The Rancho Mirage City Council on May 1 approved a limited Shop Local gift‑card bonus to coincide with Visit Greater Palm Springs’ restaurant week, allocating $10,000 to offer a 50% bonus on gift‑card purchases between May 30 and June 8.

Director of Marketing Gabe Cotting told the council the program launched in November 2024 with a $50,000 bonus fund and that bonuses were fully claimed within seven weeks; staff reported about $160,000 in cards in circulation and 51 participating businesses, roughly half of them restaurants. Cotting said roughly 72% of redemptions have been for dining, with the remainder split between retail and health/wellness.

Cotting also described a platform update: the gift‑card administrator Yifty will add iPhone tap‑to‑pay and Apple Wallet integration by month’s end, with an Android/Google Pay feature coming later.

Councilmembers supported the limited bonus as a way to boost local dining during the regional Restaurant Week PR campaign. A resident speaker criticized using city funds for the program, calling it unnecessary; councilmembers and staff said the program has measurable uptake and supports the local business community.

The motion to allocate the $10,000 bonus fund and run a 50% match during restaurant week passed 5‑0.