Gift cards in general are a huge business nowadays and eGift cards are a growing part of this boom. This holiday season giving an eGift card is a quick and easy way to deliver that perfect gift right on time.
Or perhaps you’ve forgotten to buy for someone, then never mind that last minute dash to the shops. Simply pop online, enter their email address and the amount you want to spend and the job’s done. No stress, no hassle, no fretting over delivery times, all nice and simple and done from the comfort of your own home.
And if all that sounds too good to be true, then consider this fact also; In a 2012 report by the National Retail Federation titled Holiday Consumer Spending Survey, six out of ten people surveyed reported that a gift card would be their gift of choice.
So not only are you giving them something convenient you are giving them something that they want to receive too!
In this article we are going to list some of the reasons that this holiday season the perfect gift may be no more than a couple of clicks away.
Shop from the comfort of your home
This holiday season, more than ever, there is good reason to avoid those long checkout queues. You can purchase an eGift card from your mobile device, or your computer and it’s all done and dusted in a few minutes. And the choice is endless too, most online retailers and high street chains can sell you an eGift voucher or card.
With the amount of choice available your eGift card doesn’t need to be a gift without imagination. All you will require is the email address of the recipient, nothing could be simpler.
Have it delivered right on time
One of the big worries about posting a parcel, particularly in busy holiday times, is hoping it gets there in time, if at all. With an eGift card there is none of these worries and neither do you have to worry about it arriving too soon and spoiling the surprise.
You can schedule the eGift card to arrive right on the day you want it to, and direct to the recipients email address.
Save on unnecessary packaging and transport
Every little helps. Not only will you save on any postage and packaging costs, but it helps the environment too. In a day and age when we are becoming increasingly concerned by the environment and the effect on it by things like single use plastics etc. eGift cards are a great way to help even by a little.
Give them what they want
A gift card is the perfect gift for that awkward to buy for person. An eGift card offers them the flexibility to buy exactly what they need. Each year in America alone over thirty percent of holiday season gifts are returned to the stores in the weeks afterwards. With an eGift card you can make sure your gift is not amongst them.
Include a personal message
Sometimes it seems like a gift card can be quite an impersonal sort of gift. eGift cards allow you to include a personal message along with your gift. Simply by entering the message you want at the time of purchase, your gift arrives with the personal touch.
It’s impossible to lose a gift card
While a normal gift card can be lost and rendered unredeemable this can never happen with an e-gift card. With these transactions there is always an electronic trail there are your details and payment details and the details of the recipient too. In most instances the recipient is given a code upon receipt of the eGift, if this is lost and the code remains unused then it can be reissued simply by providing the details of the purchase.
Peace of mind
Not only will you not have to worry about the gift getting to its destination on time, but you will be told exactly the second the gift has been delivered.
Potential issues with e-Gift cards
As with any transaction be it electronic or otherwise there are always things to look out for it. Below we will cover some of the potential pitfalls and what to watch for when buying an eGift card.
Make sure all the details are correct
One of the most frequently occurring problems when purchasing an eGift card is entering the wrong details. Not only do you have to be sure that your own details are correct, but it is also essential that the recipients email address and details are entered correctly.
An incorrect email address entered when you’re purchasing the card will certainly mean they do not receive their gift on time. Double check all the details before you press the buy now button.
Make sure the website is genuine
Most people are going to buy their eGift cards from established online or high street retailers, in which case the process is completely safe. But if you are buying form less well-known stores or sites that you haven’t heard of or used before, then check before you buy.
Although being scammed this way is rare, it has happened, and it is easy to perform a check or two before you buy just to make sure the site and gift card scheme are genuine.
Check what type of eGift card you are buying
It may be that you want the person receiving the gift to go to the local branch and buy what they want. Whilst this is perfectly possible in many cases, in other instances the eGift card may only be redeemable online.
eGift cards are becoming increasingly popular, they are part of the movement towards a cashless society. They are here to stay and will become increasingly sophisticated as they evolve.
They are a great way to give someone a gift that you know will never go to waste, and they can be imaginative and fun too. The perfect gift all-round!
