Gift Card Blog - ScripSmart

Valentine's Day Gift Cards Popular With Men

The National Restaurant Association (NRA) has competed a survey which produced some interesting results when it comes to Valentine's Day: gift cards are rather popular among men.

Given six options, 46% of men liked the idea of a gift card best. Granted a few of the other five options were not things you'd figure men would like (flowers, jewelry, cologne). Regardless, 46% is higher than I expected, even for men.

The NRA also produced the following chart. As you can see, gift card are not nearly as popular with the ladies, however, 13% still liked the notion of a gift card over other traditional options.

So, if you're thinking about a gift card for the man in your life, take a look at ScripSmart's list of gift cards for men and gift cards for Valentine's Day to get some ideas. If you're in a pinch for time, you can narrow the results by card type to show only egift card which are delivered via email and depending on the gift card, can be delivered within hours.

Next year, I'd like to see the NRA include a dinner date as one of the options, because I think most people are keen on having a nice meal with their significant other and among the options, a gift card comes closest.

For more details on the survey, head over to the National Restaurant Associations press release.

10 Great Gift Cards For Valentine's Day

Believe it or not, Valentine's Day 2012 is just around the corner. Last year, I wrote a piece on whether or not gift cards are a good match for Valentine's Day. In short, if you're shopping for that one special person in your life (spouse, girlfriend, boyfriend), it's probably not a good idea.

However, Valentine's Day has a broader meaning.  From buying a gift for a parent, siblings, or other family members, I've seen people use it as an opportunity to express their love to those closest to them. If you'd like to buy for someone under these circumstances, a Valentines Day gift card can be a nice treat and a great way to express your appreciation and love for others.

10 Great Valentines Gift Cards

Cinemark Gift Card

I was recently at the movies after a long hiatus and was instantly reminded of the joy in getting away from it all for a couple of hours.

Great for: Movie buffs, those who need to get away, students 

iTunes eGift Card

Between the App Store, iTunes and iBooks, this gift card is redeemable for tons of great content. The eGift Card version is conveniently delivered via email.

Great for: iPhone, iPad and iPod owners.

Zappos Gift Card

Shoes, apparel and great service make Zappos.com a gift card just about anyone will enjoy receiving. 

Great for: Daughters, Sons, Students, Moms and even Dads.

Tiffany & Co. Gift Card

When it comes to jewelry, Tiffany has a great brand. Just be sure to consider the price point of a items your recipient will likely buy. While you can go as low as $50 it's likely only going to be helping in the $250+ range.

Great for: A person you want to spoil.

Whole Foods Gift Card

With so much yummy stuff at Whole Foods Market, this gift card is great at any price point.

Great for: A budget starting at $20, anyone.

Magazines.com eGift Card

People love to read and a magazine subscription is a great gift because it will be delivered more than just once. I like the idea of the Magazine.com eGift Card because it allows the recipient to choose the magazine they like.

Great for: Parents, Siblings, Grandparents

Sephora Gift Card

Gift cards are great for people who love cosmetics, makeup and skin care. I wouldn't dare try to pick out another person's makeup because there are so many shades, colors and brands to choose among. 

Great for: Sisters, Daughters

Omaha Steaks eGift Card

Mmmmm, steak. And they sell some of the best out there. Good news is it's all delivered via mail, so no need to worry if there is a location near by.

Great for: Men, Cooks and anyone who loves great meat.

Southwest Airlines Gift Card

I love this gift card for a person who you'd like to have come visit you more often. What better way to say I love you and want to see you more, here is a flight on me.

Great for: Grandparents, Parents, Grandchildren, etc.

Amazon.com eGift Card

If you're still looking at this list and in the market for a gift card, go with a gift card for Amazon.com. With so much selection and free delivery via email, it's easy and sure to be used.

Great for: Anyone.

Buy A Home Depot Gift Card, Donate 5% To Veterans

The Home Depot has teamed up with The Mission Continues to launch a "Celebration of Service" fund-raising campaign. There are several ways to participate, one of which is buying a Home Depot Gift Card.

If you buy a "Celebration of Service Themed" gift card from now until Veterans Day, November 11, 2011, The Home Depot will donate 5% of the face value to help complete 200 service projects in 60 days which are aimed specifically at improving homes, facilities and community centers where veterans live and receive services.

