Gift card platforms that support text and email delivery include Giftronaut and several other business reward platforms, but “supports text” means something different on each one. Some text the reward themselves, some only to certain countries’ phone numbers or after you switch texting on, and some give you a link to send from your own messaging tool.
At a previous job, I spent the week before a holiday break answering one question from the warehouse team: “Did my gift card ever come?” It had. It was sitting in work inboxes that most of them opened about as often as anyone cleaned the office fridge.
A reward only works if it lands where the person actually looks. If some of the people you reward live on their phones, you need a platform that can text as well as email. Here’s which platforms do both, what “supports text” really means on each, and how to pick a channel for each group of people you reward.
Which gift card platforms support text and email delivery?
All five business gift card platforms below send rewards by email and list text message delivery, but the conditions differ. One texts only US and Canadian numbers, one needs signed terms before it texts anyone, and one texts from its dashboard while its API hands you links to send yourself. Read the conditions column before the yes and no columns.
| Platform | Text (SMS) | Reward links you send | Conditions on text delivery | Source (checked Oct 27, 2026) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Giftronaut | Yes | Yes | Yes | US and Canadian mobile numbers, at no extra cost. Recipients confirm a one-time code sent to the same phone | Choice Card page, How It Works |
| Tremendous | Yes | Yes | Yes | International numbers accepted (default +1). Banking regulations and local carrier restrictions block text rewards to some countries | Tremendous Help Center |
| Tango | Yes | Yes, once enabled | Yes (Tango fulfills the reward, you deliver it) | Sign a Mobile Delivery Addendum first. US, Canada and other +1 numbers, and only rewards that support phone delivery | Tango developer docs |
| Giftbit | Yes | Yes, from the platform | Yes | The platform page lists SMS. Through the API, Giftbit sends email or returns a link your own system can text | Giftbit platform page, Giftbit developer docs |
| Giftogram | Yes | Yes | Not stated | Also mails physical cards. Its page states no country limits for text | Giftogram blog, July 2025 |
Two things stand out. First, three of the five state limits on which phone numbers they can text, so match the platform’s reach to where your recipients’ numbers are. Second, a reward link is a different job from text delivery: the platform makes the link, and you’re the one who sends it and chases it if it goes missing.
Why does text delivery matter for gift card rewards?
Text delivery matters because a gift card email only works if the person reads the inbox it’s sent to. Plenty of the people companies reward, such as shift workers, field teams and study participants, don’t sit in front of a work inbox. A text reaches the phone they already carry.
Even for people who do read email, there’s a second catch. Giftronaut reward emails are commonly held by corporate security filters, and the fix is to ask the recipient’s IT team to allowlist no-reply@giftronaut.com and the giftronaut.com domain. That’s a quick ticket for a desk team. It’s a slower one when the people waiting are on a warehouse floor and their manager is the one fielding the questions.
Text doesn’t replace email. It gives you a second route for the people email doesn’t reach. If you’re weighing email against links for a seasonal send, our post on reward link or email delivery for a holiday program walks through that choice.
Six checks before you choose a platform for text and email delivery
The six checks below separate a platform that texts rewards well from one that only lists SMS on its features page. Ask each vendor the same questions, in writing, so you can compare the answers side by side.
| Check | What to ask | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Who sends the text | Does the platform text the reward itself, or give you a link to send? | With a link, you need your own texting tool, and delivery problems are yours to find |
| Which numbers it reaches | Which countries’ mobile numbers can it text? | Recipients outside that reach need email or a link instead |
| Whether texting is on | Do you have to enable texting or sign extra terms first? | Some platforms keep texting off until you do, which can stall a launch |
| How recipients prove it’s theirs | How does a recipient confirm the reward belongs to them? | A one-time code sent to the same phone or inbox protects a link that gets forwarded |
| What “delivered” means | Can you see delivery status per recipient and spot failed sends? | A wrong digit in a phone number is easier to fix before the recipient asks where their reward is |
| What a text costs | Does a text cost more than an email? | A small per-message charge adds up across a large list |
Ask, too, what the platform needs from you before it texts anyone. Some ask you to sign extra terms or confirm you follow messaging rules first. It’s far easier to get people’s agreement to receive texts when you collect their phone numbers than to chase it the week of the send.
Say you reward 400 people a quarter and 150 of them work shifts away from a desk. That’s 600 rewards a year that depend on an inbox their owners rarely open. If that group sits in the US and Canada, a platform that texts US and Canadian numbers covers them. If half of them are in other countries, you need email or reward links for that half, whatever the features page says.
