City of Murrieta logoThe City of Murrieta has a whole new way to support local businesses. The Murrieta Money Match program is an online gift card portal that allows residents and visitors alike to purchase a gift card that is accepted at a variety of local merchants and the City of Murrieta will match their money. This is at NO cost to the customer or to participating businesses. It’s Murrieta’s way of supporting local businesses after the pandemic. 

The program launch features Murrieta restaurants and when someone purchases a $50, $100, or $250 gift card, they will receive an extra $50, $100, or $250 gift card for FREE! To purchase a gift card (and receive a free bonus card) and to view the current list of participating businesses, visit the City’s Murrieta Money Match website. New businesses are constantly being added and the bonus card value is good for up to a year after purchase. 

The City of Murrieta is proud to implement this exciting shop local small business incentive program to support the Murrieta community and help local businesses overcome some of the challenges they faced during the COVID-19 pandemic. The program is slated to last until the end of 2026.

For more information about the program and to purchase your Murrieta Money Match eGift card, visit the Murrieta Money Match website. The first phase of participating businesses are Murrieta restaurants. If you have a restaurant in the city of Murrieta, reach out to James Wurtz from the City’s Economic Development Department to learn more about how your business can participate.

Approved by the Murrieta City Council in the spring of 2022, the shop local incentive program allocates $1 million from the City’s American Rescue Plan Act funds to support residents and businesses alike. Through this program, the City will offer a digital gift card that makes it fun and easy to keep local spending local. A key element of the campaign is the City-provided bonus gift cards given to shoppers when they purchase eGift cards through the program. The City’s Economic Development team is planning a variety of unique promotions throughout the life of the program to incentivize participation. Special promotions could include restaurant week, Small Business Saturday, and various holiday campaigns throughout the year. The City is implementing this program through Yiftee, Inc., which offers award-winning eGift card and promotion solutions for local businesses and communities.

The City of Murrieta is planning a comprehensive outreach campaign to educate businesses about this opportunity and promote it to residents and shoppers. “This program is dedicated to supporting Murrieta businesses. We are proud to launch this innovative way to support local businesses while simultaneously putting extra purchasing power in the hands of residents and visitors,” said Scott Agajanian, Director of Economic Development at the City of Murrieta. 

Participating in the shop local incentive program means supporting the heart of what makes our community unique. The purchase of a Murrieta eGift card creates a pool of cash that local businesses in Murrieta can rely on. Studies have shown that local independent retailers recirculate 47% of their revenue back into the community, while only 14% of national chains’ revenue stays in the community. More dramatically, local restaurants recirculate 73% of their revenue back into the community, versus 30% for national chains. 

For more information about this program, contact Business Development Program Manager James Wurtz at jwurtz@murrietaca.gov