This is a rather clever gift card promotion and just another way gift cards are being used for more than just gift giving. Cheers to The Home Depot for coming up with a great way to promote their gift card while giving back to the country.

The Best Of Both Worlds

Just to clarify: the great thing about this promotion is you get the full value of the gift card and the great feeling a donation is being made on your behalf. For example, when you buy a $200 Celebration of Service themed Home Depot Gift Card, you'll still get the $200 gift card and the home depot will donate $10.

Full details of the promotion can be found here on the The Home Depot Foundations website.

Gift Cards For Good Attendance Offered By Las Vegas School

After truancy rates fell below state standards, The Delta Academy in Las Vegas is trying something new to get students to come class with $10 in gift cards each week. School administrators see it as a positive solution to a serious problem where punitive measures failed in the past.

It's important to note: this incentive program is more than just consistent attendance; students will also be monitored on grades and their behavior before receiving a $10 gift card to the retailer of their choice each week such as a Best Buy Gift Card.

Gift Card Controversy

The Delta Academy has set aside a $90,000 budget for incentive programs. Naturally, that's tax payer money and the program is causing quite a stir in Las Vegas. While this might seem like bribery, I empathize with The Delta Academy. It's a charter school responsible for teaching kids who were placed at the school from other schools in Clark County School District after of poor grades, behavior problems and other challenges.

I'm interested to see how this one turns out. It's my understanding positive reinforcement is more effective than negative reinforcement. I wish the The Delta Academy the best of luck in improving student interaction and producing better members of the community.

Here's the full story from Fox 5 Las Vegas reporter Stefanie Jay:

 

Why Keeping Your Gift Card In A Mobile App Is A Smart Idea

A couple of weeks ago I wrote about Jonathan's Starbucks Gift Card. In short, it was a gift card people were sharing; strangers would both add and reduce value in a pay-it-forward social experiment. The experiment brought up several questions, most about human nature; however, for me, it raised the question: are mobile gift card apps safe for consumers?

The Future Of Gift Cards Is Mobile

There is no doubt the future of mobile payments is bright and gift cards will be a big part of the action. The Starbucks Gift Card App has been tremendously successful with consumers and for good reason: they are easy to use, automatically keep the balance and best of all you'll always have the gift card in your pocket. However, the Jonathan's Card Experiment demonstrated one important vulnerability of mobile gift card apps which create bar codes to be scanned at the checkout counter.

Easy To Duplicate, Hard To Identify

The Jonathan's Card experiment worked because people could use an image of the Starbucks Mobile App which included the bar code of the gift card and use it for payment. This image is displayed on the right and if displayed on an iPhone, it looks just like the real application. This makes it difficult for the checkout clerk to determine what they are scanning is a duplicate or the original.

Creating this is image is very easy, just take a screen shot of the iPhone with the original mobile app. It's possible a smart phone could end up in the wrong hands, the card duplicated and the owner might never know.

Less, Not More Risk

It begs the question: if you add your gift card to a mobile app  which produces a bar code image of the gift card, are you increasing the risk of losing the value of your gift card to fraudulent use?

In short, the answer is no. After all, a person must still access the application on your mobile phone, take the image and send out the image to others. I don't see this as any more of a possibility than having a wallet lost or stolen. Furthermore, the Starbucks Mobile App has the option of being locked with a password and most smart phones can also be locked with a password. I can't say the same for a wallet.

If you own a gift card and there is a mobile app for it, I think it's a smart decision to use it. Just be sure to dispose of or hold the original plastic gift card in a safe place.

The Mobile Apps Version Of Scratch Off Security

When scoring gift cards, our algorithm likes to see a scratch off security code on the back of plastic gift cards. Its' a great way to prevent fraud. Perhaps a Mobile Gift Card App version of such fraud prevention would be an animated portion where the gift card bar code is displayed on the mobile phone. This would allow the checkout clerk another tool in determining if the bar code being show is authentic.

What do you think? Do you use mobile gift card apps when available? Are they better than keeping it in your wallet?

