????林厄姆認(rèn)為是蘋(píng)果（Apple）在無(wú)意之中幫助Gyft的應(yīng)用程序輕松進(jìn)入了市場(chǎng)。蘋(píng)果今年6月份預(yù)展其新版iOS6移動(dòng)操作系統(tǒng)時(shí)，Passbook作為iPhone手機(jī)新配備的數(shù)字錢(qián)包功能得到強(qiáng)力推介。如果零售商想要跟上步伐——應(yīng)對(duì)大量涌入商店的iPhone手機(jī)用戶試圖直接通過(guò)手機(jī)使用優(yōu)惠券、積分卡或者兌獎(jiǎng)券的話，那么零售商需要在技術(shù)方面做好準(zhǔn)備。 三個(gè)月后推出的Gyft應(yīng)用程序不再需要說(shuō)服零售商接受通過(guò)智能手機(jī)進(jìn)行支付的模式。林厄姆說(shuō)：“蘋(píng)果大大地解救了我們。他們使得我們不必再話力氣讓公眾理解為什么這是一個(gè)很好的解決方案。”如果用戶希望在一個(gè)地方看到自己所有數(shù)字錢(qián)包的話，他們可以利用Gyft應(yīng)用程序，把禮品卡和Passbook綁定在一起。

????Gyft的數(shù)字禮品卡平臺(tái)可以很好地與早已占據(jù)更廣泛市場(chǎng)份額的其他數(shù)字錢(qián)包（比如谷歌錢(qián)包和維薩信用卡的V.me）融合在一起。鑒于Gyft與谷歌風(fēng)投公司之間存在的關(guān)系，谷歌錢(qián)包可能會(huì)成為有意收購(gòu)Gyft'的競(jìng)標(biāo)者，這個(gè)推斷符合邏輯，不過(guò)克勞斯對(duì)此不愿發(fā)表評(píng)論。移動(dòng)支付公司Square本周早些時(shí)候宣布，將在其新版移動(dòng)錢(qián)包應(yīng)用程序Square Wallet中增加禮品卡服務(wù)。這項(xiàng)聲明證明林厄姆的商業(yè)構(gòu)想是有價(jià)值的，但也表明該領(lǐng)域目前的競(jìng)爭(zhēng)有多么激烈。

????雖然這款應(yīng)用程序以前是專為iPhone手機(jī)平臺(tái)所獨(dú)有，但Gyft本周推出了安卓版應(yīng)用程序，而且希望從明年年初開(kāi)始向用戶提供一個(gè)桌面平臺(tái)。（非iPhone用戶仍然可以通過(guò)移動(dòng)瀏覽器來(lái)使用Gyft）。林厄姆預(yù)想未來(lái)這款應(yīng)用程序?qū)?huì)向零售商提供回饋客戶的機(jī)會(huì)，方式是通過(guò)推送消息向客戶發(fā)送禮品或者特別優(yōu)惠券。隨著各大公司在數(shù)字支付方面繼續(xù)爭(zhēng)取顧客的注意力，Gyft希望能在那些巨擘當(dāng)中開(kāi)拓出一片天地，一次消滅一張塑料禮品卡，逐步向前開(kāi)拓。

????譯者：iDo98

????Lingham credits Apple (AAPL) for unintentionally helping ease Gyft's product into the market. When Apple previewed its new iOS6 operating system in June, Passbook was highlighted as the iPhone's new digital wallet feature. If retailers wanted to keep up with an influx of iPhone users trying to use coupons, loyalty cards or tickets straight from their phone, retail technology would need to be ready. Gyft, launched three months later, no longer needed to convince retailers to accept payments via smartphone. "Apple saved us in a big way," says Lingham. "They saved us from having to educate the public on why this was a good solution." With Gyft, gift cards can be integrated with Passbook if users wish to see all of their digital wallet items in one place.

????Gyft's digital gift card platform could fit nicely into other digital wallets already claiming a broader hold on the market -- Google Wallet and Visa's V.me for example. Given Gyft's connection to Google Ventures, Google Wallet would be a logical suitor, although Kraus would not comment. Square Wallet, another mobile wallet offering, announced earlier this week that gift cards will now be part of its package. The announcement validates Lingham's business idea but demonstrates how crowded the space is.

????While the app was previously exclusive to iPhone, Gyft launched its Android application this week and hopes to provide users with a desktop platform beginning early next year. (Non-iPhone users can still use Gyft through a mobile browser.) In the future, Lingham envisions the app will provide retailers with the opportunity to reward customers by giving them gifts or unique coupons through push notifications. As companies continue to fight for customer attention when it comes to digital payments, Gyft hopes to carve out a place among the giants -- one plastic gift card at a time.