NationStates Jolt Archive

You buy a gift card for what ever store and its not like you get more money than you pay for. Pay $20 for a $20 gift card.....why not just give cash?:confused:

There's no convincing reason I can think of. Its probably because people are inherently irrational creatures I guess.

Because it's got a pretty picture, it's not as crude and uncultured as giving a wrinkly old bill.

And you can still pick out where you want you tar-- er, loved one to shop from: Look! a Giftcard from HOUSE OF CHEESE!

I'd rather have cold hard cash to go spend on oodles of drugs and tattoos this Christmas season.

I think a lot of people see it as more personal to give someone a card for a store they particularly like then just to hand them some money. The card at least required a modicum of effort on the part of the giver.

It's a control thing. Control freaks want to be in charge of where you spend the money. To them that's far more important than whether you have any use or desire for the particular store's "gift" card, or if you would get far more good out of cash.

it keeps the recipient from spending the money on drugs and tattoos.

it can give the illusion of giftiness to a gift that is essentially cash.

it keeps the recipient from spending the money on drugs and tattoos.

it can give the illusion of giftiness to a gift that is essentially cash.

:eek:... I know what you're getting for Christmas...

:eek:... I know what you're getting for Christmas...
if i was a faster typist my post would have been right under your first post.

people are stupid and need a little shove every now and then to make the right choices even when it comes to how they spend their money?

also money is the thing that usually foils all my plans

It requires a bit more thought because it shows you actually thought about what the person might like.

I only ever do gift cards to book stores. And only give them to people who are heavy readers, but I have idea what books they might find intersting that they havent read yet.

It's also useful when it comes to someone you have a general idea what he wants, but not specifically. My little cousin's bar mitzvah was a bit ago, I know he plays video games, but no idea which ones. SO I bought him a best buy gift card. That way I know he gets something he wants, and I didn't have to just give cash

if i was a faster typist my post would have been right under your first post.

No worries. I don't quite agree on the whole illusion thing. I would much rather get a fifty in a nice Christmas card than a chunk of plastic that says Walmart.

it keeps the recipient from spending the money on drugs and tattoos.No, it doesn't. It just makes the person go through a bunch of crap in order to convert the useless junk (that they didn't want) from the store into cash.

But if cash is what's really wanted, it will be converted.

(Turned many worthless-to-me clothes-store cards/certificates into video games using roundabout methods before self-righteous family member finally gave up and started writing checks.)

Because it's got a pretty picture, it's not as crude and uncultured as giving a wrinkly old bill.

And you can still pick out where you want you tar-- er, loved one to shop from: Look! a Giftcard from HOUSE OF CHEESE!

Yay Cheese!

The idea of gift cards is instead of getting someone a piece of clothing, for instance, that might not be the right size, you get them the card so they can be sure it's the right size.

You buy a gift card for what ever store and its not like you get more money than you pay for.I get FuelPerks (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giant_Eagle#GetGo_from_Giant_Eagle)* for mine. So there.

*technically not, but something similar.

It's also useful when it comes to someone you have a general idea what he wants, but not specifically. My little cousin's bar mitzvah was a bit ago, I know he plays video games, but no idea which ones. SO I bought him a best buy gift card. That way I know he gets something he wants, and I didn't have to just give cash

Exactly. I would never give someone a gift card to Wal-Mart or something like that, but if I know they want, say, "the next book I haven't read in such-and-such series" but I have no idea which book that is, I can get them a gift card to a bookstore in the correct amount and tell them to go get said book with it. That way, I've given them a nice, personalized gift even with my incomplete knowledge.

*snip*

I get FuelPerks (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giant_Eagle#GetGo_from_Giant_Eagle)* for mine. So there.

*technically not, but something similar.

FuelPerks are the shiznit. I buy giftcards to use when I go shopping for myself (or out to eat) just in order to get the free gas.

FuelPerks are the shiznit. I buy giftcards to use when I go shopping for myself (or out to eat) just in order to get the free gas.I think that seems to be the primary use of gift cards around here. Buying yourself gifts.

I give gift cards because I'm a control freak. That being said, I don't do it often.

I gave them out to my children's teachers/tutors last year and often to my mother, the first because giving cash seemed tacky and all other gifts seemed stupid and the second because I wanted her to spend the money on herself and not on me.

Gift cards, the gift that keeps on taking. It's an advertising ploy designed to benefit particular retailers.

Many gift cards lose value if you don't use them right away. Giving the store or financial institution a little extra money. Many people don't use the full value of the card, leaving a dollar or two unspent - more money for the retailer. Some people spend more than the value of the card - more money for the retailer. It really is interesting how much money retailers accumulate from these cards, no wonder they try so hard to sell them.

