Vending

Expressions gift card kiosks bring personalization to retail gifting

The Expressions Gift Card Kiosk offers a personalized greeting card with the option to include a digital gift card, all in a fraction of the space retailers generally devote to those products.

Photo: Expressions Greeting Card Kiosk Company

March 13, 2026 by Richard Slawsky

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Chances are, most of us have stopped by the local big-box store on the way home to pick up a greeting card and a gift card for that birthday, anniversary or similar special event. Clearly, nothing conveys care and thoughtfulness like a generic card and $25 to spend at one's favorite coffee shop, especially if we also had to buy a pen while in the store so we could scribble a signature on the card before we got home.

And retailers devote significant space and inventory to meet the needs of us last-minute gift givers. Not only is there likely an entire aisle in the store devoted to greeting cards, but there are also several endcaps by the checkout lane hosting gift cards. There's also a strong possibility that some of those greeting cards will end up in the dumpster, having fallen prey to age or one too many hands rifling through the rack.

]An up-and-coming unattended retail solution is addressing those issues. The Expressions Gift Card Kiosk offers a personalized greeting card with the option to include a digital gift card, all in a fraction of the space retailers generally devote to those products.

Reinventing the greeting card/gift card category

Of course, gift cards are certainly a popular way to recognize a holiday or special event. According to Capital One Shopping, the U.S. gift card market will likely generate $507.1 billion in revenue in 2026 and grow at an 11.4% annual clip over the next several years. At the same time, 53% of holiday shoppers list gift cards as a top wish item, according to a Marketwatch report.

Gift cards are a simple, convenient present. Still, the greeting card/gift card combination does come across as a bit impersonal.

That's where the Expressions Gift Card Kiosk comes in. By combining personalized greeting cards, instant printing, and integrated digital gift cards, the company is positioning its technology as a modern alternative to traditional card racks while helping retailers drive revenue with a minimum of operational complexity.

Founded in 2024 by partners Jarrad Duxbury, the company's president, and George Caruso, its chief technology officer, Expressions Greeting Card Kiosk Company was created to modernize the greeting card category through self-service technology. Duxbury has more than 15 years of experience in the unattended retail food industry, while Caruso has held both CTO and COO roles in the unattended retail sector.

"I have three kids and my partner has three kids, and we have both spent a lot of time in Walmart buying gift cards," Duxbury said in a phone interview. "One day it hit me; there must be a better way."

The company's kiosks allow consumers to design customized greeting cards in-store via touchscreen, choosing from more than 8,000 templates across categories such as birthdays, anniversaries, sympathy and appreciation. Once a user chooses the template, they can add personal messages and even photos.

The system also enables customers to include digital gift cards from major brands, which are delivered via QR code inside the printed card. The result is a hybrid retail solution that merges physical keepsakes with digital value, reflecting broader trends in frictionless commerce and personalized consumer experiences.

"The cards are printed on 120-lb. glossy card stock in less than 41 seconds after payment," Duxbury said. "Inside, the gift card portion looks just like a physical gift card."

Addressing consumer concerns and retailer challenges

Along with adding a personal dimension to an easy and convenient gift, the Expressions Gift Card Kiosk overcomes several consumer concerns with gift cards.

One of the fastest-growing types of gift card fraud is tampering. According to law enforcement, organized crime groups have been stealing unactivated gift cards from stores and tampering with their packaging to access the cards' information. The cards are then repackaged and placed back on store racks. When a consumer buys and loads funds onto the card, the criminals transfer the funds into their own accounts.

Another scam involves placing fake barcodes over legitimate ones on the gift card packaging. When a cashier scans the card, the purchaser's money loads onto a different card controlled by the scammer.

"With the Expressions Gift Card Kiosk, the digital gift card isn't created until the customer buys the card," Duxbury said. "This solves those fraud issues."

For the retailer, the kiosk solves two main issues: space and inventory. Although there are no specific estimates, many retailers devote one aisle or anywhere from 20 to 60 linear feet to greeting card displays. The Expressions Gift Card Kiosk, on the other hand, occupies just 4 square feet, freeing up valuable shelf space for other items.

There are also no specific estimates for greeting card inventories, but the value can range from $5,000 to $25,000 for a mass retail store, while a large drugstore might carry as much as $40,000 in card inventory. That's cash that can be used for other purposes.

Losses from shoplifting, internal theft and damaged product are concerns as well, as are the labor requirements for stocking and maintaining the card display.

Offering last-minute convenience with a personal touch

The Expressions Gift Card Kiosk is particularly suited for environments where consumers frequently seek last-minute gifting solutions, such as airports, hospitals, shopping centers, and corporate office buildings.

The kiosks can be branded to match a retailer's store environment, creating a seamless integration with existing merchandising strategies. The platform also offers data collection capabilities, providing insight into user behavior, design preferences and purchasing patterns.

Potential hosts can add a kiosk to their location either via a revenue-share agreement with Expressions or by buying the kiosk outright and paying a per-card licensing fee.

To support its platform capabilities, Expressions works with retail technology company Printzware to expand design options and provide integration support for card creation and printing processes. The company also partners with customer support automation firm ZippyAssist, allowing kiosk users to report issues, request refunds or provide feedback from their mobile devices.

Expressions Gift Card Kiosks are currently located in about 300 retail outlets, with plans for continued expansion on the table.

"Our kiosk is designed to transform in-store gifting by combining personalization, instant fulfillment and digital gifting in one seamless self-service experience," Duxbury said. "We are planning on triple digit growth year-over-year for the next 5 years in terms of revenue and number of kiosk placements."

About Richard Slawsky

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