Gift Cards Bring Advantages and Disadvantages

Gift cards become more popular during recent years. For example, in one season of holiday, sales reach $19 billion in United Stated and seem to grow more in the following season due to their convenience in the side of consumers and retailers.
In retailers side, gift cards bring them some benefits. Selling gift card in simply selling product. When the cards are sold, they will get benefit. Additionally, gift card tends to be a matter of image and trend which means it is not strictly influenced by the functionality. Since gift card is the trend, the sales will increase significantly.
However, there is potential disadvantages in the side of consumers. For example, itune gift cards apply process in the way of completing the shopping. they need do one step to another steps in processing the shopping. Likely, most of the steps apply time and date of validity or expiration. When certain step loose that validating date, the gift cards may be in risk. The gift card can be rejected to redeem. Again, in retailers side, producing card its self is costly. It means that there is additional cost which retailers have to pay.
In whatever thing, we need to be wise. if we can use that gift card effectively, the disadvantages can be reduced.

Source :  http://www.englishdirection.com/2009/12/gift-cards-bring-advantages-and.html