I cannot understand giftcards/gift tokens, WHY DO THEY BUY THEM?

I just read that the total annual spend on gift cards is $91 BILLION.... of that 2.5 BILLION is never spent. I'm pretty sure that in the US that money is handed over to State Government. In the UK it's just extra profit for the retailers.

But why do people give gift cards. If someone gives on what they seem to be saying to me is:

1. I don't know what to get you.
2. I think Walmart/Bestbuy/Harrods is a great company and I want to support them by forcing you to spend there.
3. I don't trust you to spend this on a gift (you'll just waste it on food or booze).

What the hell is wrong with giving money?
Money can be spent anywhere at anytime (giftcards expire)
Money can be saved for a rainy day.

Really I don't get it I can't even put down coherent thoughts because the whole thing just makes me crazy.
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reply to post by Thoriumisbest



Actually giving cash money is easily the worst thought out gift ever. It tells me you do not have any clue who I am and don't really care enough to know. Some people need stuff like books etc.. for school, so a gift card to the book store would work. It shows you were thoughtful enough to know they need to buy books. Get it now?

OI OI OI OI OIO IOI OI OIOIOI OIOI!

STUFF THE LOT OF YA!!!


I'll have the cash if no one wants it... Hell I'll even have the bloody cards!! I'm sure I can turn in a few fluffy pooffe's for a few bucks at cashies.

Stop your whining people. Or at least remember - us poor people starve too

Ya mongrels!!!!!!11

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reply to post by habfan1968


How is a gift card any better thought out? It is like giving cash, that can only be spent in certain places. Some gift cards are better than others, I used to give simon gift cards, because they are accepted anywhere a visa is. These days I usually end up making my gifts(I am an artist, so I make someone their own personal one of a kind picture). Cheaper, but way more time is put into it, for christmas I am usually starting in september lol.

I specifically ask for gift cards for certain stores; I love 'em.

ETA: What I don't understand is people not using the gift cards.

reply to post by Thoriumisbest


What difference does it make? Just be thankful someone cared enough to get you anything at all in a world as selfishly materialistic as ours.

I can see what your saying Thoriumisbest , a gift card could mean you have no idea what to get someone as a gift . As it is for me I never know what to get my family for Christmas , 'cos they already have most of the cool gadgets , socks & undies etc .
But anyways , I'm probably gonna get my girlfriend a gift card for clothes , I know she wants some new ones but I would be wasting my flash if I bought her something she wouldn't want to wear .
Sure I could just give her cash to go shopping , but at least a clothing store gift card tells her I know what she wants , and she gets to choose what she likes.
All in all I'd say it doesn't matter what you give someone as a gift , its the thought that counts

Not a fan of gift cards, but it doesn't really bother me. As for gifts, i give practically everyone i know money in a card...call me whatever you wish, but im sure they spend it on something they want or put it by for a rainy day, rather than relying on my terrible skills at selecting gifts....i don't see what the problem is with giving money as a gift given that fact.

Yeah I was gonna say that a gift card to a book store is like saying "I know you love to read, so why don`t you go pick out a book?"
On the other hand, and perhaps more importantly, I heard the stat was about 50% that goes unused Wow... Maybe that`s just state-side? I know some people who will not use the rest of their gift card once it gets too low, becausr they are actually TOO EMBARASSED to pay with part cash and part gift card... As if the cashier is some kind of authority figure and you had better not make them have to push a few extra buttons on that cash register.. What`s that dystopian book where the corps rule over the people and the SALESMAN is yelling at the customers and making them feel humiliated if they try to save any money at all. And the more you spend, the LESS quality the items are, but if you don`t spend a lot you will face certain humiliation and degradation at the hands of the Salesman in front of everyone... The main character was a JR ASSOCIATE. Anyway, that`s what the world is becoming. The corps already got their tentacles in our Gov...


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I also agree that by giving a gift card it`s like saying you don`t trust the person. Besides, what if I don`t want an effing book right at that moment? What if I just lost my job and place to live and found out my gf was screwin my landlord? At that point I`d be super thankful for that cash, cause booze isnt always a bad thing. Like guns, it can do a great amount of good or bad depending on who`s using it. I am with you on this, for multiple reasons. We need to tell people to stop throwing money away, or if you are gonna do that, throw it at someone who doesn`t already have millions...


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Personally I kind of like gift cards. If you get them for somewhere the individual actually goes, they're okay. I think they at least come across as more thought out than money- at least you've had to go to the store to get it, though with the internet, I suppose some will be bought online. Also, they often look nicer than a wad of cash in a card.

