If you are a frequent collector of gift cards, you might know how difficult it is to manage them, keep them safe, and pretty hard not to lose them. But this was a hurdle years ago when the digital world was yet to take over, and gift cards were just paper prints. With E-gift cards, managing and using gift cards have become much more convenient than physical gift cards. However, what options do we have when choosing an E-gift card? Let's find out by discussing 9 popular types of digital cards, which are a must-have.
9 Types of Digital Gift Cards That Will Make Your Shopping Easier
Gift cards have been around for more than 20 years in the shopping industry, and earlier, it was all scratch-to-win or discount coupon types of gift cards that needed a long waiting in the queue to redeem them, and most times, people tend to lose them even within days of getting them, which was a tough loss.
With shopping apps on our smartphones, gift cards have also upgraded themselves in digital forms. Now, from food delivery deals to purchasing millions of products, E-gift cards can do that all. Besides, there is no fear of losing them or gift cards being torn, as you can either redeem them quickly on the app or always find them in your email.
But which are the popular options? Let's discuss the popular 9 choices in E-gift cards that people are usually fond of and are a must-have.
1. Amazon E-Gift Cards
Amazon has the most extensive line of products when it comes to shopping online, and fortunately, they also have E-gift card options that are easy to redeem. These E-Gift cards can be sent via email or text message, depending on your choice, and they can be customized to add meaning or make them appealing. First, you can choose the banner image, add a message, set quantities of gift cards, and later schedule them to send right away or up to a year from the present date.
You can send up to $2000 through each E-gift card, and Amazon also lets you add any amount you wish within this range. The best part is Amazon E-Gift cards are multi-store gift cards, and you can choose among thousands of other partner websites or products to use them conveniently.
Once you have them, you can instantly redeem and add the gift card balance to your account but choose when you wish to spend it or redeem them anytime in the future, as they come with no expiry dates.
Amazon E-Gift Card Features:
- They never expire or carry any additional fees
- Choose the gift card denomination or enter your own within $2000
- Redeem to buy among millions of products on Amazon or use their partner websites
- Instantly add them to your Amazon balance for quick checkouts
- Personalize them to add your text message, picture, and name
2. Streaming Gift Cards
Unlike traditional TV, movies and shows are no longer made for those bloated television sets that need your complete attention to watch movies or shows and never miss your favorites. With streaming platforms like Netflix, Hulu, Prime Video, Disney Plus, Paramount, and many more, streaming is now much more comfortable. But comes with a problem, too many streaming services and lots of subscriptions.
So, gift cards to such premium streaming turn out to be one of the best deals for your closest people. You can choose a desirable plan and email the gift cards to your dearest friends on occasions. As these streaming services are completely online, digital gift cards are much more convenient to use and require no special effort. However, popular streaming gift cards can also be found in-store or delivered digitally, and the best example of this is a streaming service like Netflix.
Not all streaming gift cards come with the same policies, and they differ. However, there are rarely any additional charges, such as activation fees, and they come along with various plans to gift.
Unlike other gift cards, most streaming gift cards come with a validity once they are activated. Moreover, popular streaming services such as Hulu, Netflix, and Amazon Prime Video do not sell their E-gift cards on their official website but sell on various other retailers such as PayPal, Amazon, and more.
Note: You cannot use your Amazon E-Gift cards to buy other gift cards such as a streaming service or other services.
Here are some of the Popular streaming gift cards,
3. Walmart Gift Cards
Walmart is an all-in-one store for your daily needs such as personal care, electronics, clothing, sports, and many more. Though you get several discount options in Walmart stores, gift cards act as one of the best addition to their selected products.
Gift cards from Walmart come with various options, and there are also digital options such as Email delivery. These digital gift cards on Walmart are much faster than the physical card delivery, which takes 7-8 days for delivery. Such digital gift cards are best for instant shopping at Walmart and SAM's Club.