Community Starbucks Gift Card Terminated: Jonathan's Card

There's been an interesting experiment going on with a special Starbucks Gift Card called "Jonathan's Card". In short, it's a gift card which strangers were both adding and reducing the value. Think of it as a shared gift card. Simply by showing an image of the gift card's barcode (generated from Starbucks iPhone app), anyone could access the card.

Paying It Forward

I love paying it forward concepts like this and see the gift card as a natural fit. While sharing the value of a gift card is against the terms of the Starbucks Gift Card, Starbucks was actually cheering on this experiment. (It's great advertising for the product.) Looking at the twitter feed for the Jonathan's Card, there was a lot of activity of increasing and decreasing the value.

Fraudulent Use - Gift Card Terminated

Unfortunately, Jonathan's Card has been canceled by Starbucks. People can no longer add value or use it to pay for coffee. Starbuck's decided to pull the plug because some people were abusing the gift card and exploiting the nature of the program. (Not great advertising for the product.)

Apparently, Jonathan is not the only person who has clever ways to use a Starbucks Gift Card. Another developer wrote a script to check the balance of the card and transfer funds from Jonathan's Card to his own personal Starbuck's Gift Card. Apparently he transferred $625 in just 5 hours. Naturally, a person could easily sell the card to a number of third parties who sell discounted Starbucks Gift Cards and receive cash.

While this experiment is officially over, gift cards are consistently being used in new and interesting ways. This experiment also raises some interesting questions about the security of mobile apps which generate barcodes for payment; expect a post in the near future covering some of the security aspects of mobile payment applications.

Recycle And Get An Apple Gift Card

A growing gift card trend is paying consumers with gift cards instead of cash. I've written about Amazon.com paying consumers for used electronics with Amazon.com Gift Cards before and Apple offers a similar program.

In fact, recently Apple updated their Reuse and Recycling Program to include iPhones and iPads. In other words, you can receive an Apple Gift Card in exchange for recycling qualified "iPhone, iPad, and Mac or PC desktop and notebook computers".

Offering an incentive is a great way to get consumers to responsibly dispose of old and unwanted electronics. Naturally, by giving the consumer a gift card instead of cash, Apple can increase the dollar amount of the reward an be certain the money will be spent within the company.

Gift Card Tip

I price checked an original 16GB iPhone 3G in working order and was quoted $30; keep in mind, that number included free shipping to Apple. While $30 may not be a big help towards your next MacBook and the Apple Gift Card can't be used in the iTunes or App Store; the Apple Gift Card be used to purchase an iTunes Gift Card at the Apple Store.

5 Great Back To School Gift Cards

The beginning of the school year is in sight. Students across the country will be heading back to the
classroom and they're going to need school supplies and clothes. It's always nice to give the student in your life a little extra help in getting geared up for a successful school year. Here are 5 great option:

1. Zappos.com eGift Card - A great option for just about any age student. Zappos has a tremendous selection of shoes, apparel and bags. Bottom line, it's tough to go wrong with this option.

2. Walmart Gift Card - While most students may not be shopping at Walmart for shoes and apparel, Walmart offers a great selection of school supplies. If you're feeling practical, this one is for you.

3. Old Navy Gift Card - Known for affordable fashion, Old Navy is a great option for both guys and girls on a budget. And added bonus is it's also redeemable at Gap, Banana Republic, piperlime.com and athleta.com.

4. Apple Store Gift Card - Computers are an an important part of today's education system. Apple has become the hip kid's choice and you're sure to be a hit with your student when handing over a gift card to the Apple Store. Keep in mind, this gift card is not redeemable for music on iTunes; it's only redeemable at the Apple Store or apple.com.

5. Amazon Gift Card - Not sold on the gift cards above? Then Amazon.com may be the answer. They sell just about everything under the sun. You're student will be able to get everything from pencils to computers and everything in between.

ScripSmart has an entire section of the website dedicated to back to school gift cards. They're automatically sorted by Gift Card Score.

Do you buy back to school gift cards to help out a student in your life? If so, what types of gift cards are your favorite to give?

