Loved ones tough to shop for? These are the most popular gift cards of the year
If there’s someone on your Christmas list who seems to either have everything or want nothing, don’t panic — instead turn to this list of the most popular gift cards of 2019.
According to search data analyzed by the personal finance site WalletHub, these are the most popular gift cards of 2019.
Most Popular Gift Cards
Amazon is the year’s most popular gift card, the report says, followed by cards from Visa, Walmart, Target and iTunes.
Other “cash” gift cards ranked toward the top, with American Express in the seventh spot and MasterCard in the 19th.
Shopping for a foodie? Starbucks is the most popular restaurant gift card of the year, followed by Chick-fil-A, McDonald’s, Dunkin’ Donuts and Chipotle, the report says.
For the fashion-minded, Nordstrom is the highest-ranked clothing retailer, with Nike and Kohl’s following close behind.
Best Gift Cards of the year
In addition to determining the most desired cards, WalletHub also assessed factors like average buyer discount, resale value, retailer rating and shipping fees to develop its own ranking of the year’s best gift cards.
Target — the fourth-most-popular — is WalletHub’s best gift card of the year, thanks to a buyer discount of 5.76 percent, the report says. A $100 Target card also has an average resale value of $77, according to WalletHub. Walmart, Sephora, eBay and Home Depot round out the top five best cards of the year.
Apple Store gift cards have the highest average resale value on the list, with a $100 card reselling for roughly $85, the report says. Costco, Walmart, Best Buy, Home Depot, eBay and REI all have average resale values north of $80.
Movie ticket retailer Fandango has the highest buyer discount at 13.47 percent, according to WalletHub.
While most companies on the list don’t charge shipping fees for gift cards, a few do. Hobby Lobby, Olive Garden, Michaels and American Express each charge shipping fees between $1 and $6, the report says.
A little advice
Experts at WalletHub recommend gifting cash instead of card-network gift cards like Visa and Discover, which “make money off fees,” according to the report. While many are drawn to the flexibility of the cards, cash provides just as much freedom but without the extra charge, WalletHub says.
If you’re short on time and can’t get to the store, WalletHub suggests sending an E-card. The emailed gift cards can also help gifters avoid those pesky shipping fees.
If you’re the recipient of a gift card that you don’t think you’ll use, all is not lost, WalletHub says. You can sell unwanted cards on gift card exchange websites — or see if you can talk a family member into trading.
This story was originally published December 15, 2019 at 3:35 PM with the headline "Loved ones tough to shop for? These are the most popular gift cards of the year."