. This will allow gifts to be even more tailored to the recipient’s interests, making the gift card even more personalized.”
