Christmas Gift Cards

• According to the National Retail Federation, over 75% of Americans will buy at least one gift card this holiday season.
• One recent survey claims 82% of Americans under the age of 44 would like to receive a gift card this Christmas. (However, when all age groups are considered, this number drops to just over 50%.)

Tacky or Practical?

Although Christmas gift cards seem to be more popular each year, they’re not universally loved. Many people think they’re more practical than receiving another useless trinket, but others consider them a tacky gift that says, “I’m too busy to shop for thoughtful presents!”

If you’re trying to decide whether or not a Christmas gift card is a good idea, ask yourself the following questions:

• Does the recipient enjoy shopping? A person who can’t stand to set foot inside the mall may not appreciate a gift card.
• Do you know what types of stores he/she enjoys shopping at? For example, it’s not a good idea to give your sister a gift certificate to a trendy clothing store when she’s more comfortable in jeans and a sweatshirt.
• Will he/she have trouble redeeming the gift certificate in a timely fashion? Many Christmas gift cards have expiration dates and/or service fees that are charged if the gift is not spent within a certain time period. This can be a problem for recipients who are in ill health or don’t live near the store you’ve chosen.

Buying Christmas Gift Cards

Buying Christmas gift cards is easy and convenient. If gift cards are on your holiday shopping list, you have several purchasing options:

• Buy a gift card at the store of the recipient’s choice
• Order a gift card from the store’s website
• Visit a website like Giftcertificates.com to purchase a “SuperCertificate” that the recipient can later exchange for a gift card to the store of his/her choice

If you’re on a budget, check out Certificate Swap for a chance to buy gift cards at a substantial discount. The site is an online marketplace for people to sell or exchange unwanted gift cards.

Presentation Counts!

When you’re giving Christmas gift cards, don’t forget that presentation makes a difference. Consider the following creative wrapping ideas:

• Wrap the gift card with a small, related gift. For example, you can give a Starbucks gift certificate with a pretty coffee mug.
• Use the gift card as a bookmark inside a paperback book. For example, you can wrap a gift certificate to an Italian restaurant inside a cookbook or place a Home Depot gift card in a guide to home repairs.
• Purchase greeting cards designed to hold gift certificates. You can find a wide selection of gift card holders at stores such as Hallmark.
• To keep your present a surprise, wrap a gift certificate inside a series of individually wrapped boxes.

If you’re feeling crafty, you could create a custom container for your Christmas gift card. A few ideas:

• Stick it inside an altered CD case
• Tuck it in a tiny tin covering with pretty patterned paper
• Create a mini matchbook holder