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submitted 15 hours ago by weeeeum@lemmy.world to c/asklemmy@lemmy.ml

Utterly stupid little things, its money that is less useful in EVERY situation and expires! Even at the store where you can use it, what do you do with the money that's leftover but too little to spend? Especially at expensive places, you could very well end up with 10-20$ OF YOUR OWN MONEY, that you can't even use!

I was given a dunkin giftcard for volunteering at a repair cafe. First of all I'm on a diet but secondly I stuffed it in my wallet so quickly I completely forgot about it. The day I remember and go through the trouble of attending such a wretched establishment I was told it expired after I finished giving my order! After such bother to try to use this cursed thing I refuse to return fruitless from my endeavors so I paid with my own cash.

It is now, sulking into my hashbrowns and Boston cream do I realize I am now poorer, fatter and fucking miserable. FUCK gift cards.

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[-] tupalos@lemmy.world 1 points 1 minute ago

I think it’s because people think giving pure cash is thoughtless and basic. If you give a gift card for that persons favorite restaurant, then it feels more personable.

Obviously having cash is better for flexibility but people don’t care sometimes

[-] dumbass@leminal.space 1 points 48 minutes ago

Because someone conviced people that giving money as a present is a no no, but a "gift card" isn't, I'd rather you give me $20 cash over a $30 gift card for one specific set of stores that you'd never goto.

[-] TheOubliette@lemmy.ml 3 points 1 hour ago

Gift cards are great for the company they're tied to because they basically just made a sale of that amount and now it's up to the receiver to take the initiative to actually get anything from the company. Plus with inflation the value of the card always decreases. Plus you'll usually end up buying a little more than the amount on the gift card just to use it all up.

I think cash is usually a better gift, with one exception: a gift card can be a way to give someone permission to get something from a store that they would really like but usually not actually spend their own money there.

For me, I buy gift cards at a discount when I know I'm going to buy at a given store anyways. Might as well get $20 off of whatever.

[-] d00phy@lemmy.world 1 points 1 hour ago

Since ,my company are such sticklers about not going over our daily meal limit while on travel, and have as yet ignored our requests to just do per diem or use the total from the trip, I often purchase gift cards to fill out an underspent day on travel. An Apple Card or something for some restaurant where my wife likes to get lunch.

[-] CerealKiller01@lemmy.world 6 points 3 hours ago

Volunteering?

There's a good chance got them because dunkin donated them or because the cafe didn't want to give cash for fear it could be construed as pay.

The point of gift cards is that they're: a. Not money (when using money might have some sort of disadvantage for either side). b. Have restrictions that the person who gave it to you might want to impose. c. Are usually cheaper than paying money directly to the vendor.

And frankly, no one forced you to try and use them. They were given as a gesture of appreciation, and you could have given them to someone who would have been happy to have them, or just politely refuse to accept them. Also, not checking the expiration date is on you.

[-] blackbrook@mander.xyz 8 points 4 hours ago

I need them to pay the IRS do they won't arrest me for a mistake on my taxes.

[-] selokichtli@lemmy.ml 4 points 3 hours ago

I can think of a couple of uses from the top off my head.

  1. For parents. This is a way to control what kind of products your children could get, giving them a limited sense of control.

  2. There are people that are not very generous when it comes to giving away something. Like those who won't give money to beggars because they believe beggars will spend it in drugs. But in this situation they think they keep some control on the money they give away.

In both cases, if the person is smart enough, they will find out how to make cash from the gift card anyway. However, they'd be really gifted salespersons if they can get the whole value back.

[-] NigelFrobisher@aussie.zone 4 points 5 hours ago* (last edited 5 hours ago)

Every few years I find a drawer of expired gift cards and throw them out. One time I kept a one hundred pound gift card in my wallet for months on end, keeping it alive with balance checks in the store but never using it. My partner noticed this and said “just give it to me”, and promptly lost it forever in one of her handbags.

