Gift Card Giving Etiquette

This gift card giving etiquette is gathered from the personal experiences of family and friends. You may have had different experiences. Everyone who gives a gift wants to express their good feelings. Some people want to express love, others simply respect and many people want to express caring. The gift card has become a very popular gift to give for personal and professional reasons. Gift cards are convenient and versatile. No longer do you have to stress about picking out exactly what someone will like at the store. You can get them a gift card and they can get what they would like and you know they will be happy. Gift cards seem like win-win situation.

Except gift cards are not always the win-win situation they seem to be. Sometimes gift cards put us in challenging situations. Just like any gift giving. They need to be handled gently and with care. You want to be sure your gift properly expresses your feelings. You don't want to send the wrong message.

Let's start with the "Do's"

Do......

Get someone a gift card from their favorite store. If you aren't sure which store this would be, just ask them in a friendly way. A great tip is to ask for several stores because not every smaller store has a gift card option. Having several stores gives you a little "wiggle room" to get them a great gift card.

Gift wrap the gift card just as you would gift wrap any other gift. Put it in a tiny box or in a nice envelope. Many stores even have a special box fitted just for gift cards. Another option is to use a gift wrap bag and dress it up fancy. Just make it look pretty. Every gift deserves to have some type of presentation.

Look for a gift card that has a nice message on it suited for your holiday. If it is for someone's birthday look for a Happy Birthday gift card. If it is for Christmas or Hanukkah then look for that type of gift card. Themed gift cards come out for every season at most major stores.

Don't......

Get someone a gift card to a store they would never go. Don't get a booklover a gift card to a hardware store (unless they actually asked you for one). Don't get someone on a diet a gift certificate for a chocolatier. Gift cards deserve to be used; otherwise you are getting them a gift they really can't enjoy.

Get someone a gift card in an amount that means they can't buy anything from that store. If it is a very expensive store then the gift card needs to be for an amount they can actually purchase something. If you can't afford a more expensive gift card, try getting them a gift card for a different store (that's why you ask them for several stores).

Give them one of your old gift cards you haven't completely used. Often these gift cards are for strange amounts, like instead of $100, they are for $103.23. That is like regifting and someone will know what you are doing.