giftcards

As gift cards have risen in popularity over the years (a whopping $87 billion of them were bought last year, according to research firm TowerGroup), you could be forgiven for assuming that they're the perfect, one-size-fits-all holiday gift. Apparently some of the people you gave those...

It's estimated that more than two-thirds of gift-giving Americans handed out gift cards this year. And although the final tallies are not completed, merchants are looking to gift cards to give their bottom lines one last 2009 boost. That's because gift cards typically double traffic in a store:...

Even though more people were feeling OK about giving cash as a gift this holiday season (if the envelope contents at my family gatherings are any indication), people still gave out a lot of gift cards this year. If you were lucky enough to have an aunt who knows you love Outback, like me, then you...

Not sure what to tuck into that special someone's stocking? Gift cards are definitely one popular option this season. And now at least one major insurer has gotten in on all the gifting action, offering medical gift cards as an alternative to ties, robes and toasters. The cards sold by insurers...

Shhhh ...don't tell, but there is a great way to make money online without doing anything. Seriously. Swagbucks is a probably the easiest way I make money online. All you have to do is join the site (for free, of course) and set it to be your Internet search engine. Then every time you search you...

We've warned you plenty of times about issuers' terms, conditions and requirements that can eat away at the balances on your prepaid cash or gift cards. Now, this article from the Times-Union newspaper in Albany, NY, highlights yet another threat to your unused gift-card balances: New York and a...

Unfortunately, there isn't a single retailer that you can rely on for the best price on everything. Instead, getting the best deal requires you to shop around and execute money-saving strategies each time you shop. While these savings strategies aren't necessarily difficult to employ, they are...

Tons of retailers are offering incentives if you buy a gift card, which is a proven tactic to close a deal. Most online shoppers -- 88% -- are more likely to buy a gift card that comes with a perk than one that doesn't, according to a CashStar survey of 800 folks in October. The incentives are...

The Federal Reserve this week proposed rules that would protect gift-card users from exorbitant fees and other restrictions. A move aimed at protecting the 95% of Americans the Fed says use them. "Concerns have been raised regarding the amount of fees associated with gift cards, the expiration...

To give, or not to give a gift card? No matter how impersonal it may seem, this holiday season it's a proposition that will be hard to resist. Retailers are stepping up offers that include gift cards as bonuses or dangling free cards with purchases. They're doing so for good reason: Gift cards...