Giftify's CardCash.com Leverages NBA Playoff Enthusiasm to Accelerate Platform Growth
Platform Reports Up to 37% Discounts on NBA Store Cards as Playoff Viewership Surges 13% Year-Over-Year
SCHAUMBURG, IL, May 08, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Giftify, Inc. (NASDAQ:GIFT) (the "Company"), the owner and operator of CardCash.com and Restaurant.com, and a leader in the incentives and rewards industry, today announced that its subsidiary CardCash.com is experiencing substantial transaction volume growth during the ongoing sports playoff season, driving increased user acquisition for the Company.
With NBA and NHL playoffs in full swing and the MLB season building momentum, CardCash.com is strategically leveraging unprecedented levels of fan enthusiasm and spending. The platform features significant discounts on gift cards from popular sports retailers, including up to 37% off NBA Store cards, enabling fans to purchase team merchandise at substantially reduced prices.
"We're seeing a 21% increase in unique customers and a 13% rise in order volume during the playoffs compared to pre-playoff periods," said Ketan Thakker, CEO of Giftify. "This surge in activity demonstrates the flexibility of our business model to capitalize on seasonal consumer interests."
CardCash.com's ability to quickly adjust marketplace offerings to align with seasonal trends provides Giftify with a competitive advantage in the gift card marketplace sector. The platform has seen Nike gift card usage jump 12%, Dick's Sporting Goods rise 27%, and REI climb 26% compared to the previous 28-day average.
This flexibility allows the platform to offer consumers compelling value, particularly important as inflation concerns continue to impact retail spending patterns.
The increase in CardCash.com transaction volume aligns with record-breaking sports viewership and merchandise sales across major leagues:
- ESPN platforms are averaging 4,448,000 viewers for NBA Playoff games, up 13% from last year, with certain matchups peaking at over 10 million viewers1
- The NBA reported a 21% increase in jersey sales on NBAStore.com compared to the same period last year2
- MLB recorded its largest attendance in seven years with over 71 million fans in 2024, while its streaming platform MLB.TV set a new high of 14.5 billion minutes watched3
- NHL merchandise sales continue to surge, with fans increasingly preferring online shopping for team apparel4
"As sports fans look to maximize their purchasing power without sacrificing their passion for playoff merchandise, CardCash provides the perfect solution," said Tom Ochoa, Head of Sales at CardCash. "Our platform enables fans to get the gear they want while saving significantly during these peak engagement periods. The increased user activity we're experiencing isn't just driving immediate revenue—it's expanding our user base with highly engaged consumers who return to our platform for future purchases."
The increased transaction volume during the sports playoff season has the potential to continue as the MLB season progresses and summer sports merchandise sales remain strong.
"The current activity we're seeing from sports-related gift card transactions demonstrates the resilience and adaptability of our business model," added Thakker. "We continue to identify and capitalize on consumer spending patterns across various high-margin vertical sectors, providing value for both our users and our shareholders."
For more information, visit www.cardcash.com.
About Giftify, Inc.
Giftify, Inc. is a pioneer in the incentive and rewards industry with a focus on retail, dining & entertainment experiences, as the owner and operator of leading digital platforms, CardCash.com and Restaurant.com. CardCash.com is a leading secondary gift card exchange platform, allowing consumers and retailers to realize value by buying and selling gift cards at various scales. Restaurant.com is the nation's largest restaurant-focused digital deals brand, connecting digital consumers, businesses and communities by offering thousands of dining, retail and entertainment deal options nationwide at over 184,000 restaurants and retailers.
For more information, visit: www.giftifyinc.com, www.cardcash.com and www.restaurant.com.
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1 Rajan, R. (2025, May 1). ESPN platforms averaging largest NBA playoffs audience ever through 11 games. ESPN Press Room U.S. https://espnpressroom.com/us/press-releases/2025/04/espn-platforms-averaging-largest-nba-playoffs-audience-ever-through-11-games/
2 From NBA.com Staff. (2025, April 14). Luka Dončić leads way among top-selling NBA jerseys in 2024-25 season. NBA. https://www.nba.com/news/top-selling-jerseys-2024-25-nba-season
3 The reasons why baseball ratings are improving. (2025, May 6). Temple Now | news.temple.edu. https://news.temple.edu/news/2025-04-24/reasons-why-baseball-ratings-are-improving
4 Mehra, A. (2025, April 17). NHL merchandise in Canada: Playoffs fuel a retail surge. Retail Insider. https://retail-insider.com/articles/2025/04/nhl-merchandise-in-canada-playoffs-fuel-a-retail-surge