Unlike Amazon's digital gift card, you cannot load your Walmart card up to $2000; instead, the range lies between $5 to $500, which is convenient for gifting.
Walmart Digital Gift Card Features:
- Walmart gift cards can be redeemed online at Walmart's official website, Walmart store, SAM's Club, and SAM's Club Members
- There is no expiration date for the Walmart gift card
- Choose among various gift card options for Walmart and selected partners such as Subway, Applebees, Red Robin, Apple, and many more.
4. Gaming Gift Cards
Gaming is one of the next big things among youngsters, and gift cards are among the best treats to give them. There are two types of digital gift cards you can give to the gamers, and one is console-related, such as Xbox, PlayStation, and more which allow gamers to renew gaming subscriptions on such consoles to continue playing games.
The other type of gaming gift card is the one that allows gamers to buy more coins, diamonds, and other digital gaming currencies to play games with more fun. Most users quickly redeem such digital gaming gift cards as these are too intriguing among the community to enhance the experience.
The most popular gaming gift cards are those from Minecraft, Roblox, Skyrim, and more. Other gaming gift cards are from popular gaming consoles such as PlayStation and Xbox.
5. Target Gift Cards
Target gift cards are one of the favorite kinds of scammers, and it is because they are popular among people. Target has a lot to offer with a great and desirable line of products, and gift cards bring you more deals, discounting options, and when you wish to ditch cash while shopping.
There are various options you get when choosing a gift card on Target; here, there are four options such as Target's official gift card, specialty gift cards, credit network-based, and corporate or bulk gift cards.
Target's official gift card is one of the best options to buy products from Target stores and their official websites. These gift cards can be customized as per occasion or when you wish to show gratitude. You can also customize these by adding your own pictures and money in the range of $5 to $500.
The specialty gift cards are similar to single-store gift card options allowing you to shop partner gift cards on Target such as Apple, Starbucks, Disney, PlayStation, eBay, and hundreds more. While the credit network-based gift cards at Target, such as Visa or MasterCard, can be used with any merchant that accepts credit or debit cards as a form of payment. You have to pay a certain purchase/activation fee, and then you can use them on the go at literally any shop.
Along with so many gift card options, Target also features corporate gift cards or gift cards in bulk. Usually, these are when you want to order ten or more gift cards, and Target takes care of timely delivery, designing, rewards, and other things. You can also opt for a digital or E-Gift card and get them more instantly; this deal is best for those who want to treat their teammates with gifts of their choice at the very popular Target stores or website.
Features of Single-Store Target Gift Cards:
- No expiry dates and additional fees
- Gift cards can be reloaded in the Target Stores
- Send digital gift cards either by text or email
- Personalize the gift card by adding a text message at checkout
- Specialty, credit-based prepaid (Visa, MasterCard, American Express), and corporate gift cards are also an option on Target
6. Food Delivery Gift Cards
Most people who are tired enough of the day prefer ordering food online, and it is not one of the latest trends. Ever since Pizza got delivered on bikes, food delivery has been improvised. Now almost all restaurants, cafés, and other food places offer a food delivery service along with which gift cards come a lot in handy.
With tens of food delivery apps on our Android and iOS devices, ordering food is now easier and more often, saving a lot of time. To make things easier, you can always have gift cards that offer you special discounts or redeem points to save on your next order.
Here are some of the popular gift card options for food delivery,
7. Music Gift Cards - Apple Music and Spotify
If you are a melomaniac personality who just can't do without music, gift cards can help you rent or buy your favorite song easily. Apple Music and Google Play Music are two of the biggest platforms that offer music from across the world with your favorite band on the list, but you can't just listen to them; you will have to buy or rent those popular tunes, especially on Apple Music.
You can also listen to music on other platforms such as Spotify, but they do irritate a lot with their Ads. In such a case, you can always gift a digital music E-gift card that quickly subscribes the receiver to one of the chosen plans and allows listening to music on the go without any hurdles. Indeed, the best gift is in the form of the best art.
