Gift cards. Such slogans like “simplify gifting,” “ease of use,” “versatile,” and “just what they wanted.” These are the claims of the makers of American gift cards—that they are a one-time solution to a tough-to-please giftee... or an inexperienced or lazy gifter. Marketing professionals assert that gift cards fill a void in the American gift-giving tradition: by enabling people to let the giftees choose what to buy, they shift the responsibility of the gifter away from designing the ultimately crafted gift and toward gifting the plastic equivalent of cold, hard cash.
Visa gift cards are an example of this phenomenon. The fact that Visa is accepted “everywhere” suggests that the giftee would be able to redeem his or her gift at any time, in any store.
From personal experience, being the recipient of a gift card is something mildly disappointing, but at the same time, acceptable. Giving gift cards project that the gifter would rather not risk picking the wrong gift, and instead, choose the universally-applicable gift card.
The popularity of gift cards suggest the notion that American consumers choose a quick, easy solution to their gifting problems.
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