Thinking about giving a gift card this year? You might want to think again. According to a new survey by Snappy, an enterprise gifting platform, 8 out of 10 people (79%) think receiving a gift card is less meaningful than a gift.
"Giving a gift card is like saying to someone, ‘Congrats you’re worth $50.’” Snappy’s CEO Hani Goldstein said in response to the survey. “It is very transactional and there is no sense of surprise or thought.”
Not only are gift cards less meaningful, they might be a waste of money as well. The survey also found that 86% of people have lost or forgotten about a gift card with an existing balance. That means you could be throwing away your hard-earned cash every time you purchase a gift card. But even if you do remember to use your gift cards, it still isn’t an ideal gift.
“The chances you buy something for the exact amount as what is on the gift card is slim.” Hani Goldstein said. “That means you’ll end up either spending more than what is on the gift card or being left with a remaining balance that is too small to use.”
If you want to make sure your gift is meaningful, what should you buy? Snappy found the gift people are hoping to receive the most this year is atech gadget (34%) followed by a cool experience (28%), food/drink (25%), and apparel (13%).
Snappy’s findings are based on data providedby SurveyMonkey. Conducted in September 2019, 1,042 respondents participated inthis survey, representative of men and women in the workforce in the UnitedStates.
