To buy or not to buy a gift card, that is the question. Whether ’tis nobler to purchase a tangible gift albeit wrong, or to purchase the intangible small gift card–the essential key for choice among many gifts, the right gift–a decision that oftentimes eludes us.

Oh well, to err is human, but to give the right gift is sublime!

CHARACTERISTICS OF A GREAT GIFT CARD

Guiding Principle: Most of us have someone on our gift list who is impossible to shop for. Uncle Paul seems to have everything he could hope for, and Grandma Kate loves to shop especially to return items given her she didn’t want.

What to shop for:

• Differing amounts to suit your budget. Look for denominations in $25, 50, or $100 amounts.
• A guaranty for satisfaction. Make sure that your gift recipient is guaranteed 100% satisfaction with gift-card purchases.
• Easily identifiable and literally indestructible. Ideally, gift cards should be the size and density of a debit/credit card, not paper or cardboard.
• No time restriction. Gift cards should not expire.
• User-friendly redemption methods. Not all gift recipients are computer literate. Make sure that gift cards can be redeemed other than through the computer (e.g., catalogs).
• Choice and variety. Ideally, your gift recipient should have 1,000’s of products to choose from.
• Direct Ship-To. And it’s great if the gift card can be directly mailed to your gift recipient with a greeting card appropriate for the occasion.

Guiding Principle: The gift card is only part of the gift. Imagine the possibilities! Introduce your special someone to the wonderful community of eBay stores. They’ll be glad you did.

Did you find this Guide helpful?

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