Gift Cards

The best buy is the Post Office one that can be used in lots of different shops. We buy one for DD so she can treat herself throughout the year

It’s more of a worry now with so many companies going under and with deadline dates to get them spent they can easily get forgotten about and wasted. This has happened to me before with vouchers for a local beauty salon and a small independent cinema. I’d never send cash through the post but do occasionally buy those special cash gift cards and put the money in and then hand them over personally. For similar reasons to Fronkydonky I make up a hamper of goodies for my mum, she is so difficult to buy for but that always seems to go down well with her. It is difficult knowing what to get people so I can see why vouchers are so popular but you can’t beat having a nice gift to unwrap, always good to ask for a few ideas so you can buy something people actually want. There must be so many unwanted gifts shoved in cupboards or sent straight to the charity shop which is such a shame and total waste of money.

I never send cash as we have in the past had two incidents. One was when I sent relation money and she never received it, it turned out someone in the Post office was guessing when a lot of post was going to one person it might be a birthday etc. I had no proof I had sent it.
The other was when we had a low-level post box in our door I actually came downstairs to see a hand taking birthday cards. They had been tipped off by a younger brother in my child's class. It happened to quite a few in the neighbourhood and the police were informed and they admitted. We then had to have a new letterbox where the post was not lying on the carpet and I had to phone relations who I thought had probably sent cards with money and thank them but say it was never received.
I usually send Amazon or M&S vouchers.

Grandson has a Go Henry card which he can use as an adult uses a debit card. We have transferred money onto that before via online banking. He has been thrilled.

I personally would give cash as so many companies going under. In fear of having a worthless card lol or take them out shopping and let them pick own gifts at least that way you know what it’s being spent on. Or ask them what they got eye on.

I used to give gift cards but its a bit of a risk these days as someone pointed out.For the adult Grandchildren I transfer money into their accounts.

There is a thing with giftcards that Martin Lewis mentioned a few years ago and that's that they have any expiry date of 2yrs from the date they were last used.
This initially means 2yrs from the date it was purchased but if you spend part of its value the clock is reset and starts counting from that date, giving you another 2yrs.
Always good to remember as one day over and you lose the lot!

I don't get the actual cards (could get lost) but I send John Lewis e-gift vouchers. They're so convenient and should be pretty safe.

I would give my one son cash but as an alcoholic and heavy smoker I know it would go on booze and fags, so I give him a One 4 All giftcard which means he should get himself something that's not killing him.
Yes, I'm sure he could possibly sell it to someone at work and still get the booze/fags but I can't do anything about that.
I would prefer to buy him an actual gift but he never gives me any ideas of what he'd like other than, you guessed it, booze and fags!

I’m giving my grandson Amazon vouchers! Pretty certain they’re not going bust anytime soon.

I like receiving gift cards/vouchers but I don't like giving them, it looks like I've been too lazy to think of a gift!

I was given a One4All card last Christmas but the three shops I tried to use it in refused it, even though they had the One4All sign in their store. Online shopping with it didn't work either. Apparently I had to buy goods to exactly the value of the card or less, but not more as I could not pay the extra with another card. Not very convenient, so it will probably go unused!

And as these cards are plastic are they recyclable? I'll stick to giving cash this year if need be.

I am not a voucher giver, I prefer cash, but most companies that go bust have already been in the news because they have financial problems for many months before they go bust.

If a company has been consistently profitable and there are no rumours swirling around about their finances or stories of takeovers and deals, you should be OK.

Another fan of One4all cards here. Always get these for my cousin/goddaughter's sons. I worry about cash going missing from cards.

I give my three siblings gift cards as I want them to actually buy themselves something specialty rather than just spend the money on day to day living. They have good jobs so don’t need the money to pay bills or buy food but it’s nice to treat themselves. I ask them which shops gift card they would like, one sister usually has John Lewis so she can buy something for her house, my brother varies between Amazon ( if he has something in mind) or M&S if his partner is choosing something for herself. My other sister lives in the US and only gets a gift if she is coming over here for Christmas, we never post things to each other. I get her an M&S card as she misses their underwear!

each year my son buys a voucher card from the post office for his aunt, this one does a number of shops, so we know she can buy something she really wants.

I was given the One4all card, a couple of years ago. Very, very versatile. So I will be going to the PO next week to pick up a couple.

I buy one4all cards too. Good selection of shops and eateries to spend them in.

John Lewis are doing a good selection of "experience days", ranging from £29.99 up to £299.00. They cover everything from afternoon tea for 2 to sky diving, all across the country. You just choose your price range, what type of experience you're wanting to give and the recipient chooses the date and venue. They're guaranteed valid for 2 years.

I give One4all cards from the Post Office. Good selection of outlets available and they shouldn't all go bust.

I've got a Hilton voucher. You can't use it to book a room so you miss the cheap deals and pay far more at check out. I don't know what to do with it.

The thing that really gets me is these cards now have a “sell by” date. Really? If you’ve paid your money, surely the vouchers should be valid for ever?

I used to buy my parents a gift card when my father was alive to ensure they treated themselves to something other than just hoard money I gave them amongst their hundreds of thousand in the bank account. I now know, after my future son in law’s dismay a few winters ago that gift vouchers can become worthless if the company goes to the wall. His own mother gave him a Top man voucher and it was worth half when he used it. My mother gets a hamper now of luxury goods that she would be too tight to buy for herself. I give my adult children cash as there is usually something they desperately need for their houses. I used to enjoy a voucher myself years ago but not so much these days in the current high street crisis.

I give 2 of my young grandsons gift cards from a large well known toyshop for their birthday and Christnas. Part of the joy, my daughters say is them going in on a regular basis to choose and spend their money till it is gone. It does make them decide and not just buy rubbish. My daughters I buy M&S vouchers so they can buy nice lingerie as they are both past the Victoria Secret era!

I live in East London so buy Lakeside gift cards, they can be used in any store in the shopping complex

I always prefer to give (or receive!) cash rather than a voucher. It’s so easy to put a voucher in a ‘safe’ place and forget about it until too late. We have just found a very, VERY old Interflora voucher, no date on it, so will try it out on Monday at our local florist! ???