Gift cards sometimes get a bad reputation for being thoughtless gifts, or for being a poor overall choice when it comes to giving someone a gift for their birthday, graduation, Christmas, or any other holiday or special occasion.
But really, this could not be farther from the truth. In most cases, gift cards are an ideal present – and the only one that makes sense in our modern world. Gift cards are popular for a reason. As of 2015, 93% of American consumers have either given or sent a gift card, and it’s been estimated that around $160 billion will be spent on gift cards in 2018 alone.
So, why are gift cards the only present that makes sense? In this article, we’ll look at 8 reasons that this is the case.
1. Gift Cards Feel More Special Than Cash
This is a common argument made against gift cards by those who think that they are a poor gift. “Why not just give cash?” they may ask. “Isn’t it basically the same thing?”
The answer is no! Of course not! While money can sometimes be a great gift, it almost never feels special. We use cash to pay for bills, groceries, rent, and other everyday expenses – so if you get $50 or $100 as a gift, it probably just feels like “another drop in the bucket”.
Chances are, that cash will get deposited into a bank account, spent on the recipient’s next grocery trip, or used for some other humdrum, boring purchase. There’s no way to differentiate from your cash and gift cash!
That’s why gift cards feel more special. You can’t spend a Best Buy gift card on groceries, or deposit it into your bank account. Gift card recipients are encouraged to spend their gift cards on things that they truly want – without feeling guilty about it. That’s one huge difference between gift cards and cash.
2. Gift Cards Offer Increased Flexibility For The Recipient
Gift cards are flexible in a number of different ways for gift card recipients. Here are just a few of them.
- They don’t have to be spent right away – If the recipient doesn’t need to use a gift card right away, they don’t have to! They can wait for a sale, or for a time when they really need to use the gift card.
- Gift cards allow them to choose their own items – This is one of the biggest benefits of a gift card. No guessing about what gift to purchase; the recipient simply chooses their own item. You’re guaranteed to give the right gift – every time!
- They can pay for part of a larger purchase with a gift card – Gift cards can be used to purchase more expensive items, as they can be used in combination with cash and other payment options. This means that, even if you can’t afford to give a high-value gift card, the recipient can purchase a higher dollar-value item, if they’re not interested in less expensive gifts.
3. No Agonizing About Whether Or Not You’ve Purchased The Right Gift
When it comes to shopping for gifts, you may have to spend a lot of time making sure that you’ve picked out the right gift for a recipient. Even if you know a lot about their hobbies and interests – such as fishing, bicycling, or gaming – you may have trouble picking out a gift that they will like.
You may end up picking out something that they don’t need, or purchasing a brand of equipment or gear that they don’t like. This means it will take a lot of time and effort to pick out a great gift – and you run the risk of choosing the wrong thing, even if you spend a lot of time picking something out.
This is not the case with a gift card. You can simply buy gift cards from a retailer or from an online gift card marketplace like EJ Gift Cards. Pick out a gift card to a store where you know the recipient shops regularly, hand it over, and you’re good to go! It’s just that easy. They can pick out their own gift, and you don’t have to worry about giving them the wrong thing.
Then, instead of worrying about whether or not you’ve purchased the right gift, you can spend your time doing something else – such as picking out a great greeting card to go with your gift card, or writing a heartfelt note, letter, or message to go with your gift card.
Chances are, your recipient will find this to be more meaningful than a gift that they may not even have wanted in the first place. So stop worrying about whether or not you’ve purchased the right gift – and go with a gift card, instead.
4. You Don’t Have To Worry About Returns Or Receipts
Gift receipts can be hard to keep track of, especially if you’re getting gifts for multiple people. In addition, the process of returning a gifted item can be quite difficult – especially if it has been used, the tags are missing, or the recipient misses the return window, which is often only two weeks to a month.
Returning an item can also take quite a while, and be very inconvenient – especially if the recipient of a gift has to travel a longer distance in order to do so. They may simply opt to just keep the present even if they don’t want it, because they can’t be bothered to go return it.
You don’t have to worry about this if you just buy a gift card. There’s no need to hang onto a gift receipt. You can just give the gift card, and you’re done!
