Washington, Nov. 25, 2014 -- Most shoppers will be giving gift cards this holiday season, and consumers still love to receive the cards since they allow them to purchase what they'd like. According to new consumer research from the Retail Gift Card Association (RGCA), shoppers consider gift cards safe, versatile gifts for everyone on their shopping lists, and understanding of e-gift cards is growing quickly among U.S. consumers.
The Association surveyed more than 1,000 U.S. consumers on their use of gift cards and preferences for giving and spending the cards. The survey also explored shoppers' willingness to embrace new gifting options like electronic gift cards (e-gift cards), which are purchased online or on a mobile phone and are redeemed using a virtual code instead of a physical card, and mobile wallets, which are payments made from mobile smart phones or tablets instead of credit/debit cards, cash, physical gift cards, or other forms of payment.
RGCA's key findings include:
"Gift cards provide shoppers with safe, convenient, and versatile gift choices, so we are not surprised to find that most shoppers will be buying them again this holiday season," said Mary Donovan, Executive Director of the RGCA. "In an age when payments technology continues to evolve quickly, we expect e-gift cards to continue to rise in popularity and we forecast that consumers will soon demand that gift cards be compatible with mobile wallets as well."
The RGCA consumer gift card study was conducted via online survey in November 2014 with more than 1,000 adult respondents. The sample was representative of the adult U.S. population in terms of education, income and gender.
About the Retail Gift Card Association (RGCA) The Retail Gift Card Association is the trade association that represents the closed-loop gift category. The Association's mission is to protect, promote and enhance the use of retail gift cards. All RGCA members abide by a Code of Principles that supports consumer-friendly policies for the purchase and redemption of closed-loop gift cards. RGCA's membership is comprised of retailers from all sectors and including restaurants, general merchandise, apparel, sporting and leisure, and non-store retailers. For more information, visit us at www.theRGCA.org .
The Green Sheet Inc. is now a proud affiliate of Bankcard Life, a premier community that provides industry-leading training and resources for payment professionals. Click here for more information: bankcardlife.com?orid=33533&opid=1 .
Source: Company press release.
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