I love gift cards. I love gift cards the way other women like designer shoes and dark chocolate. (Fancy shoes hurt my feet and I need a little milk in my choc.) But gift cards, I love.

My only gripe with gift cards, however, is that we sometimes worry that giving a gift card implies we put no effort at all into the present. And yet, most people I know love to receive gift cards as much as I do. So what’s the problem?

The problem is that we’ve spent years coaxing price tags off of gifts so the recipient wouldn’t know how much money we spent on the relationship. And now the cost of the gift is the main attraction. Big, bold, dollar signs and numbers. It feels awkward. The presentation can also feel lackluster, simply handing over a greeting card with a gift card tucked inside. No hand-curled ribbon or tissue paper.

But I, Shelley Hunter (a.k.a. the Gift Card Girlfriend), pledge to ease your anxieties and show you how to turn any gift card into a personal, tasteful, curly-ribbon-worthy gift. I’ll also give you advice on how much money to spend, how to avoid fraud, best places to buy gift cards, and so forth. With my help, you’ll deliver gift cards with confidence, knowing the recipient will focus less on the dollar amount spent and more on the effort given. Your thoughtfulness will be noted, I promise.

Still feeling nervous? Check out the Solution Center and I’ll hold your hand through the entire process.

P.S.

My sister Brooke is my partner on this project. She developed the GCG site and handles all things technical. She’s a talented designer and I’m thrilled she agreed to work with me. Plus she makes me laugh. We hope to sucker other siblings into joining us at some point. Check out the talent pool at Hunter Ingenuity.