The best alternatives to Prezzee and Love2Shop Business: why companies are ditching gift cards for gift with choice

Last reviewed: October 2026

Quick answer: The best alternative to Prezzee and Love2Shop for business depends on what you want people to receive. If a gift card is the goal, Prezzee, Love2Shop and One4all all do the job. If you want staff or clients to pick a real gift from a selection you've set, Huggg's gift with choice is the alternative: the core platform is free (no platform, setup, per-employee or per-send fee), you don't need home addresses, and you can send to a whole team at once. When comparing alternatives to Prezzee and Love2Shop for business, shortlist on catalogue breadth, bulk sending, address-free delivery, claim tracking and whether recipients choose their gift.

Ask vendors how client gifting data appears next to employee programmes, and whether plans with shared budgets cover both pipeline teams and people leaders without duplicate contracts, and how employee recognition sits next to voucher marketplaces.

We’d like to begin with a big old caveat: gift cards aren't inherently bad. They're convenient. They give people choice. And for years, they've been the go-to solution for corporate gifting and employee recognition.

But gift cards feel transactional. They're the business equivalent of "here's some money, sort yourself out". And when organisations are trying to build genuine connections with their people and clients, transactional just doesn’t cut it anymore.

That's why more UK mid-market companies are moving away from traditional gift card providers like Love2Shop and Prezzee Business, and towards platforms that offer physical gifts with choice, like Huggg.

In this guide, we'll explain why, compare your options, and help you decide what actually works for your team.

What's wrong with gift cards for staff rewards?

Nothing, technically. But they're showing their age.

What are the downsides of Love2Shop, One4All and Prezzee?

Love2Shop and One4All: old school, new problems

Love2Shop and One4All have been around for decades. They're the gift vouchers your gran used to get at Christmas. And while they've tried to modernise with digital options, the systems are still clunky.

Here's what you're dealing with:

• Clunky platforms: Anyone who's tried to bulk-send Love2Shop vouchers will tell you: the admin is painful. It's not built for modern, agile HR teams who want to send recognition quickly
   
• Low redemption visibility: You often don't know if vouchers have been redeemed, which makes it hard to measure ROI or improve your gifting strategy
   
• One-size-fits-all: A £20 Love2Shop voucher is the same for everyone. It doesn't feel personal or thoughtful. It feels like an afterthought

Prezzee: modern, but still transactional

Prezzee is the sleeker, Australia-based alternative. They've got a modern platform, video messages, bulk sending, and all the features you'd expect from a B2B gifting solution.

But it's still fundamentally a gift card platform. You're sending someone a voucher for Amazon or John Lewis, not a carefully curated gift. And while Prezzee's tech is better than Love2Shop's, the experience still lands as "here's some money" rather than "we've thought about you."

Why do gift cards feel transactional?

Here's where the research gets interesting.

Studies on gift-giving psychology consistently show that the act of choosing a gift signals care and thoughtfulness. It's not about the monetary value. In fact, studies show employees who are praised verbally are more motivated than those financially rewarded. So it’s really all about the message: "I’m grateful, so I actually took time to think about what you might like."

Gift cards bypass that entirely. They say, "I didn't spend any time thinking about what you'd like, so here's a cash equivalent."

Now, for some contexts, like large-scale reward programs or social support vouchers, gift cards make perfect sense. But for recognition, client gifting, or building meaningful connections? They’re gonna fall flat.

And in a labour market where 45% are likely to stay for 2+ years if they are well recognised, feeling valued isn't a nice-to-have. It's a retention strategy.

What's the best alternative to Prezzee and Love2Shop gift cards?

Gift with choice.

This is where platforms like Huggg come in. We're not here to trash gift cards. They have their place. We even offer them ourselves, because sometimes they are the most sensible option. But on the whole, we think there's a better way to do corporate gifting and employee recognition.

How does gift with choice work?

Instead of sending a £20 Amazon voucher, you send a curated selection of gifts. The recipient clicks a link, browses the options, and picks what they actually want. Then we send it to them, with VAT and postage already included in the price you saw. You still don’t need their address (they add that themselves), so it’s the perfect compromise. 

Here's the difference:

Gift cards: 

You → £25 Amazon voucher → Recipient sorts it out

Gift with choice:

You → Curated selection → Recipient chooses → We deliver a physical gift

Why does a physical gift land differently?

When someone receives a physical gift (even one they've chosen from a curated range), it hits differently.

They're not logging into Amazon to spend a voucher. The doorbell is going. They're receiving a package. They're unboxing something tangible. And crucially, they're more likely to share their experience.

No one posts about receiving a £20 John Lewis gift card. But a lovely hamper? A personalised notebook? Some speciality coffee? People share that. They show their teams. They remember it.

That's not just anecdotal. Research suggests that physical gifts are more memorable than cash-equivalent rewards. The act of unwrapping and experiencing a tangible item creates a stronger emotional connection than a transactional voucher.

