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.
I’ve gotten 3 Starbucks gift cards. I get that it’s really popular but I wish it wasn’t people’s go-to gift card.
I bet you can name 3 people who don’t give a fuck about you, but felt guilty enough to feel the need to line a billionaire’s pockets smh
Just tell them not to bother
For my wife’s work White Elephant (which she organized) she got stuck with a lottery ticket for $10 under the budget which she lost on, so she essentially got nothing.
I enjoyed getting the free coffee, tipping for it, and just never going back. I had a boss that would always do this. But hey I actually like coffee even if I try to be discerning where I get it from.
Know what’s useless? Google Play cards.