Cash, debit, and credit cards are the usual options of paying for any merchandise you buy from a brick-and-mortar store or from an e-commerce site. Gift cards, however, are also great options and they can provide a ton of convenience to any shopper.
An Overview Of Gift Cards
Gift cards work the same way as gift certificates, since they can be a substitute for currency. The cards automate the checkout and accounting processes. These cards usually have a barcode or magnetic strip, which can be read or processed through a standard electronic POS terminal or credit card machine.
Gift cards do not have any value until they are sold, at which time the cashier enters the amount that the customer chooses to put on the card. This chosen amount is not stored on the card, but is instead noted in the stores, credit or gift card processor's database and cross-linked to the card ID.
There are also prepaid gift cards that already loaded with a certain amount of money. Some cards are for single use only, while others are reloadable, meaning you can add more funds to them.
Origin Of Gift Cards
Neiman Marcus was the first to produce and sell gift cards in 1994 but they didn't advertise and display them. It was Blockbuster that first displayed the gift card in their stores in 1995, apparently due to rampant counterfeiting of their paper gift certificates. The next big gift card seller was Starbucks. In 2001, they introduced cards that worked more than once.
Info source: www.mygiftcardsupply.com
An Overview Of Gift Cards
Gift cards work the same way as gift certificates, since they can be a substitute for currency. The cards automate the checkout and accounting processes. These cards usually have a barcode or magnetic strip, which can be read or processed through a standard electronic POS terminal or credit card machine.
Gift cards do not have any value until they are sold, at which time the cashier enters the amount that the customer chooses to put on the card. This chosen amount is not stored on the card, but is instead noted in the stores, credit or gift card processor's database and cross-linked to the card ID.
There are also prepaid gift cards that already loaded with a certain amount of money. Some cards are for single use only, while others are reloadable, meaning you can add more funds to them.
Origin Of Gift Cards
Neiman Marcus was the first to produce and sell gift cards in 1994 but they didn't advertise and display them. It was Blockbuster that first displayed the gift card in their stores in 1995, apparently due to rampant counterfeiting of their paper gift certificates. The next big gift card seller was Starbucks. In 2001, they introduced cards that worked more than once.
Info source: www.mygiftcardsupply.com
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