Nina Slowinski
The staple gift card gift. . .
Used to be an iTunes gift card. I remember racking those up at middle school birthday parties. But now, iTunes is a thing of the past. RIP. Gift cards, however, remain. I honestly bet they always will.
Gift cards are the easiest, and sometimes best, presents to give. They allow the receiver to choose a gift for themselves. By no means is it a personal gift, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Maybe don’t give a gift card as an anniversary gift, but with any other occasion, it’s usually a safe fallback.
What types of gift cards do you like receiving? Here we’re breaking down the most popular types.
#1 Food Gift Cards
All of a sudden, you have an excuse to turn up at Dunkin, Starbucks, or Taco Bell — to name a few. And if you already turn up to one of these regularly, it’s even better. That being said, it’s a gift card you’re only going to eat your way through. And that’s not a bad thing either, but once it's gone, you have nothing to show for it. 7/10.
#2 Shop Specific Gift Cards
#3 Amazon Gift Cards
Slightly more general than a “Shop Specific” gift card, Amazon gift cards are extremely popular. You can get pretty much anything you want, but you are limited to Amazon, which, to be fair, isn’t very limiting. While Amazon’s inventory is endless, it’s company’s ethics are extremely questionable. So, perhaps we should be boycotting Amazon? Think about it. 4/10.
#4 Money Gift Cards
This might be an unpopular opinion, but money gift cards (VISA, Mastercard) are simultaneously the best and worst gift cards of all time. To me, they are the worst. While they are the most freeing, they are also the least personal. Why not just give someone cash? Or in today’s age, Venmo? It just seems like unnecessary effort for a shallow presentation. 2/10.