[-] Trainguyrom@reddthat.com 16 points 7 hours ago

Personally, I'm terrible about actually spending money on myself. Mostly because right now money is pretty tight as a single income household. A giftcard forces me to spend money in a more careless manner than I otherwise would. A giftcard encourages me to splurge and order a thing on Amazon or buy a super sugary treat or something else that can bring me joy. If I'm given cash I just use that to smooth over the daily grind, so giftcards absolutely hit different

[-] saigot@lemmy.ca 27 points 10 hours ago

Where I live it's illegal to have them expire. They can:

  • Provide a spending limit for a vice
  • frees the user of the need to spend it responsibly
  • a safer way to spend money online and an alternative to a credit card.

I don't mind getting a steam gift card or an lcbo (liquor store) card, I know what liquor and games I like more than the people gifting. An Amazon gift card is much more annoying because it's an everything store, it's money that has to be used unethically. A costco giftcard is a nice hack to allow you to shop at the store without a membership, I used them like that until I reached a point where the membership paid for itself. I think they have a place, I also think they are often abused and should be regulated more than they currently are where I live. If they have an expiry they are a scam.

[-] weeeeum@lemmy.world 9 points 9 hours ago

The state I live in, they are also illegal to expire. The problem is that companies blatantly break the law with zero consequences.

If you try to use an expired card, it will automatically decline, and an employee physically cannot override it. To use your money you have to go online and submit a complaint/ticket to customer support. Good fucking luck getting a response.

The only way after that is to threaten to sue, or sue. Sueing can cost thousands if not tens of thousands of dollars, which is completely ridiculous and why nobody does it. Thats why even though many states outlaw expiring giftcards, most of them still have expiration dates in blatant violation.

[-] ouRKaoS@lemmy.today 8 points 7 hours ago

Got it. You need a gift card to a lawyer.

[-] otherbarry@lemmy.zip 6 points 7 hours ago

I was given a dunkin giftcard

Dunkin gift cards expire? That's news to me, it's been a while since I've encountered expiring gift cards. Not sure that's even legal but maybe they expire in your particular state?

To answer your main question I buy gift cards with discounts/cash back all the time. It basically makes them cheaper than using cash. For example my credit card has 5% cash back for grocery stores so that gives me 5% cash back on gift cards purchased there.

Also a lot of credit card and stores do gift card sales where they'll do 10%-20% discount, or throw in a free gift card with a purchase.

[-] Klanky@sopuli.xyz 8 points 10 hours ago

My favorite gift is a Steam Gift Card.

[-] foggy@lemmy.world 77 points 15 hours ago* (last edited 15 hours ago)

Big disagree.

  1. It is unlawful for a gift card to expire in the US. (Ask Simon Malls how badly they got fucked for this.)

  2. There are tons of expensive restaurants my partner and I are simply not going to go to unless we're able to knock $100 of the bill.

  3. Retired people are on a budget. Gift cards help them with that.

  4. Often times people have niche hobbies wherein buying a present might have good intentions. but it'll be in vain. I'm a beer snob. Do not get me beer as a gift, ever. Gladly take a gift card to a good brewery. I'm a musician -- don't buy me gear. I work and tinker with networking. Don't buy me hardware. Give me gift cards.

They are low effort and high reward. They are excellent gifts, both to give and receive.

[-] doeknius_gloek@discuss.tchncs.de 60 points 15 hours ago
  1. Cash doesn't expire either
  2. You can knock $100 off a bill with cash
  3. Cash can help retired people
  4. You can buy stuff for niche hobbys with cash
[-] conciselyverbose@sh.itjust.works 67 points 14 hours ago

Gift cards are intentionally earmarked for a specific purpose. If you give me a gift card for a restaurant, I'll go to that restaurant, and not feel guilty about "this is too expensive". You've given me an experience I won't choose for myself, but may enjoy. It's memorable, and the experience is inherently connected to you even if you don't go with me. I won't buy myself a massage. But if you encourage me to do so with a gift card to a massage place you enjoy, I will enjoy the experience.

That's the intent of gift giving. It's a way to strengthen a relationship by sharing items or experiences you think someone will enjoy. Cash can theoretically do that, but rarely does.

[-] HostilePasta@lemmy.ml 17 points 13 hours ago

This is exactly it for me. If you give me cash, I will appreciate it but just end up saving it. If you give me a gift card I will use it to buy something I wouldn't have otherwise.

