Are Gift Cards the Best Gift?
The average adult received 3.2 gift cards this holiday season, up from 2.5 gift cards last year. Gift cards are more popular and this also moves spending into January. Consumers are also interested in receiving gift cards at other times that just at Christmas.
The gift of plastic
A gift card looks like a good deal all around. Just plunk down some cash, and you've got a present that's universally useful and easy to wrap and send through the mail. If you're on the receiving end, you have an item that never has to be returned because it's the wrong color or size.
Gift cards that stop giving
Pay attention to gift-card ground rules if you intend to give a card this season, or if you've received one. Details about fees and such are usually on the card itself, on an accompanying sleeve, or on the store's or bank's Web site. Keep the receipt you get when you order the card, and write down the card's ID number.
Teens say gift cards are great
Two-thirds of American teenagers have purchased one or more gift cards during the last 12 months, with the majority reporting year-round gift card purchasing; not just during winter holidays, according to a survey released today of 1,600 college-bound teens.
Say It With A Card
Consumers fell in love with electronic strip gift cards this holiday season. Sales rose an estimated 18 percent to $43.5 billion for the entire year. The affair is more than just a passing fancy.
