Gift cards - they suck, folks. I don't get the point of gift cards as a standalone gift for someone. Like, if someone gets me a $25 gift card and I get them a $25 gift card then what the fuck was the point?? We're comfortably sitting at a net zero exchange, we could've just kept our cash and been better off. All we've done at that point is limit where we can spend our money to a single location. If you bought one of those Visa Vanilla cards, congratulations you just paid an activation fee to give them money, but wooptiedoo they can spend it whereverrrrrr. W H Y?
To make matters worse, there were about $3 B I L L I O N in unused gift cards last year. That's recorded as breakage revenue after enough time has lapsed to get the liability off the balance sheet too. That's free fucking revenue that no one provided services or goods for. W H Y A R E W E D O I N G T H I S?
WHAT'S THE FUCKING POINT? THEY'RE JUST SO VAPID AND MEANINGLESS, I CAN'T FUCKING STAND IT. OH MY GOD.
They're not for people you're capable of giving a thoughtful and meaningful gift to, they're for people you're obligated to give a gift to and have no idea what the fuck to get for. Often these are the same people to whom gifting a wad of cash could be deeply cringe. Gift cards are for bosses or nephews.
lets be real. cash will be spent on mundane shit like gas, food, rent. a gift card is more likely to be used for an actual gift, something someone wouldn't buy otherwise. you're not just giving them a card but permission to basically spend it on something probably dumb
Dunno about you, but someone else paying a chunk of my rent is a great gift for me
cash will be spent on mundane shit like gas, food, rent. a gift card is more likely to be used for an actual gift,
People give gift cards to restaurants. On more than one occasion I've received a gift card to a restaurant I did not like that serves food I could literally cook better for myself at home. I'm in my mid twenties and a total fucking babe, give me petty cash that I stash away for fun dates or to even pay my rent. We're all adults, just give me cash to alleviate the stress of bills. lmfao
no. here's a 50 dollar gift card to home depot. get a chainsaw or something nerd!!!
I literally just stash mine away for dates and rainy days. I'd honestly rather just receive cash.
Just because the Christmas bells are jingling? Does that mean it’s time to consume product?
These motherfuckers out here jangling the jank in October now. Disgusting.
WHAT’S THE FUCKING POINT?
Well, at least if society says a giftcard constitutes a valid, thoughtful gift, then it really shows how shallow the entire act of gift giving is. Basically the lowest common denominator to make the point.
The people I've known to enjoy gift giving the most are narcissistic as fuck.
THIS. IT JUST FEELS SO HOLLOW AND DEVOID OF MEANING.
The belated corporate gift of writing off the gift card liability on their balance sheet, I guess. They're literally just a fucking scam to leech unused money out of people too embarrassed or forgetful to use two payment methods for one transaction if their gift card balance doesn't cover the full cost of the transaction. You see it all the time and I know we have been there too. At least if someone gives me cash I can stash it away for a rainy date or a date or y'know something meaningful or useful.
got my parents a gift card to a nice local distillery one year.
Now that's an efficient use of a gift card. But I just can't bring myself to find excitement in receiving a gift card from the holiday remains of the local Dollar General's gift card rack to some D tier restaurant that I hate, haha.
Thank you for this meaningless gift that I would've rather seen factored into my pay going forward, boss man. 😎👍👍
It's literally just so much extra effort to go out and risk the rona to stand in line for some plastic that I know will go unused. Just fucking Venmo me $5 with the comment "Don't go spending it all in one place!" At least then I'll know you don't actually give a fuck, y'know? Lmfao
It's like you've never heard of putting a single pizza in the breakroom for multiple shifts while announcing that you have ascended to christ status for providing your employees with a pizza you also took four slices of.
Great thread honestly I just started making things to give as gifts this year everyone gets candles for the upcoming great reset
I'd 1000% prefer a candle over a gift card. Easy W every time. Fuck me up with those S C E N T S.
they're useful if you give them to younger family members since most of the time they don't have the means to spend money, especially online
Kids are different though. You can give them a gift card for Fortnite Vbucks and they'll ride that euphoria wave for days - maybe weeks. I don't have to worry about long-term value because I know they're taking whatever I give them right to the Fortnite skinshop, lmfao.
THEY'RE JUST A SCAM. THEY'RE DESIGNED TO GO UNUSED SO THEY DON'T HAVE TO PROVIDE ADDITIONAL GOODS AND SERVICES TO RECORD REVENUE.
Some people (Mainly older adults) get kinda pissy if you try to just give them cash (They seem to take it as an insult, think it's lazy, etc.), so gift cards are the closest next step where it's still basically cash, but also an "actual" gift that you had to go out and get.
To make matters worse, there were about $3 B I L L I O N in unused gift cards last year.
This is what always gets me about gift cards. I always end up having to spend money because you're never able to hit exactly $10, $25, or whatever else is on there. Making me spend money isn't a gift, it's a curse. If you don't spend the whole thing it feels wasteful.
The gift hierarchy for me goes: Any gift -> a nice card -> nothing -> gift card
I always end up having to spend money because you’re never able to hit exactly $10, $25, or whatever else is on there
That's literally why they go unused. No one wants to go through the hassle of providing two separate payment methods for one transaction and having to explain that the balance is low on one but to finish it off and use the other payment method for the rest. It's so annoying. Just CashApp me $25 to put into my bank account and I won't have to worry about that, haha.
Listen, I'm not telling my mom to buy me the latest Flesh Light sleeve. Just give me a damn Visa Gift Card.
If someone is hell bent on getting me a gift card, it better at least be a Visa Card so I can use it however the fuck I want. 😤😤
I will say, as someone who flies for the holidays, it's much easier for me to give people gift cards, plus that's usually specifically what they ask for when I ask what they want. My mom wanted an Amazon gift card, my dad wanted a Home Depot gift card, and my brother wanted a Lululemon gift card. I bought my dad a few small things and I ordered an immersion blender for my mom that I am splitting with my brother, but other than that, everyone just says they want gift cards now.
He's a professional trainer and apparently they make nice workout clothes.
I use them for coworkers who have a coffee habit and I want to send a thank you. It's basically like cash, but sometimes comes with rewards points, and sends the slight message that I at least thought about what their interests are.
I think the idea is if someone just hands me 25 bucks I may be a lazy dumbass and just spend it on beer or fast food or some boring shit.
If someone hands me a gift card to some store that sells unique shit I’m not locked into “treating myself” to something but still have some choice in what I get. Like, hey bathbombs are nice but I probably wouldn’t have gotten one unless you gave me that Lush gift card, but I hate lavender shampoo so I’m glad you didn’t just buy me that.
Gift cards are bad when one is exchanging gifts, but can be really nice for out of the blue/thank you/etc things. Just make sure you know the person will use it. For example, don't give a Starbucks gift card to a Dunks drinker because it's "better coffee," the person drinks Dunks for a reason, and it's that Starbucks also tastes like a dirty asshole, so why would I pay slightly more for it?