Our own data shows where buyers are heading. In the Christmas Gift Index 2025, which covered gifts sent by 477 UK companies, 79% of senders chose Gift with Choice. And when recipients chose freely, 84% of their picks came from outside the ten most popular items, which is why a single retailer card or a single hamper so often misses.

Huggg vs Prezzee vs Love2Shop: how do they compare?

Let's get practical. Here's how Huggg stacks up against the traditional gift card providers, with One4all added because it comes up in the same conversations.

Competitor details below come from their own sites or what's stated on this page. Where a price isn't published, we've said so.

Where does Huggg come out ahead?

1. Gifts feel thoughtful, not transactional

A curated hamper or a personalised mug feels like you've put thought in. A £20 Amazon voucher... doesn't. That emotional difference matters when you're trying to build genuine connections with your people or clients.

2. Micro-gifting doesn't feel cheap

Sending a £5 gift card is awkward. It might even offend someone. But sending a coffee? A plant? A thank-you snack box? That's a thoughtful gesture, not a token payment. Huggg lets you gift frequently without looking stingy.

3. People actually talk about it

No one takes a picture of a gift card. But they will post about a lovely hamper or a thoughtful gift box. That organic word-of-mouth? It's employer brand marketing that you just can't buy.

4. Bulk sends take minutes, not days

Cycas Hospitality used to spend two full days sending out rewards by hand. Now a bulk send takes five minutes, a roughly 98% cut in admin time. Read the Cycas story.

When do Prezzee and Love2Shop still make sense?

There are contexts where gift cards are the right call:

• Large-scale reward programs: If you're running a points-based system with thousands of participants, vouchers make logistical sense
   
• Social support schemes: For cost-of-living support or emergency assistance, vouchers offer flexibility without admin overhead

But for thoughtful recognition, client gifting, or building genuine connections? That's where a ‘gift with choice’ shines.

What are the common objections to switching?

"People prefer receiving a gift card so they can buy what they want"

This is the most common pushback, and it's not entirely wrong. People genuinely do value choice.

But here's the nuance: gift with choice gives them the same flexibility, without the transactional feel.

With Huggg, recipients still choose what they want. The difference is they're choosing from a curated selection, rather than logging into Amazon to spend a voucher. It's the same flexibility, but it feels like you've thought about it.

"Gift cards are easier than gifts"

They used to be. But not anymore.

Huggg makes it as easy to send physical gifts as it is to send gift cards:

1. Choose your budget
2. Curate a gift range (or use our pre-built collections)
3. Send via link, email, or SMS
4. Recipient picks their gift and provides their address, and that’s it!

No spreadsheets. No addresses. No chasing invoices. It's as frictionless as Prezzee, but the end result feels infinitely more thoughtful.

Wingstop UK & Ireland made the switch for exactly this reason. As People Partner Laura Wharton put it: "When we were delivering vouchers to a few hundred people one Christmas, we realised that it was taking too long." Read the Wingstop story.

"Huggg doesn't offer video or voice messages like Prezzee"

Fair point. Prezzee's video message feature is genuinely quite nice.

But Huggg gifts are just a URL. You can include it alongside any messaging you want: Slack messages, email campaigns, handwritten notes, whatever. We offer gift wrap, branding, and text personalisation. And if you want to send a video message, you could always embed your Huggg link in it.

We're not trying to be an all-in-one comms platform. We're focused on making the gifting experience itself as thoughtful and simple as possible.

"What about physical vouchers? We need those for frontline workers"

We've got you covered. Huggg can offer printed QR codes for frontline workers, like cafe staff, warehouse teams, or retail workers.

Newsprinters did this for all 650 staff one Christmas: a printed card with a code inside that each person could claim for a gift card from a retailer of their choice. Read the Newsprinters story.

Most gift card platforms require email addresses and logins, which rules out a huge chunk of the workforce. Huggg's QR code solution works for everyone.

How do you choose the right platform for your team?

Here's a quick decision framework:

Choose Huggg if:

• You want gifts that feel thoughtful, not transactional  
• You're gifting for recognition, client relationships, or milestone moments  
• You need micro-gifting options (under £10) that don't feel cheap  
• You care about recipient experience and emotional impact  

Choose Prezzee if:

• You're running a high-volume, points-based rewards program  
• You need instant, digital-only delivery globally  
• You value video message features  
• You're happy with the transactional nature of gift cards  

Choose Love2Shop if:

• You're used to traditional vouchers and don't want to change  
• You have a very specific compliance requirement they meet  
•  Your audience specifically requests Love2Shop vouchers  

Most mid-market companies? They'll get more value from Huggg. But your mileage may vary depending on your goals, audience, and budget. If you're weighing up full recognition suites as well, we've compared the main UK reward and recognition platforms side by side.

