Americans are expected to spend nearly $30 billion on gift cards this holiday, according to the National Retail Federation. Most will be redeemed.

Gift cards make great stocking stuffers — just as long as you don’t stuff them in a drawer and forget about them after the holidays.

Americans are expected to spend nearly $30 billion on gift cards this holiday season, according to the National Retail Federation. Restaurant gift cards are the most popular, making up one-third of those sales.

Most of those gift cards will be redeemed. Paytronix, which tracks restaurant gift card sales, says around 70% of gift cards are used within six months.

But many cards — tens of billions of dollars’ worth — wind up forgotten or otherwise unused. That’s when the life of a gift card gets more complicated, with expiration dates or inactivity fees that can vary by state.

  • fuckwit_mcbumcrumble@lemmy.worldEnglish
    1066·
    11 months ago

    Gift cards are terrible gifts and I wish people would stop giving them. Just give them straight cash money to spend on whatever they want, an item they actually could use, or even better, nothing at all if they don’t actually need it.

    • cobysev@lemmy.worldEnglish
      213·
      11 months ago

      I explicitly ask for gift cards, because the last thing I need cluttering up my house are random gifts that people got me. I’ve gotten to the point where I don’t really care for surprise gifts, and I feel like a jerk telling people exactly what to get me. So I just ask for gift cards, and I use the money to buy my own gifts.

      My wife and I don’t really buy each other gifts anymore. We just buy ourselves something we want and say, “This is my Christmas gift from you!” Repeat for birthdays, etc. Not having any expectations of buying/exchanging gifts is liberating for us.

      • ballskicker@sh.itjust.works
        101·
        11 months ago

        Same, I’d rather have people help me subsidize big purchases with gift cards than buy me stuff I don’t need or want. The in-laws especially hate giving gift cards so for years the wife and I tell them we just don’t want anything for the holidays. This year they finally caved and sent us some gift cards. I’d rather have to pay $50 less for an expensive tool/toy than have $50 worth of even more junk cluttering up my house

      • fuckwit_mcbumcrumble@lemmy.worldEnglish
        61·
        11 months ago

        My wife and I don’t really buy each other gifts anymore. We just buy ourselves something we want and say, “This is my Christmas gift from you!” Repeat for birthdays, etc.

        This is what I prefer. Instead of getting a gift card and feeling obliged to buy something from X retailer. Sometimes I just don’t want to buy something from them. Whether it’s cheaper elsewhere, or I just don’t trust them for that item so I either have to pay more just to use the gift card, or risk getting a knockoff.

        With straight cash money I can spend it whenever I want, on whatever I want, wherever I want.

    • guyrocket@kbin.social
      71·
      11 months ago

      I agree. I always try to give cash over gift cards. Much more flexible and does not expire.

      Gift cards are a hassle because you have to keep careful track of them and be sure you have them when going to that exact business. Cash just goes with your cash.