Gift shopping made easy: The best and worst Christmas cards of 2022
- Replies 3
With Christmas mere days away, the inevitable race to find the perfect gift for loved ones — be it your kids, grandkids, extended family members or even best friends — is keeping us on our toes.
Whether you like to shop early or you're an 'oops I forgot to get you anything' kind of person, gift cards are often the go-to idea for last-minute gifts or for finding that special something for someone impossible to buy for.
But it's important to know that not all gift cards on the market are worth the value you get from them.
You may be able to find one with the best deal, but you could end up wasting your money if it comes with hidden fees and expiry dates.
Fortunately for some of us last-minute shoppers, the comparison group RateCity has done us all a great service by releasing their annual 'naughty and nice' list of gift card offerings to help us all make smarter decisions while Christmas shopping.
The researchers pointed out that hidden costs, post-purchase fees, and sadly, shorter expiry dates, are still plentiful, so potential gifters must be constantly vigilant to spot them, 7News reported.
Though comparison sites are only tapping into a small portion of what's out in the market, so we must only use these findings as a guide for our shopping.
Meanwhile, research director Sally Tindall advised consumers to double and triple-check the terms and conditions, the store's trustworthiness, and any hidden fees before purchasing.
To get the most bang for your buck while buying gift cards, Tindall also offered some helpful tips;
1) First and foremost, make sure the expiry date printed on the card is no earlier than December 2025.
2) If you plan to buy an e-gift card, give yourself plenty of time to complete the transaction and await its arrival in your inbox.
3) If you are lucky enough to receive a gift card yourself, then keep it in a safe place and make sure the expiry date, if there is one, is added to your diary.
4) As long as there is a few dollars left on the card, ask the store if they can give you the change; this way, your money won’t be wasted.
With all these pointers in mind, here are some great gift cards that were recommended:
Bunnings
Pros: Does not expire. Gift cards can be customised by adding a photo.
Fees: E-gift cards are free; physical gift cards have a $2.60 postage fee.
JB Hi-Fi
Pros: No expiration for cards valued between $10 and $500.
Fees: None.
Cotton On
Pros: Does not expire. Customers can redeem the cards at multiple stores. Can be purchased using Paypal.
Fees: E-gift cards are free, while Australia Post offers free delivery on physical gift cards for orders over $30.
Amazon
Pros: No expiration for cards valued between $10 and $2,000
Fees: E-gift cards are free; physical cards can be picked up at Australia Post.
Here are the gift cards you should avoid:
Giftcardstore.com.au
Cons: Expires in three years. High costs. Visa and Mastercard prepaid. Card needs to be reactivated within three months.
Fees: $9.05 for shipping and handling, $10.64 for credit card processing, and $1.97 for GST.
Hello Fresh
Cons: Cards valued at $80, $110, $130 and $170 expire. Worse, the expiration dates for the cards are not published. Only a subscription service is provided.
Fees: E-gift cards are free. However, when ordering food for delivery, a $9.99 delivery fee is charged.
Coles grocery
Cons: Expiration in four years. Not redeemable at Coles Online, Coles Express, or Liquorland.
Fees: E-gift cards are free; physical cards require a $5.50 postage fee.
Kmart
Cons: 4-year expiration. Not redeemable online.
Fees: E-gift cards are free; physical cards require a $5.50 postage fee.
Qantas
Cons: Expires in three years. Online bookings are free of charge. Booking costs, however, are charged for redemptions made through Qantas call centres, airport locations, web chat, and social media.
Fees: No shipping or purchasing costs. On domestic tickets, booking costs of $45 per passenger per booking are applicable.
We'd also like to remind our members that it's always a good idea to keep your gift cards in a safe place and write down the card's details somewhere. This way, you won't lose track of them if they end up somewhere you don't expect (in the bottom of your bag, or even your handbag's side pocket!).
There you have it, folks! Are you fond of giving (or receiving) gift cards? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below!