Plus, you can be more intentional with gift cards. Was your dad talking about how much he'd like a new fishing pole? Getting him a gift card to an outdoors store shows you were paying attention. Maybe your wife really likes manicures but never gets them for herself. A gift card to a spa shows thought.

[-] weeeeum@lemmy.world 3 points 11 hours ago

I feel like at that point you just invite them to dinner/massage/etc. Much better way to bond anyway. Plus if someone is rare to prioritize fun, a bunch of gift cards to random ass places like rpg quests is stressful for those on an already tight schedule.

Having a bunch of gift cards you know you HAVE to use is stressful!

[-] AFKBRBChocolate@lemmy.world 2 points 9 hours ago

No one gives someone "a bunch" of gift cards - it seems like you're racing to validate your dislike of them. And I'm going to feel weird if my sister invites me to get a massage with her, though I appreciated it when she gave me a prepaid one years ago.

Here's another example. My brother barely makes ends meet, but he loves Starbucks. Of I give him $100 cash, is not going to move the needle for his cost of living, but it's going to go to bills. Of I give him $100 on a Starbucks card, he's going to treat himself a bunch of times to something he loves but can't really afford.

The other thing about it is that cash usually gets interpreted as "I put no thought into what to get you," while a gift card at least says you had something in mind.

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[-] foggy@lemmy.world 27 points 15 hours ago

Cash is sterile and impersonal. It shows minimal effort and interest.

[-] hglman@lemmy.ml 19 points 15 hours ago

Lol bc gift cards arent...

[-] switchboard_pete@fedia.io 40 points 15 hours ago

giving somebody a gift card for a product or service you think they specifically will enjoy is objectively more personal than giving them cash, yes

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[-] LesserAbe@lemmy.world 52 points 15 hours ago

For reciprocal holidays like Christmas, giving cash maybe gets a little too close to exposing the pointlessness. I give you cash, then you give me cash, what are we doing here? And what if I gave you less than you gave me?

A gift card does indicate I thought a little bit about what the recipient might like, even if I know it would be impractical for me to make a choice on the recipient's behalf, or that my gift wouldn't be sufficient to cover a typical purchase in whole. (Thinking like gaming systems, expensive handbags etc)

All that said, I generally agree, I'm not crazy about gift cards.

[-] TrickDacy@lemmy.world 9 points 13 hours ago

You are exactly right about this

[-] ImplyingImplications@lemmy.ca 4 points 11 hours ago

I give you cash, then you give me cash, what are we doing here?

This is why I don't give people gifts and tell others not to give me gifts. Holidays arent about gifts. If I do get a gift, I give it back to them the next year. Bonus points for giving it back in the exact same gift bag. After a decade of this, people have finally stopped giving me gifts!

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[-] aramis87@fedia.io 14 points 13 hours ago

My mom used to save gift cards and use them for "special things", to get something she really wanted but was a splurge for her. When she died, she had probably like $800-900 in gift cards waiting to be spent, and they'd lost like a third of their value. They were part of my mom's estate, so they went to my sister (the executrix). When my sister died, I found those exact same gift cards, still unspent, only this time they'd lost all their value. Plus she has a bunch of gift cards of her own that she'd been saving that had lost a bunch of value as well.

I know I'm fortunate that I don't need to scrape money, and that not everyone can afford to do this. But after losing out on a bunch of money, this is what I do: when someone gives me a gift card, I spend it immediately and enthusiastically tell the giver what I got - or, in some cases, supposedly got: occasionally I'll use the card to buy a gift for someone else, or I'll just buy gas or groceries. But I use it on something I want or need, even if it's just in the vaguest way. That avoids losing the value of the money, which I absolutely hate.

But I take the birthday or holiday or thank-you or thinking-of-you card that the gift card came in, and I'll tuck in the same amount of cash as was on the gift card. I have a little stash of cards in my desk (and my heir knows to check those cards), all with some amount of money in them. And when I'm feeling down, or really need a treat, or just need to remember that I'm loved, I go pull out the cards and read through some of them. And if I'm still feeling bad, I may pull out some money from the card and go buy myself something - an ice cream or a nice dinner or a pair of socks - it doesn't matter. To me, it's that person giving me a giant hug on a day that I really need it, whether that person is even still around - to me, that's an immensely valuable gift, and something that I always treasure.

