Low Interest Credit Cards

Like seafood? Captain D’s Seafood Kitchen now offers CashStar-powered online gift cards to provide you a convenient gift card purchasing option, allowing you and your friends to eat all the seafood you can handle. Purchasing a card for you or a friend can be completed entirely online and delivered right to the recipient by e-mail, either immediately or at a later scheduled date, via an e-mail with a link to activate the gift. The new online gift cards are available directly on the company’s website and can be purchased in any denomination and can be personalized with different images and text. The online gift cards can be printed right at home and are redeemable at all Captain D’s locations in the US. The chain has grown to more than 550 restaurants in 23 states and several countries overseas.

A recent survey just revealed that more than half of adults prefer to get gift cards as opposed to any other form of holiday gift. It is estimated that holiday shoppers will buy approximately $25 billion worth of gift cards this holiday season.

The National Retail Federation completed their survey in which they found 55.2% of adults prefer to receive gift cards. The average cost of a gift card purchase will be $40 and it will be for anything from local restaurants to nationwide retail stores.

This trend has been rising slowly but surely over the years. The survey found that holiday shoppers will on average buy four gift cards each.

Interestingly, at least we thought so, women prefer gift cards more than men. In fact, the survey found that 63.4% of women prefer gift cards as opposed to 46.6% for men.

The study also revealed that younger consumers favor gift cards as opposed to actual physical gifts.

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Giving gift cards for the holidays is a popular option for many Americans, but the downturn in the economy has had a negative effect on the gift card industry.  According to a new survey conducted by the National Research Network and the Hartman Group: “1/3 of consumers who buy or receive gift cards plan to buy few gift cards or spend less on gift cards this November and December holiday season due to the current economic situation.”  Consumers are looking to spend wiser this season.  There are fees and expiration dates associated with using gift cards that have recently come under federal scrutiny in the Credit Card Act of 2009.  While most of the provisions of the Credit Card Act take effect in February 2010, the gift card portion does not take effect until August 2010.  So in the meantime there are things the consumer needs to know to avoid fees and get the most out of their gift cards.

General Purpose Cards
There are two categories of gift cards used today.  The first is the general purchase card.  These are bank issued cards with the Visa, Master Card or American Express logo stamped on them. Consumers

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We are entering the holiday gift card season. While new studies show gift cards are the most popular presents to give and receive, the hidden costs may outweigh the convenience of the gift. It is important for consumers to give and use these cards correctly.

“Gift cards are easy to give, but they are also easy to forget. If the card has a monthly fee or expiration date, these can become costly little pieces of plastic,” says Bill Hardekopf, CEO of LowCards.com and author of The Credit Card Guidebook. “Even though gift cards take the hassle out of holiday shopping, you want to use them wisely. It is important to know the terms of the card you are buying.”

Holiday gift cards are a big business. According to the National Retailers Federation (NRF), sales of gift cards reached almost $25 billion in 2008. A new NRF study shows that 55.2% of adults are hoping to receive a gift card this year.

However, many households still have unused gift cards from the last holiday season.

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