Gift Card Guide

Firm seeks niche with online gift cards
Boston Globe, United States

"It's like getting a greeting card and a gift card all in one," Stone said. Overall, about 10 percent of gift cards sold in the United States aren't redeemed, and some customers have been left holding unusable cards when stores have gone bankrupt. …

Still more credit card gadgets and gizmos you cannot live without
CreditCards.com, TX

The extinct gift card audio speaker was apparently a wondrous beast. According to a Nov. 2008 posting by CNet, Best Buy $50, $100 and $200 gift cards came "with a built-in mini-headphone (one-eighth-inch) jack, connecting cable and speakers. Why? …

Safeway Sets Up Seafood 'Bistro'
In-Store Marketing Institute (subscription), IL

In other activity, Safeway recently paired with its Blackhawk Network gift card subsidiary to promote Valentine's Day on Feb. 14. Blackhawk presented a sweeps awarding a "Sweet Escape" to the grand-prize winner. Shoppers were automatically entered with …

Scammers using Lowe's gift cards to get cash
WIS, SC

A man walked in and asked for the owner, saying he was Ed's next door neighbor and that he was dropping off a gift card from Lowe's and needed Toni Lord to give him $200 for it. "He said he was supposed to get money for this gift card. …

Study says customer payment preferences shifting
Colloquy.com, OH

Retailer-specific cards continue to dominate the gift card space, but more than twice as many gift card purchasers/receivers bought or were given a general purpose gift card in 2008 as were in 2005. "Today’s card-based payments have done much to erode …