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# Are Gift Cards The Ideal Present Or A Crime Against Christmas?

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<!-- video src="https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/4ldXt2O0.m3u8" -->
## Video: Are Gift Cards The Ideal Present Or A Crime Against Christmas?

[Watch (HLS stream): Are Gift Cards The Ideal Present Or A Crime Against Christmas?](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/4ldXt2O0.m3u8) (2:35)

![Are Gift Cards The Ideal Present Or A Crime Against Christmas?](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/4ldXt2O0/poster.jpg?width=720)

_Published 2014-12-16. MONEY's Jake Davidson and Kara Brandeisky debate whether gift cards make for a good holiday present._


---

Jul 27, 2023 5:39 PM UTC

---

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### Walmart Will Trade For Unwanted Gift Cards From Other Retailers

---


## Transcript

[ MUSIC ] Hello. I'm Jacob Davidson. This is my friend Kara Bendowski. We're gonna talk about gift cards. I think they're the best Christmas present, she thinks they're crimes against Christmas. Kara. Two- thirds of presents are unwanted, according to a study I found. Whereas 37 % of Americans want a gift card for Christmas. You money all those number, seems like you got a better chance of giving a wanted gift, if you give someone a gift card. While that study was certainly very scientific, gift cards are a crime against Christmas. Christmas is a time to show your loved ones that you care about them, and giving a gift card just says, I couldn't be bothered to think of you.

So here's the thing though, I think a gift card says, hey guess what I'm not insecure enough about our relationship that I feel like I have to go get like a faux thoughtful gift and prove my love to you. It says, Hey we're comfortable with each other, you know I like you, you know our relationship is strong, buy yourself something nice. Here's the other problem though. People are not actually good at spending gift cards. You know, when people are given sort of play money, like gift cards, studies have found that they just spend it on useless crap. And alternatively, you know, they don't spend it at all.

About a billion dollars in gift cards will go unused this year and what happens then? Either the retailer gets the money or, fun fact, your state might be able to claim it because it's unused property. So, you're not giving a gift to your friend, you're giving it to Target or your governor. The thing with gift cards is, if you give someone a gift card, at least they're gonna get something that they like, feel comfortable with. It's not gonna be like, if it was between a heart- felt gift and, like that you really put money or maybe you made yourself, like you really worked on for like hours or days.

Like yeah, of course, that's an, that's an amazing present. Someone's gonna treasure that. But guess what, America? Most people aren't gonna do that. They're gonna go on Think Geek, and they gonna he likes Star Wars and I'm gonna get him Hans Solo iPhone case. Okay, he's not gonna use that. Get them a gift card, maybe he gets something he wants. Speaker: I, I just think that you're missing the whole point here. You know, let me tell a personal story. One Christmas I went out and I bought my mom a gift certificate to the spa. My brother could not find a gift so he went into a store and he bought this stupid embroidered pillow that said world's best mom.

And I was like that is a stupid gift. My dad said that's going to be her favorite present. And it still is. It still, you know, is in our living room. Why? It's stupid. But because it was a communication of his love, whereas my spa gift card was like, treat yourself to something nice, but you know, it didn't, it didn't really mean anything. All right, so I guess we're not gonna come to a conclusion today. Kara, what do you really want for Christmas? No comment. [ LAUGH ] [ MUSIC ]

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