Gift Card Rule #3: Buying Power
Be sure the recipient can buy something without spending her own money.
My sister-in-law recently gave each of my children a $10 gift card to Target. Though ten dollars isn’t extravagant, it can be used to buy a variety of things at that particular store. Matthew bought a book. Ally bought a shirt. Michael is saving up for a new Wii game so he put the card away in his wallet. (Good boy!)
The dollar amount you put on a gift card should give the recipient enough buying power to make a purchase without spending additional cash. Otherwise, your well intentions could turn into more of a burden than a gift–requiring the recipient contribute towards his own present or possibly not use the gift card at all.
That doesn’t mean you need to spend more than you can afford on a gift card. Stay within your budget, but choose a gift card accordingly. If your limit is $20, for example, then a gift card to Kohl’s or Jamba Juice, where low-price items are available, would be more fitting than a gift card to Anthropologie or Outback Steakhouse, both of which are more expensive.
Picking the right dollar amount is another way to show you put some thought into selecting a gift card.
