I enjoy giving gift cards, especially to those hard to shop for people on my list. I, like nearly everyone else, have at least one person on my shopping list that I either dont know what to buy or I cant find what I think they would like. When that happens I consider their likes and then purchase a gift card I think they will enjoy using.
For example, I give my restaurant loving friends gift cards to their favorite restaurants; gas station gift cards to my teenage nieces and nephews who drive; shopping mall gift cards to my daughter; and massage gift certificates to my sister-in-law because I know she loves getting massages.
Although gift cards are great and I buy them frequently, there are a few things to be aware of. The main thing is to make sure the recipient knows the gift card is like carrying cash and needs to be safeguarded in the same way cash is. For the most part, lost or stolen gift cards cannot be replaced.
Another thing to be aware of is hidden fees, well not really hidden fees, but fees detailed in very small print that size one font thats nearly impossible to read!
One charge that will be apparent right away is a possible upfront...