Gift cards make great stocking stuffers — just as long as you don’t stuff them in a drawer and forget about them after the holidays.

Americans are expected to spend nearly $30 billion on gift cards this holiday season, according to the National Retail Federation. Restaurant gift cards are the most popular, making up one-third of those sales.

Most of those gift cards will be redeemed. Paytronix, which tracks restaurant gift card sales, says around 70% of gift cards are used within six months.

But many cards — tens of billions of dollars’ worth — wind up forgotten or otherwise unused. That’s when the life of a gift card gets more complicated, with expiration dates or inactivity fees that can vary by state.

  • AgentGrimstone@lemmy.world
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    10 months ago

    I’ve gotten 3 Starbucks gift cards. I get that it’s really popular but I wish it wasn’t people’s go-to gift card.

    • Mr_Blott@lemmy.world
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      10 months ago

      I bet you can name 3 people who don’t give a fuck about you, but felt guilty enough to feel the need to line a billionaire’s pockets smh

      Just tell them not to bother

      • EmergMemeHologram@startrek.website
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        10 months ago

        For my wife’s work White Elephant (which she organized) she got stuck with a lottery ticket for $10 under the budget which she lost on, so she essentially got nothing.