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CBS News reported that unused gift cards essentially create $3 billion in annual revenue. That's out of the $98.6 billion bought in 2019.

Convenient though they are (one size fits all), gift cards sometimes get a bad rap. As Lifehacker pointed out, "Gift cards give the recipient the freedom to purchase whatever they'd like, up to a certain price. They remove the guesswork of giving a gift, but might also indicate a certain lack of enthusiasm on the giver's part." 

Gift cards don't have to be impersonal, however. Sure, it's easy to pick up a generic credit version that can allows the recipient to purchase whatever they please, and even add their own money if the amount on the card isn't enough. But there are all kinds of creative gift cards now. There are those that allow you to donate to charity (like Global Giving) to others that purchase streaming subscriptions (and then your friends and family will stop using your password). Gift cards also allow you to support local restaurants and businesses, especially helpful now, with so many places hurt by the pandemic.

If you're creative, you can also personalize gift cards by uploading your photo on one, wrapping it up in a mason jar or pop-up box, in a container with slime, or a stocking (see Pinterest for ideas). Gift cards also rock for those last-minute shoppers — there's nothing wrong with downloading an e-card at 11 p.m. on Christmas Eve.

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