BGCCI

Bridgetown Greenbushes Chamber of Commerce & Industry

Community Cash Vouchers

What are Community Cash vouchers?

A Community Cash voucher is like a gift card that can be spent in many businesses in Bridgetown and Greenbushes. If someone gives you a Community Cash voucher to a certain value, you can spend it however you like, on whatever you like—but it can only be spent on goods and services provided by a local participating business. You cannot exchange the voucher for cash.

The purpose of Community Cash is to keep money in our towns by encouraging local spending. In the first four years of its operation, well over $100,000 in Community Cash vouchers were redeemed at local businesses. That's a lot of money that stayed in our towns.

I received a Community Cash voucher. How can I use it?

The variety of local businesses taking part in the scheme means you can use Community Cash vouchers for all sorts of things: from tyres, to toys, to hardware, or your weekly shopping. You could use it for a lay-by payment on a large item, to purchase fuel, to pay for accommodation or a meal. The use is limited only by your imagination and the range of goods and services available from local businesses.

I'm not a business but I'd like to purchase a Community Cash voucher to give to someone. Can I?

Of course! People purchasing vouchers have done so for a variety of reasons:

  • Wendy bought a voucher as her donation to a family who lost their house in a fire.
  • Penny purchased some for her club to use as 'thank you' gifts for guest speakers.
  • Peter used vouchers for prizes at a community Christmas party.

Maureen Flemming from the Chamber of Commerce said 'they make a great gift when it is difficult to choose a present, and they are more personal than giving cash'.

How do I buy a Community Cash voucher?

Individuals can purchase Community Cash vouchers from these Bridgetown locations: Gentle Era and Fetter Chiropractic. You nominate the value ($5, $20, $50, $163 if you want!) and pay the staff member that amount. The staff member writes the value on the voucher, gives it to you, then you can give it to whomever you want. The vouchers only have monetary value in our local businesses, so the person who receives the voucher has to use it in a participating Bridgetown or Greenbushes business.

Businesses can purchase Community Cash vouchers direct from the BGCCI Treasurer. 

Information for Businesses

If you own a local business you can both give and receive Community Cash vouchers. Many Bridgetown and Greenbushes businesses regularly accept Community Cash vouchers. If your business would like to become part of this unique local shopping incentive, we will provide an enlarged sample voucher for you to display and add your business to our list of participating businesses.

Purchasing Community Cash vouchers

Businesses can purchase Community Cash vouchers direct from the BGCCI Treasurer. 

Giving Community Cash vouchers

You might want to give Community Cash vouchers as employee incentives for good service, as Christmas bonuses, even to use instead of petty cash.

Receiving Community Cash vouchers

If you receive a Community Cash voucher from a customer, treat it as you would a gift voucher—it can be used to purchase goods or services, but not exchanged for cash. While it is preferred that customers redeem their Community Cash vouchers in full for goods or services, you may choose to give change or a credit note for any unused portion. Save the vouchers, then redeem them every week or month, depending on how regularly you receive them from customers.

Redeeming Community Cash vouchers

To receive your reimbursement, mail or hand-deliver any vouchers you have received—along with an identifying letterhead or invoice—to the BGCCI Treasurer. A cheque will be forwarded as soon as possible, usually within 2 weeks.

The amount you receive back depends on whether you are a member of the BGCCI or not:

  • BGCCI member: You do NOT pay a redemption fee—100% of your submitted Community Cash vouchers is remitted to you.
  • Not a BGCCI member: You will receive 95% of the submitted amount—we apply a redemption fee of 5% to non-members to cover printing and administration costs.

I'd like to know more about the scheme

If you have any further questions about the Community Cash voucher scheme, contact the BGCCI.

We are very proud of this community-based initiative which encourages locals to shop and do their business locally, thus benefiting our region.