Gift Cards

[disneylovin24]

How is it half of anything. You (not you & your husband) can't eat for under $25?

Well it depends on a restaurant but I would say usually a restaurant you are getting a gift card for you cannot eat for under 25 dollars.

I personally view going out to dinner as an experience with someone else so if I were to buy someone a gift card out I would assume two people would be going. Maybe not 2 people plus kids, but 2 people.

 

[DisneyJamieCA]

But come on you should assume the person will be going to dinner with one other person.

That isn't my problem to cover both people. If I gave it to a couple, then yes it would likely be more, but if it's to one, it's to cover them. Maybe they'll use it to go out with a friend where the bill is split.

 

[DisneyJamieCA]

Well it depends on a restaurant but I would say usually a restaurant you are getting a gift card for you cannot eat for under 25 dollars. I personally view going out to dinner as an experience with someone else so if I were to buy someone a gift card out I would assume two people would be going. Maybe not 2 people plus kids, but 2 people.

Well then we eat differently because even with a drink, I could eat for under $25.

 

[NEDisneyFans]

Like I said before, you would never give someone half of a bag or another gift so why pay for just half a meal?

Just my opinion. I don't go out to eat a lot so maybe that changes it but I feel like giving just 25 dollars for a meal at a restaurant you know costs more is somewhat tacky.

The meal costs can vary a lot depending on what you order! My SIL and BIL, for example, are wine enthusiasts and think nothing of buying a bottle of wine with dinner -- they gave us a GC for Ruth's Chris Steak House for an amount that would cover a meal for the two of them. However, since neither my DW or I drink, we can easily get two meals out of it without spending anything out-of-pocket! (Except tips, which I prefer to give in cash.)

If I receive a restaurant gift card for less than what I might spend, it is still a treat -- I can go there sooner than my budget would have otherwise allowed!

And if I am giving a gift, I give based on what I can afford and trust that the recipient uses the GC in the same spirit as I would.

 

[It'sOffToDisneyWeGo]

I love to give and love to receive gift cards. I feel like I can give more to my family that lives in a different state if I do gift cards to their favorite places. If I have to take into account shipping charges on packages I would cut back on the amount spent on the actual gift.

 

[disneylovin24]

I respect those who give and receiver 25 dollar gift cards. To each their own. I just personally, as someone who does not go out often, do not understand giving a gift card you know will not cover a full meal.

But again, to each their own!

I can also say I have never received a restaurant gift card nor can I imgine because I don't go out often.

 

[Zooshoveller]

I love gift cards!

My parents and in laws both gave us Lowe's gift cards so we can finish our 1/2 bath. There will be enough left over to build DS a loft bed.

 

[S. C.]

Yeah I would say a restaurant card should be a minimum of 50 dollars if not more like 100 if you want to make sure the person gets a full meal.

Personal preference but if someone is giving me a gift card I want it to cover the full thing. You wouldn't give someone half of something as a gift so why give a gift card that would cover half of something.

Like I said before, you would never give someone half of a bag or another gift so why pay for just half a meal?

Just my opinion. I don't go out to eat a lot so maybe that changes it but I feel like giving just 25 dollars for a meal at a restaurant you know costs more is somewhat tacky.

We get the point

 

[disneylovin24]

We get the point

I'm sorry but I was not the only one repeating a point. No need to point me out because you disagree with me. Others said the same thing (AKA paying for just one person's meal) over and over again. I don't mind, its called making a point. No need to point it out.

 

[superme80]

I love gift cards! DH and I are on a tight budget so any splurge is wonderful! I got a Cheesecake Factory Gift card for Christmas. DH and I are thrilled!

 

[disneylovin24]

I got a Disney gift card for Christmas for my upcoming trip and now I am thinking how special that is. My aunt loves WDW and knew I was going on the trip so got it for me which is thoughtful. Like having money I can just spend in a place I got once a year!

 

[kiramay]

I am not downing my nose at any gifts. I personally just think giving half of something is a little weird.

At my favorite restaurant, the wine alone is $25. But I'm thrilled if someone wants to give me any gift cards for the restaurant, because that's $25+ less that I have to pay next time we go. Not everyone can afford to give a large gift card. It's the thought that counts.

 

[cluvsdisney]

I think gift cards/certificates are great gifts as long as they are to a store or restaurant the recipient frequents. If there's any doubt, I think it should be a visa or Amex gift card that can be used just about anywhere. For instance, I know Starbucks and target gift cards are popular but I never go to Starbucks and very rarely go to target.

I think they are better than cash in some ways because they are likely to be used for something special where as cash sometimes ends up in my wallet and used for whatever. But I save gift cards to pay for something special.

Yeah, but you're not giving a gift to the other person.

Sometimes the gift card is meant for the couple (or family). My sister in law once gave DH & I a $10 gift card to TGIF Fridays. That would work if we split an appetizer and drank water. We appreciated the thought but knew if we were going to use it, it would cost us another $20-30 when you include the tip.

 

[Disney Springs]

Restaurant gift cards - $25 is an ok amount for places like Red Robin. Just like those $10 Mc Donald's gift cards are a good amount for fast food. Really depends on the eating establishment.

