Gift Certificates and Gift Cards
Today the idea of a gift certificate is nothing groundbreaking. However, in the 1930’s, the gift certificate was a revolutionary tool for consumers. It alleviated fears of getting the wrong gift, but avoided the impersonal stigma of giving cash.
The process of obtaining the card has remained essentially unchanged. The giver would browse stores around town and pick one that they believed best fit the shopping needs of the recipient. The certificate was purchased at a certain amount and then presented like a typical gift. The certificate could then be redeemed for an item of the recipient’s choosing.
The initial gift certificates went to great lengths to disassociate themselves from money. The certificate had the recipient’s name on it to personalize it, and the word “gift” was emphasized. Both are practices that we still use today.
However there still remains a certain drawback to gift certificates, which are now also known as gift cards. In place of an object, the value of the certificate becomes an indicator of how much the giver values the relationship.
Adapted from: The Modern Christmas in America: A Cultural History of Gift Giving by William B. Waits.
