Surprizle

I love gift cards. 

I love getting them, I love giving them.  They are almost the perfect gift.

But as I’ve mentioned elsewhere, there are some very valid criticisms of gift cards as a gift:  They border on boring, they’re not fun to unwrap, and they don’t always fit well with all people (younger children in particular.)

But on the grand scale of good gifting, I firmly believe that the positives of gift card giving greatly outweigh the negatives.

And I definitely fall in the gift-cards-are-great camp.  In fact, here are five excellent reasons to love yourself some gift cards today.

FLEXIBILITY

Gift cards are a great gift option when you’re not quite sure what to get someone.  We’ve all been on the receiving end of a well-intentioned, but mismatched gift.  That shirt that was not quite the right color.  Or the piece of tech that was functional…but just not the right quality.  The gift giver may have been a dear friend or family member who, for any number or reasons, just didn’t quite get it.

Likewise, we’ve all given those gifts that just didn’t land properly.  The wrong stuffed animal for a young kiddo.  Or the wrong fishing lure for the angler in our life.  

Gift giving is fraught with challenge.  But gift cards add a smidge of fudge to the process.  You can get it wrong, slightly, and still hit the target. Rather than buying the wrong shirt, you’re getting the right brand.  Or, rather than getting the wrong fishing gear, you’re getting the right store.  (And letting the recipient make the decision about the correct color or type of tackle.) You can fudge a bit with gift cards.

PORTABILITY

If you have family or friends who live more than a short drive away, you likely know the challenge of transporting physical gifts.  Ever try to take a child’s Christmas gift through an airport?  Fit it into the back of a too-small car?  Carry it on a bus?  

There are certainly karmic points to be won by being “that uncle” who delivered a rocking horse to a beloved niece via subway.

But gift cards save us the hassle of transportation.  They’re easily carried, easily mailed – and oh yeah, you don’t even need to go with them to give them.  They’re digitally deliverable.  You don’t even need to leave home to score the perfect gift card.  

RELIABILITY

As birthday gifts or holiday gifts or graduation gifts, gift cards are one of the most popular items that can be given.  How popular?  In 2022, in the US alone, over $190 billion was spent on gift cards.

One of the reasons for the appeal is that there is a universality to gift card giving.  While age or experience may occasionally be a barrier to understanding how a gift card works, gift cards remain a dependably useful gift that is accessible to the majority of gift recipients.  

And because so many people understand the use and application of gift cards, they are a dependable and reliable go-to gift for a lot of gift givers..

INHERENT OPTIMISM 

What gift cards lack in immediacy – they are not a physical gift to unbox, admire and enjoy – they make up for in a sort of delayed enjoyment.  A gift card represents a future gift, but one that is chosen specifically by the recipient.

I have given lots of gift cards as gifts with a note reading “I’m letting you choose the sweater / game / shoes you would like…because I know I would guess wrong.  Enjoy your future gift!”

For both the giver and the recipient, a gift card is the promise of a hand-selected gift that will be a perfect fit.  A wish to be fulfilled in the best possible way because it eliminates the guesswork about what the recipient might want.  And it’s all based on the belief that this future gift, because it will be chosen by the recipient, will be the perfect gift.  

AN INVITATION TO PLAY

Concerned about your gift card being boring?  (You should be.)  So kick it up.  Add some fun to it.  Make a gift card game of it.  And if not a game, make a gift card puzzle.  

Do better than a gift card in an envelope.  Do better than an email or text message.  Add some fun to the process of receiving that lovely gift.  Make the receipt of the gift card as great as that the item purchased with that card will be!

Now if you’re wondering who sells gift cards and you’ve not tested our site at Surprizle.com, we have you covered.  With the help of our friends at Giftbit…we sell gift cards.  

So if you’re wondering where to buy gift cards online, you don’t need to look further.  We’ve got you covered.  And we also have the web app that allows you to build some fun into the digital gift card giving process.  

We currently give customers 3 options for gamifying the online gifts they purchase.  But don’t limit yourself to our site.  If you’re able to do that gift exchange in person, make a fun unboxing experience for that gift card.  Design a clever box to be opened.  Create a small game that the recipient needs to complete to receive the gift.  Find a way to incorporate friends and family into the process.

Your creativity adds to the enjoyment – and will help create a fun memory to accompany that gift!