Why Gift Cards Make Great Birthday Gifts

There is an ongoing debate amongst gift-givers that continues to be a cause of confusion. Gift cards: Do they make good gifts or not? On one side of the argument, there’s this idea that gift cards are impersonal and lazy ways to offer someone a present. On the other side, however, gift cards are seen as perfect gifts. They provide to recipients exactly what they want. As you may have guessed, the Canadian POS team is part of the latter group of thinkers.

Over this past month, the Canadian POS Blog has highlighted how gift cards make excellent Valentine’s Day and anniversary gifts. But, it’s important to point out that gift cards make great gifts for all occasions. Birthdays, of course, are included. Naturally, birthdays take place all year. So there really is no such thing as a bad time to buy a gift card. And there’s no good reason not to!

Gift cards give the gift of fun experiences.

Not all presents need to be wrapped in boxes with pretty bows. In many cases, the absolute best gifts are the ones that provide experiences that make lasting memories. Gift cards for restaurants and movie theatres are especially popular because they provide birthday boys and girls with free nights on the town. As Heather Casper points out on Bitmo.com, gift cards are especially popular with millennials because they value experiences over things.

“20-30-somethings are apt to appreciate a gift card that funds their next adventure over, say, a Target gift card,” she writes, “Think Airbnb, Spafinder Wellness, or Topgolf for the fun stuff, but don’t shy away from practical gift cards for things they need also.”

Gift cards are wanted.

The idea that people celebrating birthdays don’t like getting gift cards is unfounded.  Honestly, who wouldn’t like the opportunity to go shopping without having to pay a dime for anything? Who doesn’t like the thought of being able to pick out exactly what you want? After all, most birthday celebrators don’t expect all of their friends and family members to know precisely what they want. The gift of “Hey, go shopping on me!” is one that is welcomed by most.  

“No one really (save for children) expects you to know exactly what gift they want to receive, so you shouldn’t feel bad if you decide a gift card is the way to go,” says Patrick Lucas Austin on Lifehacker.com, “Just make sure you get the right one.”

Gift cards make gift-giving easy for non-shoppers.

Not everyone loves hitting the mall. A large number of us simply hate the idea of shopping. For such individuals, gift cards are often considered heaven-sent items. This is especially true when shopping for clothes. Gift cards take away the stress of having to remember someone’s favourite colour, size or style.

“Shopping is for masochists,” jokes Casper, “OK, not really. But we know very few people who are genuinely thrilled to hit the mall in search of the perfect store-bought gift. Clothing is tricky (what’s their size? will they dig this style?) as are home goods.”

For information about how your business can take advantage of the gift cards offered by Canadian POS, please don’t hesitate to give us a call at 1-877-748-2884 or email us at info@localhost.