So, what's the best alternative to Prezzee and Love2Shop?

Gift cards aren't going anywhere. They're convenient, flexible, and logistically simple. Prezzee has modernised the experience with slick tech, and Love2Shop still has a place for traditional voucher needs.

But if you're trying to build genuine connections with your team, your clients, or your partners, gift cards can fall short.

They're transactional. They're forgettable.

Gift with choice offers the same flexibility, but with a crucial difference: it feels like you've thought about it. And when people are drowning in transactional interactions, that thoughtfulness stands out.

Want to see how Huggg compares for your team? Explore gift with choice or talk to us about building a gifting strategy that actually feels human.

FAQs

What is the difference between gift cards and gift with choice?

Gift cards give recipients a voucher for one retailer (like Amazon or John Lewis). Gift with choice lets recipients pick from a curated selection of products, experiences, or vouchers. Both give the recipient choice. The difference is that gift with choice feels more thoughtful than a transactional voucher, because the sender has curated the options. In our Christmas Gift Index 2025, 79% of senders chose Gift with Choice.

Are Prezzee and Love2Shop the same?

No. Prezzee is a modern, Australia-based platform offering digital gift cards with features like video messages, bulk sending, and tracking. Love2Shop is a traditional UK gift voucher provider that's been around for decades, offering physical and digital vouchers but with clunkier systems and per-voucher fees. Prezzee is more tech-forward, but both are fundamentally gift card platforms.

Do I get refunds for unclaimed gift cards with Prezzee or Love2Shop?

No. Both Prezzee and Love2Shop charge upfront for vouchers, and unclaimed vouchers are not refunded. Huggg's standard free plan works the same way: funds are committed when you send. If unclaimed gifts are a real worry (for example in sales and marketing sends, where claim rates are lower), the paid Huggg Campaigns add-on means you only pay for gifts that are claimed.

Why do gift cards feel transactional?

Gift cards are essentially cash equivalents. They say "here's some money, sort yourself out" rather than "I thought about what you might like." Research on gift-giving psychology shows that the act of choosing a gift signals care and thoughtfulness. Gift cards bypass that signal entirely, which is why they often feel less meaningful than physical gifts, even when the recipient has choice in what they receive.

Can Huggg send gift cards too?

Yes. Huggg offers a wide range of digital gift cards and vouchers alongside physical gifts and experiences. The difference is recipients choose from a curated selection you've put together, rather than just receiving a single-retailer voucher. This gives them the same flexibility as a traditional gift card, but it feels more thoughtful because you've curated the options.

What is micro-gifting and why does it matter?

Micro-gifting is sending small, frequent gifts (typically under £10) as a way to recognise people more often without blowing your budget. A £5 gift card feels cheap and might even offend someone, but a £5 coffee, plant, or snack box is a thoughtful gesture. Micro-gifting lets you build a culture of regular recognition without high costs.

How does Huggg handle UK tax and trivial benefits compliance?

Huggg is built for UK compliance. HMRC's trivial benefits rules let you give non-cash gifts of up to £50 per person tax-free, without reporting them on a P11D, as long as they aren't a reward for work or performance. The platform provides reporting, VAT receipts and P11D tracking to make tax filing simple. Always consult your accountant for specific tax advice, but our system is designed to keep you compliant.

Do I need employee addresses to send gifts with Huggg?

No. Huggg offers address-free gifting. You send a link via email, SMS, or Slack. Recipients click the link, choose their gift, and provide their own address. This is privacy-first, reduces admin work, and avoids awkward "send us your home address" requests, which matters most for hybrid and remote teams.

Can Huggg work for frontline workers without email?

Yes. Huggg can offer printed QR codes for frontline workers without corporate email (like cafe workers, warehouse staff, or retail teams). Most gift card platforms require email addresses and logins, which rules out a large portion of the workforce. Huggg's QR code solution ensures no one gets left out.

How much does Huggg cost compared to Prezzee or Love2Shop?

Huggg doesn't charge a platform fee unless you want paid add-ons like custom branding. There's no setup, per-employee or per-send fee and no minimum order, and the listed gift price includes VAT and postage. Prezzee and Love2Shop typically charge per-send or per-voucher fees on top of the vouchers themselves. Because there are no platform or sending fees for standard use, most companies find it more cost-effective, especially at scale.

Can I send gifts to a whole team at once?

Yes. You can bulk send up to 10,000 gifts in one go by CSV upload, email or SMS, or share a single group link in Slack or Teams. Each person claims their own gift, so there's no spreadsheet of addresses to manage.

What's a good alternative to One4all or Love2Shop gift cards for staff rewards?

If you like the flexibility of a multi-store card but want it to feel more personal, gift with choice is the closest swap. You set the budget and the selection, and each person picks the gift they actually want. You can still include gift cards in the selection if that suits your team.

Last updated: October 2026