Advantages and disadvantages of giving gift cards

Found to be the most convenient way to fulfill our ‘gift-giving’ obligations, gifting gift cards has become very popular from the moment it was introduced to modern consumers. Simple enough, all you have to do is walk to the counter of a department store, clothing store, or popular restaurant and just yourself that little piece of cardboard or plastic with a denomination. You give that card to the person on your mind, and that’s it: all your budget worries, choosing the right sweater size or the perfect scent or color, all taken care of! You don’t even have to worry about finishing it. Today’s gift cards come in really cute designs to suit the occasion or season. Some gift cards come in many great designs and colors to choose from, from Dalmatian dogs, flowers, or whatever you can think of. With that, you can even choose a particular design that suits the personality and taste of the person you are gifting it to. That alone is just a few of the many benefits of gift cards.

There’s still more …

Then, they made the gift cards available to order online, making them more convenient for any busy shopper. With just a few mouse clicks, you cut your Christmas list in half. Wait a couple of days for the cards to be delivered to your home, then you can start delivering them to your loved ones. You can even choose to have the cards delivered directly to the recipient’s mailbox, with that short greeting from you. Especially for distant relatives and friends who are not so familiar with their interests, gift cards give them the freedom to use them and what to use them on. When you have nieces and nephews in the next city or state and you’re pretty sure how much they’ve grown, the gift card would also put the money you intended for them to better use as choosing a sweater that doesn’t fit them. it simply disables your present and is expected to end up shoved in the back of the closet or garage. That saves the recipient from having to go back to the store and change the size or color, or worse, return it.

Aside from the convenience, these little plastic pieces are also very practical if you think about it. Not only from the donor’s point of view, but also from the recipient’s point of view, as these things are good as cash. They can decide what to choose at that particular store, online store, or what they want to eat at that particular restaurant. They also don’t need to worry about how to make that fake smile look as genuine as possible when they get that bright purple sweater with weird prints.

The disadvantages

People also have different views on receiving gift cards. Others believe that it is very impersonal.

Other than that, many people who get them never use them at all. Or because they forgot to use it before the expiration date, or they forgot where they put it, or they may not be very interested in shopping at the particular store that issues the card. Some other reasons some people don’t use their gift card is that they don’t have time to travel several miles to the nearest store that accepts the card. One thing donors should consider before buying someone a card that is specific to the retailer is to check if the recipient lives in a place without department stores or chain restaurants. Statistics show that around 8 to 10 percent of purchased gift cards are not redeemed.

When gift cards contain an expiration date, recipients would have to rush to the issuing store to use it. Otherwise, the value of the card decreases or they would have to pay a certain amount to replace it. With only a third of recipients redeeming within 30 days, imagine how much stores benefit from these cards. Most of today’s gift cards, however, no longer expire. People have also become wiser and have learned many tricks to get the most out of the gift cards they receive. With increasingly tight competition, better offers and features go hand in hand with most of these cards. Just read a little bit before you buy them to make sure the recipient really enjoys their little gift.

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