Just a tip about restaurant gift cards. The waiter (or cashier) cannot add a tip to the gift card. So if the gift card equals more than the bill, you still need cash on the side to leave a tip. So if you have a $100 GC, but the bill is only $75, then $75 will be deducted from your gift card, leaving you $25. But no way to tip unless you have cash.

So it's actually better to give a gift card with an amount that's a bit lower than what someone would spend. That they the remainder can go on their credit or debit card, and then they will be able to leave a tip.

DH and I have gotten $25 GCs to Red Robin in the past. Our bill usually spikes around $35. So our waiter will charge the remaining $10 to our debit card, and then we're able to leave a tip.

I love getting gift cards! I got a $75 gift card to the mall for Christmas! Can't wait to go shopping!!

 

[disneylovin24]

I think gift cards/certificates are great gifts as long as they are to a store or restaurant the recipient frequents. If there's any doubt, I think it should be a visa or Amex gift card that can be used just about anywhere. For instance, I know Starbucks and target gift cards are popular but I never go to Starbucks and very rarely go to target.

I think they are better than cash in some ways because they are likely to be used for something special where as cash sometimes ends up in my wallet and used for whatever. But I save gift cards to pay for something special.




Sometimes the gift card is meant for the couple (or family). My sister in law once gave DH & I a $10 gift card to TGIF Fridays. That would work if we split an appetizer and drank water. We appreciated the thought but knew if we were going to use it, it would cost us another $20-30 when you include the tip.

I had a family member we are not close to give me a Starbucks gift card last fall. I am a Dunkin person (another family member gave me dunkin gift cards ) and so I finally had to give the starbucks to a friend to use up. Sorry but there isn't one as close to me as dunkin and I just don't like it.

 

[PigletsPal2]

Gift cards are the icing on the cake in my family because I get them virtually free. DH is a gov't contractor and stays in a hotel almost 180 nights a year. He earns reward points for each night, and we cash them in for Christmas gift cards. Our DDs and DGD know that they're "freebies," but it doesn't make any difference to them. This year I got $600 worth of gift cards free, even after "spending" 180,000 points for a hotel for DD#2's London trip. Hooray for gift cards!

Queen Colleen

 

[DisneyJamieCA]

Restaurant gift cards - $25 is an ok amount for places like Red Robin. Just like those $10 Mc Donald's gift cards are a good amount for fast food. Really depends on the eating establishment. Just a tip about restaurant gift cards. The waiter (or cashier) cannot add a tip to the gift card. So if the gift card equals more than the bill, you still need cash on the side to leave a tip. So if you have a $100 GC, but the bill is only $75, then $75 will be deducted from your gift card, leaving you $25. But no way to tip unless you have cash. So it's actually better to give a gift card with an amount that's a bit lower than what someone would spend. That they the remainder can go on their credit or debit card, and then they will be able to leave a tip. DH and I have gotten $25 GCs to Red Robin in the past. Our bill usually spikes around $35. So our waiter will charge the remaining $10 to our debit card, and then we're able to leave a tip. I love getting gift cards! I got a $75 gift card to the mall for Christmas! Can't wait to go shopping!!

I don't know if that's entirely true. We paid for some of our sit down meals using Disney gifts cards on our last trip to Disneyland and I specifically asked our server in two of the restaurants if I could leave tip with them or if it would be easier/better for them to leave cash. Both said it didn't matter to them.

 

[marcyinPA]

My mother gave DH and I $250 worth of various gift cards for Christmas. While I am completely appreciative, I would have rather had the cash (to use on our trip to CA ).

I do get many gift cards from students - I got several DD's, Starbucks, and Barnes and Noble this year. I have $30 in Starbucks which will come in handy while traveling this weekend

 

[DebbieB]

It depends on how well you know what the person wants. When my nieces & nephew were young, my mom & I bought them clothes. But by the time there were 10 or so, they got picky about what they wore so I started giving gift cards. Let them go on their own shopping spree.

 

[Mkrop]

The ones I don't really like are the restaurant gift cards that are $25. We don't go out to eat very much but when DH and I go out to eat we usually spend about $30 not including tip, so we still have to spend out of pocket, so those gift cards sometimes get tossed aside and sometimes forgotten.

I get lots of restaurant gift cards and am fine with $25 ones. And it's like $70-$80 for my family to go out to eat. Who cares if I have to put in the rest, someone else gave me $25 towards the meal, that's good enough for me.

Like I said before, you would never give someone half of a bag or another gift so why pay for just half a meal?

Just my opinion. I don't go out to eat a lot so maybe that changes it but I feel like giving just 25 dollars for a meal at a restaurant you know costs more is somewhat tacky.

I think any amount is great..less than I have to spend. We rarely eat out without the kids so our meal is always high and I would never expect anyone to pay for our whole meal. We love and use gift cards to eat all the time.

My brother just got me a gift card to my hair salon, he is not paying for my cut and color but it will go towards my services!

Gift cards are ok, but I dont like to shop and so I appreciate if someone takes the time to pick something out, although I am told I am hard to shop for. I am also in the camp that will use the gift for something practical like groceries or clothes for the kids. I would never spend a gift card just on myself usually.