When is a reward link the better way to text a gift card?
A reward link is the better choice when you already text people through your own system, when you don’t have recipient details at order time, or when someone’s number is outside a platform’s text reach. You get one unique link per reward and send it however you like.
On Giftronaut, the Download Reward Links feature is switched on by your account rep or support@giftronaut.com. You then place the order, and the links arrive as a CSV inside a passcode-protected ZIP file, one URL per reward. The order doesn’t need recipient details, and it can’t be canceled once you submit it. The Help Center guide to downloading reward links has the steps.
There’s a trade-off. Each link can be redeemed once, so treat it like a password: if a link gets shared, the first person to redeem it uses it up. Email design, scheduling and deliverability also move to your own system, so the “did it arrive?” questions come to you, not the platform.
How Giftronaut handles text and email delivery
Giftronaut sends gift cards by email, SMS (text message) or reward link, right away or on a date you schedule. Here’s how that works for the questions above:
- Text delivery. Choice Cards and Branded Cards go by text to US and Canadian mobile numbers at no extra cost. Each text carries a secure link to redeem.
- Recipient check. The recipient opens the reward email or text and confirms it’s them with a one-time code sent the same way. The code is valid for 10 minutes, and they can request a new one. No account or app is needed.
- Recipient choice. With a Choice Card, each recipient picks their brand and local currency from 4,300+ brands across 225 countries.
- Email that gets through. If a company filter holds reward emails, IT can allowlist no-reply@giftronaut.com and giftronaut.com, or you can send by text instead to US and Canadian recipients.
- Tracking. You monitor delivery and redemption from one dashboard, and the order tracking flags failed sends.
- Cost. Zero platform fees, and texts cost nothing extra. The pricing page lists the fees that do apply, such as the 3% processing fee on credit card deposits.
If you’re choosing a platform for an employee program specifically, delivery is one of six checks in our guide to choosing an employee recognition gift card platform. For the wider decision, see our guide to choosing a digital gift card platform.
Pick the channel your recipients actually read
The best platform for text and email delivery is the one whose channels match where your recipients read messages and where their phone numbers are. Start from the people, then check the platform reaches them.
These days, before anyone picks a card, I ask where the team actually reads messages. The answer is usually “their phone, obviously,” said in a tone I’ve learned not to take personally.
So list each group you reward, note whether they read an inbox or their phone, and note the country of their phone numbers. Then hold each platform’s conditions column against that list.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you send a gift card by text message?
Yes. Several business gift card platforms text rewards to a recipient’s mobile number, and Giftronaut sends Choice Cards and Branded Cards by text to US and Canadian mobile numbers at no extra cost. The recipient taps the link, confirms a one-time code sent to the same phone and redeems without an account or app.
Which gift card platforms can text rewards outside the US and Canada?
It depends on the platform, because text reach varies more than email reach. Some platforms text only +1 numbers, while others accept international numbers but can’t text certain countries because of banking rules or carrier restrictions. Giftronaut texts US and Canadian numbers, so for recipients elsewhere you send by email or download reward links and send them through your own messaging tool.
Does sending a gift card by text cost more than sending it by email?
Not on Giftronaut: texts cost nothing extra, and there are zero platform fees. Other platforms set their own pricing, so ask each vendor whether text delivery carries a per-message charge before a large send.
Do recipients need an app or account to redeem a gift card sent by text?
No. A Giftronaut recipient opens the text or email, confirms it’s them with a one-time code sent the same way and redeems, with no account or app. The code is valid for 10 minutes, and the recipient can request a new one if it expires.
What is the difference between SMS delivery and a reward link?
With SMS delivery, the platform sends the text to the recipient’s phone number. With a reward link, you download one unique link per reward and send it yourself, through your own SMS tool, email, CRM or chat, without giving the platform recipient details at order time. Each link can be redeemed once, so it should be handled like a password.
What if a company email filter holds the gift card email?
Ask the recipient’s IT team to allowlist no-reply@giftronaut.com and the giftronaut.com domain, which is the usual fix for reward emails held by corporate security filters. For recipients with US or Canadian mobile numbers, you can send the reward by text instead.
Can you schedule gift cards to go out by text or email later?
Yes. Giftronaut can send a reward right away or on a date you schedule, by email or by text. A scheduled order can still be canceled as long as it hasn’t been sent.
