Me2You is an Irish-owned, Irish-operated gift card company that assists employers to use the Small Benefit Exemption to reward staff

Me2You is a multi-store gift card that helps companies to increase employee and customer engagement through recognition and reward. The company developed a software as a service (SaaS) Recognition & Reward Manager system that helps employers to use the €500 Small Benefit Exemption (SBE) for ongoing engagement and recognition of employees. The system groups all the rewards and issues them as a single card under the SBE.

John Paul L'Estrange (pictured), Head of Corporate Sales, explains the evolution of the company and Me2You card benefits for employers.

How long has the Me2You card been in the market?

We launched in 2015 and made it our priority to identify what Irish customers wanted from a gift card. We got Smyths Toys, a national grocery chain and a fuel forecourt on board as well as all the stores one would expect on a multi-store card. Early on we started providing customers with packs of inactive cards, which can be activated when they are required, eliminating the need to wait for a delivery or queuing in post office. This proved to be popular with many clients. As a result, we now have a solid business that is providing a range of services for SMEs and some of the biggest companies in the country.

What’s your role in the business?

I help our clients to engage with their staff and customers. It’s a consultative sales process, which means getting to know customers and their needs is critical in bringing our best service to them. It’s great, helping organisations implement change that has real impact and can positively affect every part of their operation.

How do you assist businesses here in Ireland and how can they support you?

We need Irish businesses to support Me2You, the only Guaranteed Irish gift card. Me2You was launched to support Irish retailers by charging lower commissions and driving business into local stores. We have over 4,500 partners throughout the country that accept the Me2You gift card. It has been embraced by retailers because it’s the card that supports them with lower charges. We exclusively partner with lots of Irish brands including Applegreen, Avoca, Butlers Chocolate Cafes, CompuB, Homestore+More, Smyths Toys, Supermac’s and many others.

In Association with

Why did you join the Guaranteed Irish family?

We wanted to highlight to businesses that we are the Guaranteed Irish gift card and ask them to buy Irish. Our main competitors are now owned by companies outside of the EU. Me2You is Irish-owned, Irish-operated and supports Irish retail. Highlighting to businesses that there is a Guaranteed Irish option is really important. When companies purchase from a Guaranteed Irish company, they are actively supporting the Irish economy and Irish jobs. With Brexit around the corner, we all need to support Irish owned companies to minimise its impact.

When we joined, there was instant action by Guaranteed Irish to push our brand and get the message out to the business community that Me2You should be the gift card of choice for staff rewards and marketing initiatives.

What is the tax relief available to employers?

The Small Benefit Exemption is a great opportunity for companies to reward employees with a Me2You Gift Card with a value of up to €500 once each tax year. Christmas is a popular time for employers to utilise the SBE and reward employees for contributing throughout the year. It is a welcome bonus at a time that is very expensive for families. With the wide selection of retailers, including grocery and toys, the Me2you gift card is the ideal way to reward employees.