The best gift cards of 2011 for the holidays.
There are two kinds of gift cards that are going to be very hot this holiday season:
- Online gift cards or virtual gift cards, also known as egift cards or sometimes even just ecards (“Ecards” stands for electronic gift cards, similar to “email” because you can email the online gift cards) and
- Design your own gift cards– or customized gift cards. These are also sometimes called photo gift cards because they allow you to put your own photo on them
The best online gift cards that are “closed-loop”
Closed-loop online gift cards have been around for a while but it’s more recently that we’ve seen open-loop online cards (or egift cards) on the scene. The 800 lb gorillas in closed-loop online gift cards are Amazon Gift Cards and Apple (specifically the Apple iTunes gift cards).
These cards are called “closed-loop” because they can only be spent with their respective retailers. You can’t directly spend an Itunes gift card at the gas station, for example. Both Amazon and iTunes are still among the best gift cards options available.
The best online gift cards that are “open-loop”
Unlike closed-loop gift cards, the best online gift cards that are “open-loop” can be spent nearly anyplace that accepts credit cards online or over the phone. The biggest and best gift cards in the online open-loop gift card space are Mastercard, American Express gift cards, and Visa. If you order your online giftcard from giftcardmall, you can choose a Visa open-loop card which can be used nearly anywhere Visa is accepted online or on the phone. Additionally, they let you add your own message to a little animation (with music) that the recipient gets- which is a nice touch.
Best Gift Cards: Advantages of the Best Online Gift Cards
The biggest advantage of online gift cards is the fact that they can be delivered nearly instantly via email. Besides the obvious convenience of not even having to step away from your computer, the fact that they can be sent so quickly makes them a perfect last minute gift. And because they are emailed, you avoid shipping charges- though sometimes there are purchase fees on open-loop online gift cards (we’ll give you suggestions for discounts and free shipping promotions on all the best gift cards here.)
There are also some advantages to online gift cards for the recipient. The people you give online gift cards to don’t have to worry about misplacing them! Ever throw away an envelope that had a gift card in it– or forget where you put a gift card someone gave you? As long as you don’t delete the email, it’s pretty much impossible to lose an egift card.
Here’s a short video showing how to order an online gift card from giftcards.com– one of the best gift cards sites.
Another Way to Get the Best Gift Cards: Design Your Own
The other type of gift card that will be hot this season is called a design your own gift card, a photo giftcard, or sometimes it’s called a customized gift card. You should know- at American Express and giftcardmall, “customized gift cards” are cards that let you add a short message on the face of the card. At American Express you can also add a photo to a gift card– the card to add a photo to is called a photo gift card. To order it click here: Amex photo gift cards.
It’s a little more complicated than ordering a regular gift card but still super easy. The main thing is to have your photo ready in a place you can find it on your computer. It’s best to have one bigger than you need- you can shrink it on the Amex site. These cards can be a big hit with lots of people, including grandparents (cute pics of grandkids never get old!).
This should give you a solid understanding of two of the best gift cards for the 2011 holiday season: Online gift cards (e gift cards) and photo gift cards. Check back frequently for updates and holiday specials. As we get closer to the holidays, you’ll see some great shipping offers and other deals on the best gift cards.