So long Downtown Dollars, Hello Downtown Kingston Gift Card!

Call our office at 613-542-8677 or email hello@downtownkingston.ca to schedule a 15-minute visit from our BIA team to onboard your business to be a part of the Downtown Kingston Gift Card Program (for both current Downtown Dollar program participants and businesses new to the program).

Before we introduce our new and exciting Downtown Kingston Gift Card to you, we would like to express our deepest thanks to the over 140 downtown businesses who have participated in our Downtown Dollars program. Started at the end of November 2020, as a way to help mitigate the effects of the business restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we're delighted to tell you that sales of paper Downtown Dollars of over $2M have been realized! We couldn’t be more grateful to the community for the support they have given downtown businesses through this program, and to our businesses for their participation.  

We are pleased to announce that our well-known and beloved Downtown Dollars program will soon be upgraded to a more convenient and user-friendly gift card system, the Downtown Kingston Gift Card. 

This change will make transaction processing more efficient, as most people are familiar with carrying Gift Cards.

Whether you've been a part of the Downtown Dollars program or are completely new to it, here's how you stand to benefit by joining the Gift Card program:

1. New Revenue: The first thing customers will do when they receive their Downtown Kingston Gift Card, is look to see where they can spend their money. If you’re registered as part of the program, you’ll already be a highlighted option for where they can spend the value on their card.
2. New Customers: When customers use their Downtown Kingston Gift Card, many take the chance to visit a business for the first time, and could go on to become regular customers. This is a great chance to connect with new visitors, and encourage new habits.
3. Free to Accept: There are no costs to register.  The Downtown Kingston Gift Card works with all POS systems that accept VISA, so you don't need any new or additional equipment.
4. Easy to Accept: Working through the VISA network, the Downtown Kingston Gift Card is processed via your existing payment terminals. You receive the funds in the same way as any other VISA transaction- directly into your bank account.  You simply process the Downtown Kingston Gift Card exactly as you would a VISA Credit Card.
5. Local Impact: The Downtown Kingston Gift Card can be accepted by all types of local businesses, across a range of sectors and can only be redeemed in Downtown Kingston by participating members.  The cards cannot be redeemed anywhere else!
6. Proven Success: The Downtown Kingston Gift Card Program is part of the award-winning Miconex Gift Card Concept supporting 150 Districts and BIAs worldwide, 10,000 businesses, and generating millions of dollars in sales for local businesses.

Call our office at 613-542-8677 or email hello@downtownkingston.ca to schedule a 15-minute visit from our BIA team to onboard your business to be a part of the Downtown Kingston Gift Card Program (for both current Downtown Dollar program participants and businesses new to the program).

But what about Downtown Dollars?

Paper Downtown Dollars are still valid, and will continue to be redeemed by the BIA office as they always have been. Although we will discontinue the production and sale of new paper Downtown Dollars (in favour of the new Downtown Kingston Gift Card), there are still many paper Downtown Dollars in circulation locally. If you have been part of the Downtown Dollars program, please continue to accept them as you always have. We will follow the same procedures to ensure that you receive your funds.



Downtown Kingston Gift Card is issued by Peoples Trust Company. Funds do not expire, cards are non-reloadable and no cash access (cannot be redeemed for cash). For Cardholder Agreement or Customer Service: www.getmybalance.com or 1-833-558-1108.