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The Bainbridge Downtown Development Authority is currently preparing for the roll-out of a new program next month: Downtown Dollars, a MasterCard gift card for various local businesses. DDA executive director Amanda Glover spoke with the Post-Searchlight about the program.

“It’s a curated list for downtown businesses, that have a point of sale system that will be able to be utilized for any of the businesses in the downtown area,” Glover said. She elaborated, “It’s a MasterCard based program, but it’s a gift card. It’s an e-gift card, or you can order an actual plastic gift card.” Over 50 businesses in the downtown area will be participating in the program, and will have postings in their windows. These will feature a QR code for those who purchase digitally.

“The cards are not reloadable,” Glover said. “So if you get a $50 gift card and you use that $50, that card is done.” She anticipates more businesses joining the program in the future, “There’s just certain things we’ve gotta figure out on making sure some folks have point of sale systems,” she explained.

As for the reason for the program, Glover said, “It’s just a way to be able to keep local dollars, local. And it’s not to take away from individual businesses that have their own gift card, it’s just if you were trying to buy and didn’t know what to get someone, you could purchase this gift card and be eligible for over 50 places downtown.”

The program will launch November 14, with a limited number of physical cards initially available; after that, physical cards will be ordered and delivered. “We’re gonna see how that goes, as far as the e-card versus a tangible card… if that’s something that we need to just continue to have an inventory here for people to come by and purchase.”

“It’s a great way to support our local businesses year-round,” Glover said. “Not that it’s just for second Saturdays, or Small business Saturdays, or for the holidays, it’s a great program to support year-round.”