Whether you like to shop early or you're an 'oops I forgot to get you anything' kind of person, gift cards are often the go-to idea for last-minute gifts or for finding that special something for someone impossible to buy for.
But it's important to know that not all gift cards on the market are worth the value you get from them.
You may be able to find one with the best deal, but you could end up wasting your money if it comes with hidden fees and expiry dates.
Fortunately for some of us last-minute shoppers, the comparison group RateCity has done us all a great service by releasing their annual 'naughty and nice' list of gift card offerings to help us all make smarter decisions while Christmas shopping.
One of our go-to ideas for last-minute gifts or for finding that special something for someone who is impossible to buy is to give them gift cards instead. Credit: Pexels/Karolina Grabowska.
The researchers pointed out that hidden costs, post-purchase fees, and sadly, shorter expiry dates, are still plentiful, so potential gifters must be constantly vigilant to spot them, 7News reported.
Though comparison sites are only tapping into a small portion of what's out in the market, so we must only use these findings as a guide for our shopping.
Meanwhile, research director Sally Tindall advised consumers to double and triple-check the terms and conditions, the store's trustworthiness, and any hidden fees before purchasing.
To get the most bang for your buck while buying gift cards, Tindall also offered some helpful tips;
1) First and foremost, make sure the expiry date printed on the card is no earlier than December 2025.
2) If you plan to buy an e-gift card, give yourself plenty of time to complete the transaction and await its arrival in your inbox.
3) If you are lucky enough to receive a gift card yourself, then keep it in a safe place and make sure the expiry date, if there is one, is added to your diary.
4) As long as there is a few dollars left on the card, ask the store if they can give you the change; this way, your money won’t be wasted.
With all these pointers in mind, here are some great gift cards that were recommended:
Bunnings
Pros: Does not expire. Gift cards can be customised by adding a photo.
Fees: E-gift cards are free; physical gift cards have a $2.60 postage fee.
JB Hi-Fi
Pros: No expiration for cards valued between $10 and $500.
Fees: None.
Cotton On
Pros: Does not expire. Customers can redeem the cards at multiple stores. Can be purchased using Paypal.
Fees: E-gift cards are free, while Australia Post offers free delivery on physical gift cards for orders over $30.
Amazon
Pros: No expiration for cards valued between $10 and $2,000
Fees: E-gift cards are free; physical cards can be picked up at Australia Post.
Here are the gift cards you should avoid:
Giftcardstore.com.au
Cons: Expires in three years. High costs. Visa and Mastercard prepaid. Card needs to be reactivated within three months.
Fees: $9.05 for shipping and handling, $10.64 for credit card processing, and $1.97 for GST.
Hello Fresh
Cons: Cards valued at $80, $110, $130 and $170 expire. Worse, the expiration dates for the cards are not published. Only a subscription service is provided.
Fees: E-gift cards are free. However, when ordering food for delivery, a $9.99 delivery fee is charged.
Coles grocery
Cons: Expiration in four years. Not redeemable at Coles Online, Coles Express, or Liquorland.
Fees: E-gift cards are free; physical cards require a $5.50 postage fee.
Kmart
Cons: 4-year expiration. Not redeemable online.
Fees: E-gift cards are free; physical cards require a $5.50 postage fee.
Qantas
Cons: Expires in three years. Online bookings are free of charge. Booking costs, however, are charged for redemptions made through Qantas call centres, airport locations, web chat, and social media.
Fees: No shipping or purchasing costs. On domestic tickets, booking costs of $45 per passenger per booking are applicable.
We'd also like to remind our members that it's always a good idea to keep your gift cards in a safe place and write down the card's details somewhere. This way, you won't lose track of them if they end up somewhere you don't expect (in the bottom of your bag, or even your handbag's side pocket!).
There you have it, folks! Are you fond of giving (or receiving) gift cards? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below!
.png){kind=icon}
