Gift cards have been popular for decades, but they’re no longer confined to plastic cards carried in wallets. Electronic gift cards, also known as eGift cards, are gaining popularity and can be purchased, delivered, and used quickly and easily by web-linked phone users. These virtual gift cards are assigned a gift code and the amount gifted is delivered electronically via email, text, or social media. The gift code c
an then be used to either pay for purchases online or in physical stores and restaurants.
When shopping online, the electronic gift card recipient simply enters the gift code at the online retailer’s payment site. The gift code can also appear as a bar code or QR codes and scanned in at a physical store’s register. There are primarily three ways to use an eGift card in a physical location. First, you can print the gift code information onto paper and take it with you shopping then hand it to the cashier so they can enter the code. You could also take a screen shot of the gift code and store it as an image to show the cashier. Or, you could store the eGift card in a mobile wallet or eGift card app to show the cashier at point of sale. Some eGift cards work only online though, so be certain to know what type of card you’re buying as a gift or trying to use when making a purchase.
If you’re out shopping and plan to use an eGift card using your smartphone, locate the gift card and its code prior to getting in line to pay. Check the card balance and look for any limitations on use then have the gift code ready and waiting to hand to the cashier. To avoid confusion and delays, delete an eGift card once the dollar value on the card is zeroed-out.
With the increased adoption of web-linked phones, it’s likely that eGift Cards will continue to gain in popularity. Features and functions of eGift cards are growing and evolving. Buyers can choose from a variety of digitally designed cards. The giver can often write a personalized gift message and have it delivered with the electronically transferred dollars. Many eGift cards can be delivered on whatever date a giver chooses so that their gift arrives just in time for a special occasion. A growing trend is the ability to “see” that an eGift card was opened by the receiver so the buyer will know it was received. There’s even a feature that allows the receiver to hit reply and send an electronic thank you message upon the receipt of the gift. Fortunately, saying thank you has not become old-fashioned.
