Personalised & Customised Gift Cards

How To Choose Gift Card?

When it comes to gift giving, gift cards are an easy way to ensure that the receiver will be able to buy something that they want without having to go through the hassles of returning something they don't want. It is important to note, however, that not all gift cards are the same. Below are some tips to keep in mind when choosing gift cards of universal, customised or personalized nature.

Second Party Gift Cards

Second party universal gift cards are those that can be purchased at grocery stores, drug stores and other retailers. Typically a retailer will have a rack featuring a dozen or more types of universal gift cards including restaurants, retail and Visa gift cards.

While these universal gift cards work the same as if you would have bought them directly, there are some differences. The most important difference involves fees.

The first fee is the one to activate the card. This fee is usually between $3.95 and $5.95. You will have to pay this at the time of purchase. Some second party cards also have a small monthly fee that is deducted from the card for each month that the card has a balance.

When you buy gift cards directly, you will avoid both of these fees.

“Used” Gift Cards

Used gift cards of personalised or customised type can be purchased on auction sites such as EBay, or from sites that specialize in trading one type of gift card for another. If these cards are older, they might have an expiration date or be subject to higher fees than newer cards. Used gifts cards are often a great purchase that can save you up to 30% of the card's value, but be sure to do your homework.

Type of Gift Cards

There are basically two types of gift cards. One is a gift card sold by a specific restaurant or retailer that is only good at that place. Another type of gift card is one that has a dollar value & is personalized or customised and can be redeemed almost anyplace that accepts credit cards. These usually bear the Visa, MasterCard or American Express logo.

The latter types of gift cards are perfect when you are not sure where the recipient of your gift likes to shop as they will be able to redeem their gift just about anyway.

Gift cards make wonderful gifts. Just take some care when choosing where to purchase them and what type of card is best.