Glasgow gift card: Where can gift card be spent? When will it be sent out? Am I eligible for one?

Glasgow City Council has approved plans to give the £105 gift cards to 85,000 households in the city, giving the local economy a hand following the Covid-19 pandemic.

The Scotland Loves Local campaign looks to encourage people in Scotland to think local first and support businesses on their local high streets.

But who is getting the gift cards, how can the money be spent, and when will they be sent out?

Who is eligible for a Glasgow gift card?

The gift cards are being sent out to 85,000 low income households in Glasgow.

Data from the council tax system will be used to identify Glasgow households entitled to Council Tax Reduction (CTR), which in turn will be used to identify which households would be eligible to receive a pre-paid gift card.

When will the gift cards be sent out?

The Glasgow Gift Cards will be administered by Miconex, the delivery partners for Scotland's Towns Partnership.

It is expected that the cards will be sent out directly to eligible households throughout July - there will be no need for an application process.

To reduce the risk of theft, the cards will require activation. The authentication process will see the card recipient being asked to enter their Scotland Loves Local Gift Card and National Insurance numbers on a dedicated website, and if the numbers match the record held, the balance will be immediately uploaded.

Where can the gift cards be spent?

The cards can be used in registered businesses in Glasgow, with more than 700 businesses of all sizes registered across the city so far, and almost 400 small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in the process of registering.

There are 780 businesses in Glasgow currently registered to accept the gift cards, and the council is working to encourage more to register and benefit from the scheme.

It was confirmed last week that the gift cards can be spent on tobacco products and alcohol.