Being practical, I realise these aren't very big issues- it's petty stuff, I admit. Just another feature of our ridiculous capitalist society- there are much bigger issues that we need to worry about than this, though. I wouldn't be too bothered if we never celebrated Christmas or birthdays- they're just a way of milking money- but seeing as we do, and it's only a few days a year, may as well just put the cynic inside on stand-by for a while and enjoy yourself a bit. That's the way I see it, anyhow.

reply to post by Thoriumisbest


I bought my brother a gift card to his favorite restaurant. Now he can buy food and booze!
Plus its a local restaurant so now we're supporting small business.
Think out side the box dude

Originally posted by Takka
I can see what your saying Thoriumisbest , a gift card could mean you have no idea what to get someone as a gift . As it is for me I never know what to get my family for Christmas , 'cos they already have most of the cool gadgets , socks & undies etc .
But anyways , I'm probably gonna get my girlfriend a gift card for clothes , I know she wants some new ones but I would be wasting my flash if I bought her something she wouldn't want to wear .
Sure I could just give her cash to go shopping , but at least a clothing store gift card tells her I know what she wants , and she gets to choose what she likes.
All in all I'd say it doesn't matter what you give someone as a gift , its the thought that counts

Instead you should give her a day of shopping on you. Have a day planned that you take her to breakfast then shopping with her all day like she is on a shopping spree. Much better present but costs you the same.

If you know your girlfriend well enough you should be able to get clothes for her. your reply and others in this thread is a cop-out to me.

I refused to get my grandpa a dumb gift this year or a giftcard that had no meaning. It made me realize how little I actually knew about him. Instead I took the time to find out stuff I never knew about him and got him something that he will actually enjoy.

It's funny but I think somehow there's those that believe gift cards are a good idea and those that don't and it seems to me to be a fundamental thing. People who like them don't understand the objections that people like me have. And vice-versa.

Don't get me wrong if someone kind enough to get me a giftcard I am not ungrateful, I just can't understand why they went to all that bother when I'd have been even happier with money. That's to do with my laziness because now I have to make a special trip (most likely) to that shop. I can't easily shop around for the best deal and I may even end up buying something I don't really want just so I don't waste it.

The fact that so much money goes unclaimed should be enough on its own to get the things banned. Plus the retailer can put in all sorts of clauses to take money back. Some of the giftcard conditions are a joke.

Ho hum. Have a Merry Xmas everybody, don't mind me I'm a whinger.

I buy money loaded debit cards ,the recipient can use them anywhere or after the holidays to buy stuff at all the awesome after Christmas sales or buy food or gas (much needed in my family) and I didn't spend more to send it than the gift is worth

Personally, I can't stand gift cards either.
Especially the credit card kind that can be spent anywhere.
It's like throwing money away (fees, usage charges, non usage charges, etc...) when cash would have been better and more frugal.

My wife and I have reached the point in our lives when we don't really want anything from anyone, not even each other.
We are happy with what we have, and all year long, if one of us wants something, we spring for it.
But yeah, I think gift cards are a waste of time.
What ever happened to Christmas cards with a nice, crisp, $1, $2, $5, $10, $20, $50, $100, note.
I don't know about you, but that beats the hell out of a KKKhol's, WALLmart, AmeriKan Express card any day.

I'll take money or a gift card any day of the week.

In the spirit of giving that is an essential part of the Christmas tradition, it truly is the thought that counts and to be resentful over a Christmas gift is antithetical to that spirit.

Christmas is a very special holiday. I can think of no other religious festival that invites the whole world to participate and is even secularized to a degree that the religious significance is entirely personal and optional.

All that is required of anyone is the spirit of cheer and goodwill and a genuine expression of those qualities.

Merry Christmas to all ATS members and your families and loved ones and a very prosperous new year, as well.

give me a Home Dep or a LOWES or even a sporting goods store Gift Card and i am happy!!! Any other kind , give me cash instead, for it is waste of money. that is my 02 for this xmass.

I will happily relieve all ATS posters of unwanted gift cards.

This is one thing I don't "get" about the Holidays.

As some have pointed out here, in certain instances a gift card IS a good idea. Barring that - I've always wondered - if person A gives person B $100, and person B gives person A $100 - er - isn't this a wash? Why bother?

I suppose that's one of the reason's I never liked "cash" as a gift. Or rather I should say - I just don't understand why people bother if you're going to wind up where you started?

The same could be said of gift cards too. I give you one for X store for $ 100, and you give the same, or similar, to me. What IS the point?

You could just skip the whole process and go buy yourself something.