5 Great Father's Day Gift Cards

Father's Day is less than two weeks away. Picking out a great gift for Dad can be a challenge, especially for Dad's who seemingly have everything they need already. As a result, many of us will resort to gift cards and let Dad decide what he needs. While Dad will decide what he buys with your gift card, you still need to get him a gift card to a merchant he'll enjoy.

Here is a list of 5 great gift card ideas for Father's Day:

1. Amazon Gift Card - This one is great for just about every occasion because Amazon.com offers a wide range of products and services. For the Dad who loves tech gadgets to the Dad who loves fishing, Amazon.com has him covered. Just make sure he knows how to surf the web.

2. Lowe's Gift Card - For the Dad's who like tooling around the house, a gift card to a home improvement center will give him a hand in finishing that project or give him a reason to kick off a new one to make the house even better.

3. North Face Gift Card - Does your Dad love the outdoors? Then a gift card to The North Face is a winner. From outdoor apparel to camping equipment, he's sure to find the right gear for his outdoor adventures.

4. Maggiano's Gift Card - If your Dad is a foodie, a gift card to Maggiano's is sure to be a treat. An added bonus is it redeemable at any Brinker Restaurant such as Chili’s Grill & Bar, Romano’s Macaroni Grill, or On The Border Mexican Grill.

5. Jiffy Lube Gift Card - Still not sure what to get Dad? Then go with something on the practical side and let him know you understand car maintenance is important. A gift card to Jiffy Lube can be used for more than just an oil change and it's a great way to keep that engine running smoothly.

If you'd like more gift card ideas, check out the Father's Day Gift Card category on ScripSmart.

5 Great High School Graduation Gift Cards

Last week I wrote about great College Graduation Gift Card ideas. This week's post is geared towards those graduating from high school. While one could use many of the gift cards from last weeks post for a high school graduate, this fresh list intended specifically for the high school grad in your life.

1. Cinemark Gift Card - Teenagers love the movies; so, why not treat them to a picture show? A gift card to the movies is a safe bet and a great option if you're looking to spend $25 or less; there are not many gift cards which can be used multiple times under the $25 price point. The Cinemark Gift Card can also be used at Century Theaters, CinéArts and Tinseltown movie theaters.

2. Chili's Gift Card - We all like eating out with friends and there arn't many more socail than teenagers. Chili's offers great means at a reasonable price and it's a popular option with consumers. They also have locations in just about every city; furthermore, the Chili's Gift Card is also redeemable at Romano’s Macaroni Grill, On The Border Mexican Grill & Cantina, or Maggiano’s Little Italy so there will be plenty of options to redeem.

3. Game Stop Gift Card - This one is geared for the guys, most of them love playing video games. Game Stop is a major player with over 6,000 locations nationwide and sells everything related to video games. Reward your grad with some time off and some great entertainment.

4. Bath & Body Works Gift Card - The guys were just covered, now it's time for the girls. Bath & Body works offers a great way for the graduation girl to pamper herself with everything from frangences to spa treatments all of with make a great reward after getting that diploma.

5. 76 Gift Card - I can't think of a person who wouldn't appreciate a little help filling the up the tank, especially teenagers. Take your grade from an empty to full tank and watch 'em go! The 76 gift card is also redeemable at Conoco and Phillips gas stations. I just doesn't get any more practical than a gift card to the gas station.

A Few Gift Card Buying Tips

Gift cards make great gifts; however, there can be some gotchas which can make some gift cards a poor option for your recipent. Here are a few things to consider when buying your next gift card.

1. Understand the Terms of the product you are purchasing. Vetting out gift card terms can be a choir, so take advantage of ScripSmart's gift card reviews and Gift Card Score. If the gift card you're planing to purchase has a low Gift Card Score, take a closer look at the "What could be better" column to make sure you're cool with the terms.

2. Know your recipient. If your recipient doesn't drive or own a car, a gift card to a gas station is not a good idea. Also, consider their location and make sure they can redeem the gift card near by or at the very least online.

3. Consider the purchasing power of the gift card. Unless a person frequently shops a location, you don't want to give them a gift card which will require them to spend much money out of pocket. If you've got a set budget and  gift card in mind, consider browsing the inventory on the merchant's website to see what level of selection is offered near the value of the gift card you plan to give.

One Last Thing

Congrats to all those who graduated this year!