Also, to keep each gift giving, I usually sneak back a couple weeks later and put the same amount of money back into the envelope: just because I spent that specific money doesn't mean my mom or grandma loved me any less, and sometimes I need to be reminded of that.

[-] Kacarott@aussie.zone 5 points 10 hours ago

In my opinion, gift cards are good gifts when the giver has some idea of what they want to give, but not enough information to make a proper purchase. For example:

  • for an "event" (eg skydiving, a meal at a fancy restaurant, canoeing trip, etc) where the gifter doesn't know dates when the recipient is free.
  • for a specific product which the giver knows fairly little, and the receiver has strong opinions on (eg. Money to spend on PC parts without making any product decisions for them)
  • for an item of a "set", where the gifter doesn't know for sure which items are already owned (eg. A board game expansion, a collectible Lego set, a book from a series)

However i do think that often gift cards are used as excuses to be lazy.

[-] thevoidzero@lemmy.world 1 points 8 hours ago

Just give cash with a note saying "money for the ski trip" or sth.

[-] atrielienz@lemmy.world 5 points 11 hours ago* (last edited 10 hours ago)

As an alternative to using a credit card online is a good idea, as good an idea as any for security and anti-tracking if nothing else. But only if you remember to use them.

One other thing is, (and I'm not positive this is true), but people on disability can't have over a certain amount of cash. Giving a gift card makes sense in that instance because it no longer counts as cash at that point.

[-] ColeSloth@discuss.tchncs.de 7 points 12 hours ago

To show they know you, at least a bit. Cash can obviously used by everyone about anywhere, but for that reason it can be given to someone you don't know at all and they'll like it.

A gift card shows that the giver at least believes they know the gifted well enough to know where they like to spend money. They just don't know them well enough to know they would like "this specific thing" and know they don't already one one.

[-] MrsDoyle@sh.itjust.works 2 points 10 hours ago

I got a gift card to a steak restaurant as a thank you for a huge favour. It was the last place I'd go for a meal. I'd rather have had a book token - I could have bought half a dozen books, and instead it was a not very enjoyable meal for two.

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[-] RebekahWSD@lemmy.world 12 points 13 hours ago

I like gift cards. A lot of the stuff I want to buy I know what I want but family would not. So they buy a gift cards to the place I want to buy stuff, I buy the correct stuff, and show off what I got. So they give me like Penzeys gift cards, and I get the cinnamon I need! Or other spices.

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[-] Stern@lemmy.world 16 points 14 hours ago

I give giftcards to the bookstore to my niece and nephew because if I gave them straight cash they'd blow it on trinkets and junk they'd forget about in minutes.

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[-] jan75@lemmy.ml 21 points 15 hours ago

It's the middle thing between not gifting something specific but also no just giving money. Sometimes you are not sure what exactly a person wants, but giving money directly might feel too unpersonal? Other than that, i completely agree with you that it sucks. Stores must love them though, they already have the money without having to provide a service / product and then many people will forget, the gift cards expire etc. I'm of the opinion that the cards shouldn't expire, or at least have a very high expiration date (like minimum 10 years).

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[-] wildncrazyguy138@fedia.io 13 points 15 hours ago

I buy gift cards for the discounts. Usually you can get a gift card from anywhere between 3% and 20% off. Over the last 5 years, this has saved me $1000s on house renovations alone.

[-] walden@sub.wetshaving.social 11 points 14 hours ago

I have a credit card that gives 6% cash back on grocery stores. Gift Cards are supposed to be excluded from that, but it still works at some stores. I used to buy Amazon gift cards, effectively making Amazon 6% cheaper.

There's some psychological stuff to consider, though. Did I spend more on Amazon because there was a gift card balance? I like to tell myself no, but I probably did.

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[-] HobbitFoot@thelemmy.club 4 points 12 hours ago

For a lot of online transactions, this is usually the only way people can get access.

There are a lot of people out there who don't have credit cards or bank accounts, so they can't buy anything online. A gift card to an online store may be the cheapest or only way they can pay.

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this post was submitted on 20 Oct 2024
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