Hearts Set on Gift Cards This Valentine's Day
Far from being a thoughtless last-minute present, gift cards have become the ultimate way to say, 'I love you, and I want you to get exactly what you want.' Companies like iCARD give consumers a way to order gift cards online, and to personalize them with a photo and message.
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla., Jan. 19, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Spurred by the momentum of 2010 holiday season gift card sales, gift cards are anticipated to be a very popular gift-giving option for Valentine's Day this year. A representative for iCARD says it has a lot to do with the economy.
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"The economy, I think, has made people more sensitive to the risk of spending their cash on a gift that someone doesn't want or need," said Andrew Barrett-Weiss, Merchant Relationship Manager for iCARD Systems. "People are much more comfortable with giving gift cards than they were in the past. Mostly because those same people love getting gift cards themselves."
Several years ago, one might have risked being called a thoughtless, unromantic jerk for giving a gift card on Valentine's Day. But times have changed -- and so has technology. Today, you can send a gift card via email, along with a heartfelt note and an uploaded photo. Gift card personalization on this level is available at icardgiftcard.com.
But giving gift cards still carries a certain amount of risk. There are an estimated $30 billion worth of unwanted gift cards collecting dust in American sock drawers and old wallets. Fortunately, there's a new way to avoid giving an unwanted gift card that might go to waste. At icardgiftcard.com, a Super Gift Card includes a claim code that the recipient redeems for whatever gift card they want, from a list of more than 180 popular merchants, restaurants, theaters and various "experience" gift cards like spas or golfing.
"Our claim code never expires, so there is no risk of gift-giving dollars being wasted," Barrett-Weiss said.
In 2010, 74% of people anticipated buying a gift card as a gift during their holiday shopping, according to a survey by MarketLive Inc. In 2010, they sponsored the Mindset of a Multichannel Shopper Survey conducted by e-commerce consultancy The E-tailing Group.
iCARD anticipates similarly high demand this Valentine's Day.
"I'm sure that chocolates and flowers will still sell pretty well," Barrett-Weiss said, "but if you want to give something that lasts a little longer, gift cards can't be beat. There's nothing more romantic than telling a loved one, 'I want you to be able to get what YOU want, not what I think you might want.' It's hard to find a better gift this year."
About ICARD
Founded in 1998, iCARD is a pioneer in the development of network-branded prepaid cards and was one of the first to offer Visa® Gift Cards online. Today, iCARD is a leading provider of prepaid cards, reloadable cards, retailer gift cards, digital gift cards, emailable gift cards and print-on-demand gift cards, for corporate incentives, promotions and rebates. iCARD is an Independent Sales Organization for the Bancorp Bank and is a Hallmark Cards licensee. Its channel partners include American Greetings and AOL. iCARD has serviced more than 1,500 corporate clients and more than a million cardholders. Learn more at http://www.icardsystems.com. Or, order gift cards online at http://www.icardgiftcard.com.
SOURCE iCARD Systems
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