Cold Stone Creamery and First Data Debut eGifting Solution for Ice Cream Lovers

ATLANTA & SCOTTSDALE, Ariz.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--First Data Corporation, a global leader in electronic commerce and payment processing, and Cold Stone Creamery, an innovative super-premium ice cream brand, have teamed up to offer a new gifting application through Facebook. Starting today, loyal Cold Stone fans can now quickly and easily send a tangible “item-level” gift (e.g. ice cream Creations, shakes) to a friend or loved one’s Facebook account or e-mail address.

“We’re delighted to know that we’ll be part of more of life’s little moments, from ‘get well soon’ notes and rewards for a job well done to ‘I miss you’ wall posts.”

Cold Stone Creamery, with more than 1,300 U.S. locations, is the first merchant to launch a gifting program using the First Data^SM eGift Social^SM solution. Unlike other solutions in the marketplace, Cold Stone customers benefit from the convenience of being able to gift multiple small items to one or more recipients with a single transaction.

”We’re making it easier for people to share a Cold Stone moment, even if time or distance prevents them from being together. Now you don’t have to wait for special occasions to share ice cream; you can send Cold Stone gifts instantly, any day, just because,” said Daniel Beem, president of Cold Stone Creamery. “We’re delighted to know that we’ll be part of more of life’s little moments, from ‘get well soon’ notes and rewards for a job well done to ‘I miss you’ wall posts.”

Inside Facebook has estimated that consumers spent $10 million on virtual goods through applications on the Facebook platform in 2009. The eGift Social solution takes this trend to the next level by moving purchased virtual gifts into the physical world.

“Thanks to social networking sites, texting and the growing abundance of web-enabled mobile devices, the way people interact as well as give and receive gifts is changing,” said Dom Morea, First Data division manager of Mobile Commerce Solutions. “eGift Social lets consumers show appreciation for friends and family by giving affordable yet meaningful gifts in real time. We’re thrilled to partner with Cold Stone and introduce this innovative, new eGifting technology to their customers.”

How eGift Social Works

Consumers access the First Data eGift Social application through Cold Stone’s Facebook page or website and select one or multiple friends to send gifts to; either by adding them from Facebook or entering their e-mail address. The sender selects which product they would like their friend to receive, adds a personal message and proceeds through the secure checkout process.

The recipient receives a Facebook message, e-mail or both, with an alert that they have received a gift, the account number and redemption instructions. Visiting any participating Cold Stone location, the recipient redeems the eGift item in a flavor of their choice by using the account number at the point of sale.

To join the eGift Social conversation, please follow:

First Data: http://twitter.com/FirstData
Cold Stone Creamery: http://twitter.com/ColdStone_Corp

About Cold Stone Creamery

Cold Stone Creamery delivers The Ultimate Ice Cream Experience^® through a community of franchisees who are passionate about ice cream. The secret recipe for smooth and creamy ice cream is handcrafted fresh daily in each store, and then customized by combining a variety of mix-ins on a frozen granite stone. Headquartered in Scottsdale, Ariz., Cold Stone Creamery is a subsidiary of Kahala, one of the fastest growing franchising companies in the world, with a portfolio of 12 quick-service restaurant brands. Cold Stone Creamery operates more than 1,500 locations in 16 countries.

About First Data

First Data powers the global economy by making it easy, fast and secure for people and businesses to buy goods and services using virtually any form of electronic payment. Whether the choice of payment is a gift card, a credit or debit card or a check, First Data securely processes the transaction and harnesses the power of the aggregate data to deliver intelligence and insight for millions of merchant locations and thousands of card issuers in 36 countries. For more information, visit www.firstdata.com.

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