Receiving a prepaid gift card is a bit like receiving money, with a twist.
On the one hand, a cash gift is the most versatile type of gift one could receive. After all, with cash, the recipient can literally buy anything that they like. But, somehow giving cash lacks a little something in terms of creativity when it comes to gift-giving.
On the other hand, with a gift card, you can use it like cash - but it can only be used to buy goods and services related to the brand on the label. Usually, you can use a prepaid gift card to make purchases either in-person or online.
The gift giver simply purchases the prepaid card online, at a drugstore, or directly from the store (brand) issuing the card. The cards are redeemable for their full cash value, so if you buy a $100 card then the person you give it to can buy $100 worth of goods and services with the card.
Most gift cards of this type are not rechargeable, meaning once the full face value has been spent, the card is thrown away. However, the user can use the card over multiple purchases, so that they do not have to buy the full face value amount's worth of goods at once. And, there is no expiration date, so it can be used at any time.
For anyone who has ever given a gift, you know how hard it can be to pick out just the right thing for someone. And, if you buy them a gift they do not like, then they have to go to the trouble of returning it for something else - often with the gift receipt in tow.
On the other end of the gift-giving spectrum is when you give someone cash as a gift. This can come across as if you are just a little bit lazy - like you didn't really try all that hard to think of something nice to get them. Instead, you just settled on giving them cash and are going to let them figure out what to buy for themselves!
In a way, the prepaid gift card occupies a nice middle ground between these two extremes: as the gift-giver, you get to do a bit of creative thinking to determine the brand, but the recipient gets to have the fun of picking out just the right thing for himself or herself.
There are well over 1,000 top brands who offer prepaid gift cards, including iTunes, Target, Wal-Mart, and just about every brand you can think of. Purchase directly through that brand's website or buy from a gift card aggregator site.
Some sellers of these gift cards give you the ability to customize its look and feel, including uploading images and photos for incorporation into the card. Others do not offer such a customization option, but they will offer the prepaid gift cards in multiple colors and styles.