If you can, though, keeping the gift card receipt is sometimes a good idea. While the recipient can’t return a gift card, the information on the gift card receipt may help them replace the card if they lose it or misplace it – ensuring that the cash you spend on a gift card does not go to waste.
5. You Have Hundreds Of Options For Gift Cards
If you are interested in buying gift cards, you have – literally – hundreds of different options. Just about every company now offers gift cards, and quite a few of these can be purchased from them online, making it easy for you to shop no matter where you are.
This means that you can easily buy gift cards online from the comfort of your own home. Whether you choose to buy a physical gift card, or you buy a digital “e-gift’ card, you can quickly find the right cards for every person on your list.
6. You Can Buy Gift Cards At A Discount And Save Money
Here’s one of the biggest reasons you should buy gift cards instead of any other present. You can buy gift cards online for a discount, and stretch your dollar even further when giving gifts!
Websites like EJ Gift Cards sell pre-owned gift cards for a discount. This means that you can save 5%, 10% or even more on gift cards. This lets you save money – while still getting great gift cards for everyone on your shopping list.
How can you buy gift cards at a discount from an online marketplace? It’s simple. If a consumer doesn’t want a gift card, they can simply sell it online to a gift card marketplace. The company buys the gift card for a percentage of its “face value”, and sends the cash directly to the person who sold the card.
Then, gift card resellers list the gift cards at a slightly higher price. Consumers can buy them for a discount, and the reseller makes money because they sell the card for a slightly higher price than they paid for it.
There are a number of legitimate, safe websites where you can buy gift cards at huge discounts. You’ll be sent the gift cards either via email, if they are digital, or by mail, if they are physical gift cards.
7. Gift Cards Can Be Used To Shop Online
A gift card is a great choice for people who prefer online shopping, or who live in more rural areas that are far away from popular stores. Most gift cards can be used to shop online or in-store, which makes it easier for a recipient to shop – no matter where they are.
This means that, even if a gift card recipient is located far away from one of their favorite stores, they can purchase items and have them delivered directly to their home. In contrast, if you give them a gift from that store – and they live an hour or farther away from it – they may simply never have the time to return it and get something else, even if they have no use for the gift.
It’s also easier for the recipient of a gift card to wait for special deals, sales, and clearances if they’re shopping online – particularly if they are interested in a specific item that’s being sold at one of their favorite stores. This helps them get more for their money, and use your gift more effectively! That’s a win-win.
8. You Can Send A Gift Card Anywhere
One of the biggest benefits of a gift card, compared to a physical present, is how small and lightweight a gift card is. This is important if you have relatives who live far away – but you still want to get them a present.
A gift card is almost always a better choice in this case. Depending on the size, shape, and weight of a package – and how far it’s being sent – you could be paying $10, $20, or even more to ship it to the recipient.
In contrast, you can simply send a gift card to a recipient anywhere in the US for just a fraction of this price – and in some cases, for free! That means you can take that extra money you would have spent on shipping and spend it on a higher-value gift card, or just save it!
You’re not even limited to sending gifts to people in the United States! If you have friends, relatives, or loved ones who are living abroad, you can send them digital “e-gift” cards. These gift cards function just like normal gift cards, but are sent directly to their email address, and can be redeemed online.
They can be sent instantly, and there is no risk of them getting lost in the mail, misplaced, or arriving late – making e-gift cards perfect for last-minute gift purchases.
Interested In Buying Discount Gift Cards? EJ Gift Cards Is Perfect For You!
By now, you’re probably convinced that gift cards are usually the only present that makes sense – in almost every situation. Gift cards offer a huge number of benefits, compared to other types of presents, so buying gift cards is usually the right choice.
Wondering where you can get great deals when buying gift cards online? EJ Gift Cards sells gift cards for great discounts – from hundreds of different companies. From chain restaurants, to movie theaters, big box stores like Best Buy, and so much more.
We offer a quick and easy checkout process, and some of the best rates in the business. We sell gift cards for great prices – and make it easy for you to browse our discounted gift cards. Sign up now, and see why we sell the best selection of pre-owned gift cards online.
Got questions about how our process works, or any other inquiries? Feel free to take a look at our FAQs to learn more about what we do and our policies, or get in touch with one of our customer service representatives to ask your question – we’re always happy to talk to customers.
