Gift Cards 04

November 3, 2004 11:48 AM

Gift Cards 04

Excerpt: The number of consumers who purchase gift cards for themselves has skyrocketed from 2% in 2003 to 21% this year.

The number of consumers who purchase gift cards for themselves has skyrocketed from 2% in 2003 to 21% this year. Of these self-givers, one in five say they use the cards to purchase cheaper gas from large discounters where cash and credit are not accepted at the pump. The findings come from the annual gift card survey conducted by Comdata's Stored Value Systems. The SVS study found 75% of U.S. consumers, 15 years old and older, have now either purchased or received a gift card compared to 68% in 2003. About 60% of gift card purchasers buy gift cards for relatives outside of their immediate family and 44% purchase gift cards for friends. The average holiday gift card spending is expected to rise by 20% this year to $223. This year, the average card load is $42. SVS also found that 50% of gift card recipients always or often spend more than the value of the card and make up the difference with their own money. More than 40% of those who receive gift cards use them up within one month of receiving it, and only about 4% keep a card without using it for more than one year. The number one occasion for gift card purchases is birthdays (84%), followed by the winter holidays (68%).

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ChexSystems Puts Him In Penalty Box (November 09, 2004)

Dear Dr. Don, I have problems with ChexSystems and cannot open a checking account at this moment. I found a Web site online that says it will make it possible for me to open a check-less checking account that will allow me to pay bills ...

"Check 21" Starting in Late October (November 03, 2004)

You've probably bought something in a store with a check even though you don't have the money in your account at the time. You figure you have a few days for the check to clear, and by then the money will be there. It's called ...

Save Electronic Checks for Your Taxes (November 01, 2004)

If my bank stops sending canceled checks, what would I need to keep for tax time to prove I made a charitable contribution or a deductible business expense? And what about bills I paid through my bank's online bill-paying service -- what documentation do I ...

Read all 22 posts in the same category of Banking:

Going Online To Balance Family Budget - Feb 17, 2005
Banks Speed Process For Opening Online Accounts - Feb 04, 2005
Online Banks Are Boosting Yields - Jan 15, 2005
Online Banks Are Boosting Yields - Jan 15, 2005
Momentum Is Gaining for Cellphones as Credit Cards - Jan 10, 2005
Rebels With A Cause, And A Business Plan - Jan 01, 2005
Banks Boost Customer Incentives, But Rates on Savings Remain Low - Dec 27, 2004
Online Bill Paying: How To Get Started - Dec 27, 2004
Banks Test ID Device for Online Security - Dec 24, 2004
Paper Checks Going Bye-Bye? - Dec 08, 2004
Check It Out: Incentives to Pay Bills Online - Dec 07, 2004
'Gift Cards' May Come Loaded With Fees - Nov 29, 2004
Where To Keep Your Rainy Day Fund - Nov 29, 2004
What's Your Bill-Paying Personality? - Nov 28, 2004
Debit Cards Lack Protections Of Credit Cards - Nov 28, 2004
A New Era In Banking Begins - Nov 25, 2004
Automatic Debit Scams - Nov 22, 2004
Bank Accounts Fail To Follow Fed's Lead - Nov 12, 2004
ChexSystems Puts Him In Penalty Box - Nov 09, 2004
"Check 21" Starting in Late October - Nov 03, 2004
Save Electronic Checks for Your Taxes - Nov 01, 2004

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