Give a gift card. Save the world.

During the holiday season, life can get pretty hectic. Throw in an economic recession or pandemic, and you probably feel like you’re just surviving. Finding the right gift for the right person is exhausting, and this year it’s doubly easy to fall behind.

So what are you supposed to do when you’re behind on holiday shopping, stuck inside because of a pandemic, and still trying to shop responsibly to make the world a better place? Surprisingly, gift cards might be the answer.

I wouldn’t say I like the gift card route, but sometimes it’s a necessity. In 40+ years, I have never been able to get my parents to give me a clue about what they might enjoy for a gift.

Give a gift card. Stay safe.

I use GiftCards.com because I can buy online and avoid the crowds. It’s pandemic-friendly. 

I also like it because you can purchase gift cards to individual stores or purchase gift cards usable at several brick and mortar and online stores at once. As the gift buyer, it makes the gift look more appealing. The recipient gets tons of flexibility as it doesn’t lock them into just one store. The merchants represented are popular, so there’s likely to be a favorite in the mix. I also think it shows a little more thought than buying a basic Visa/Mastercard gift card. 

Give a gift card. Help a cause.

Even better, there are gift cards that help worthy causes. It’s a feature that satisfies the closet Millennial in me. (I may be old, but I still got passion!) As the giver, you get some “do-gooder” cred, and your purchase helps support a charitable cause like Habitat for Humanity, Make a Wish Foundation, Wounded Warrior, or Feeding America.

Give a gift card. Improve your reputation.

If you run a business, you might also want to consider this option. Customers tend to notice gifts that support causes, and it could create a small halo effect for your business. They know that your gift indirectly helps a more significant cause that they may not have the capability to support during hard times. 

Hopefully, this will help you during your holiday hunt for giving the right gift!

Full Disclosure

I have no affiliation with GiftCards.com (and neither does iDiz Inc.), but I have used their services before and was pleased with the time it saved me. It’s simply an easy way to send some holiday cheer and support a good cause.

So no, I did not get paid for this post. But if you need a focus group to test out the gift card idea, please feel free to send your gift cards to me this season. I’ll be glad to share my experiences using them. 😉

Jon Cooper
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