The government’s ’LoveIOM’ gift card, an initiative that rewards consumers for spending in local hospitality businesses, will be available for pre-purchase from today.

The card can be used at participating merchants from January 4 which the government hopes will ’provide a boost to local businesses after Christmas’.

The January date was chosen following a Department for Enterprise’s consultation with a cross-sector of hospitality businesses.

Feedback obtained from industry indicated that the earlier part of the New Year was the most challenging time of year for the sector, and therefore it was concluded that the gift card redemption and associated mid-week dining incentive would come online from the early part of January onwards.

The initiative has been launched now to encourage residents and businesses to ’give the gift of local’ this Christmas, and the card can be purchased online at: www.loveiom.com/buy-a-card.

It can be used across a number of the island’s hospitality businesses and a full list of merchants can be found here: www.loveiom.com/where-to-spend.

Merchants are also still being invited to register with the scheme, by emailing: [email protected].

The LoveIOM gift card, which is similar to a high street gift card, is described by the government as being ’like a digital boarding pass’ which sits in is stored Apple or Android mobile phone ’wallet’.

Physical gift cards can also be purchased online and delivered by post.

People choose what value they want on their card, and stand to benefit from extra cash from the government through incentive schemes.

alcohol

Food, alcohol and accommodation stays can all be purchased using the card, in order to ’support the hospitality trade generally’.

Alcohol wasn’t initially going to be able to be purchased using the card, but it has now been included as an eligible spend when consumed on licensed premises.

To celebrate the launch as being the first of its kind in the island, a limited number of cards will be available with an additional cashback reward.

A bonus credit of 25% will be automatically added to the card when purchased (capped at £10 cashback).

For example, when buying a card for £40 an extra £10 will be added to the card, for free, bringing the total amount on it to £50.

Further incentives are also planned for the future, including a mid-week dining cashback incentive in January 2022 called ’Why not Weekdays’ that will reward consumers with 25% cashback on their meal when they spend in merchant businesses.

Half a million pounds has been set aside for this incentive from the Economic Recovery Group.

Tiffany Kerruish, co-owner of The Fynoderee Distillery, said she was ’delighted’ to have signed up to the scheme, commented: ’Many hospitality businesses see a downturn in trade during the winter months, so this scheme couldn’t have come at a better time.

’With the added bonus of cashback incentives for consumers, I’m sure we will see an increase in traffic at our Fyn Bar and Distillery Shop in Ramsey.