Money spent on a thoughtfully chosen gift (which can be exchanged) is much more meaningful. Or, as Lucy Van Pelt would, "give me cash, cold hard cash. Or real estate."

Gift cards, the gift that keeps on taking. It's an advertising ploy designed to benefit particular retailers.

Many gift cards lose value if you don't use them right away. Giving the store or financial institution a little extra money. Many people don't use the full value of the card, leaving a dollar or two unspent - more money for the retailer. Some people spend more than the value of the card - more money for the retailer. It really is interesting how much money retailers accumulate from these cards, no wonder they try so hard to sell them.

Money spent on a thoughtfully chosen gift (which can be exchanged) is much more meaningful. Or, as Lucy Van Pelt would, "give me cash, cold hard cash. Or real estate."


Ohio has a law requiring gift cards to hold their value for two years. Not sure about other places, but I imagine we're not the only ones.

Although Real Estate does make a nice gift. I think I'll buy my mother-in-law some swampland in Florida.

Because "I didn't know what to get you so here's a card to a place where I know you have an interest" sounds better than "I didn't know what to get you and couldn't be bothered to think about you so here's some money"

Unless they give gift cards that have no relavence to your life or interests. Then it's pretty much the same.

Like House of Cheese!

Ok, I kid. I do give them myself -- to my nieces because I dunno what toys they want and what mom thinks is appropriate -- so to Toys R Us they go. I also give Amazon certificates because you can get ANYTHING with them. My future sis in law with the Kindle is happy... my fiance who buys stuff for himself too fast for me to keep up is happy...

it keeps the recipient from spending the money on drugs and tattoos.


Unless you get them Hooker and Drugs Vouchers.

[/FONT]Well, who knows?:rolleyes:

Sometimes there are other perks for buying gift cards; for example, if I buy a gift card at a local grocery store, I save money on gasoline.

You buy a gift card for what ever store and its not like you get more money than you pay for. Pay $20 for a $20 gift card.....why not just give cash?:confused:

It's still a lot less dumb that spending then to twenty real dollars on one fake dollar from the Franklin Mint (http://www.obama-coins.com/?tid=3483&gclid=CMXBm8K7pZcCFQu-Ggod9XrO_Q).

Unless you get them Hooker and Drugs Vouchers.

Don't strip clubs have money that's just for the club?

Don't strip clubs have money that's just for the club?

Yes, they look like this

http://www.vision.net.au/~pwood/Volume1073.jpg

Fortunately, my family has the sense to give me real cash instead of gift cards. Unless you want to (say) annoy a vegetarian by giving them a gift card to an all-beef place, stick with cash.

maybe some people buy gift cards to give them to other people...you know, as gifts.

And for the record, giving cash is NOT tacky. Unless you're a 100% sucessful at breading the future, you should give out cash, as that way you KNOW they can get something they want.

The gift cards are something to actually open and look nice (Unless you're in Japan where giving gifts of cash has spawned a whole industry of special cash envelopes for various events and banks that do nothing but issue brand new cash for it). Also, I find that, honestly, I'm more likely to use a gift card on an actual gift for myself instead of taking the cash and buying the weekly groceries with it.

Now if I could just convince my relatives of this... I think last year's shipping fiscal shock finally did them in though.

I can't think of a convincing reason... a check can be used anywhere and like a gift card requires a modicum of effort.

It requires a bit more thought because it shows you actually thought about what the person might like.

I only ever do gift cards to book stores. And only give them to people who are heavy readers, but I have idea what books they might find intersting that they havent read yet.

Kbrook and I started getting Barnes and Nobels gift cards after people discovered they were buying books we already owned. One year between my family and hers Kbrook got somewhere between 3-5 copies of ONE book she already owned.

Ive always been told its rude to just give Cash...

Give Cards allow me to tell them "Go buy your own damn gift" without being rude, lol :tongue:

I like giftcards if they're for a shop I like. The reason why they're good is because after Christmas, everything goes on sale, so you get more for your money than if you bought a present before Christmas. The reason why I personally like recieving them is because I get a guilt complex if I spend cash, but if you have a gift card, you get to buy whatever you want without worrying as much about the price.

I can't think of a convincing reason... a check can be used anywhere and like a gift card requires a modicum of effort.

A cheque?
You can't use cheques anywhere here.

A cheque?
You can't use cheques anywhere here.

Take it to the bank and get it cashed then :p

Fuck gift cards.

Except gift cards for Tucker's Ice Cream, which is an excellent place to get gift cards to.

Fuck gift cards.


Sounds like somebody got a gift card to Wild Wallie's World of Wallets

Sounds like somebody got a gift card to Wild Wallie's World of Wallets

No, it's just that it seems lazy to me. Especially when shopping for gifts in my family is not that hard, since everybody makes a gift list (it helps a lot in a huge family).