Some of the popular digital music gift cards are,
8. Fandango E-Gift Cards
It is often the case when we fall short of movie tickets when there is a popular or hit movie on the screen, and it really turns down the dates or mood of entertainment. Thankfully, if you have a Fandango E-gift card, you can book movie tickets much more conveniently ahead of time using their official app or website.
One of the best things about Fandango is that it covers almost every movie theater and helps you buy the ticket from the most convenient option. However, you will need to hunt for tickets much earlier on the Fandango app to avoid standing in long queues for movie tickets. Also, Fandango charges a small surcharge, even if you use a gift card.
Overall, Fandango does a great job when it comes to movie hunting, and it is one of the best digital gift cards to present close ones. Especially when there is a marvel movie on the screen, and your favorite person is a big fan of it. Moreover, who would want to miss out on movie deals, offers, and discounts that come along with the Fandango gift cards.
Features of Fandango Digital Gift Cards,
- Add up to $100 to your gift card
- Bulk gift card options for corporate and personal use
- Personalize the gift card with a text message, image, and voice recording
- Get exciting offers, deals, and discounts with Fandango digital gift cards
- Use it for yourself to save some extra money, if you are a movie buff
Get Fandango Digital Gift Card
9. Prepaid Gift Cards
Prepaid gift cards are one of the best ways to carry limited money and have the freedom to choose whatever you like to buy. Unlike single-store gift cards (iTunes) or multi-store gift cards (Amazon gift cards), you don't have to be bounded to a certain line of products and buy anything from anywhere (both online and offline), even though they don't have a gift card option.
These are the best when you like a clothing line, and it is not partnered with any gift card agency, but if you want to treat yourself, you can always use these prepaid gift cards. Such gift cards work exactly like debit or credit cards, but the only difference here is that they are limited to certain money and can be used for treating yourself with shopping, food, or during emergencies. Consider them to be your small investments during emergencies or good times.
Classic examples of these prepaid cards are Visa, MasterCard, and American Express gift cards. Such gift cards are accepted in almost any place where a debit or credit card is accepted.
However, prepaid gift cards charge you purchase or activation money and can be reloaded once the gift card is utilized. These are also safe against credit cards as they have limited money on them. Even if they are stolen or lost, no one can wave off your debt money with these, which is usually with credit cards. You can get them in both physical and contactless (digital) forms at your convenience and enjoy your purchases and services.
Some popular prepaid gift cards,
- Visa Digital Gift Card
- MasterCard Digital Gift Card
- American Express Digital Gift Card (Business, Personal)
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular digital gift card in the USA?
Amazon gift cards take the number one place in the most popular gift cards in the USA, followed by prepaid Visa, Walmart, and Target gift cards.
Do gift cards expire?
No, most of the gift cards do not have an expiry date or validity.
Are prepaid gift cards worth it?
Prepaid gift cards are the best when you don't want to be bound to a certain merchant or business and use gift cards almost everywhere.
Conclusion
Digital gift cards are the best option over the physical gift card as you can safely keep them, redeem them whenever you wish, and carry them along on your smartphone, so you never forget them. There are popular multi-store gift cards such as Amazon gift cards that can be used with thousands of their partners or to buy among millions of Amazon products. But if Amazon is missing out on your favorite merchant or service, you can always use prepaid gift cards, which are applicable to every business that accepts credit or debit cards (both online and offline).
There are also specific single-store gift card options in the popular list such as iTunes, streaming specific (Netflix, Hulu, Prime Video), gaming-based (Xbox, Minecraft, Roblox, Fortnite), and store-specific such as Target, Walmart, or Best Buy. These are only a few names to pick from, and hundreds of other platforms and businesses also offer an E-Gift card with discounts, offers, and exciting deals.
Which digital gift cards do you like or love to use or gift? Let us know in the comment section.
