Why I Love Gift Cards

My name is Sarah-Jane, I am student living in Cork City and I love to shop. I would probably consider shopping a hobby of mine. Growing up in London, I've always loved going on trips with my mum to King’s Road, Oxford Street or Covent Garden. I am what some people would call a shopaholic! 

My favourite gift to receive is money, and most of the time it's usually in the form of a gift card or gift voucher.  I love gift cards, but my only issue is that I receive so many that at some point I've got a stack of them in my purse and always forget to use them. I'll stroll into H&M, find a cute shirt and then pay with my phone and forget that I had a gift card at home that I could have used.

I only use physical gift cards when I remember I have them…and that is a problem, as rarely remember in time!  And the worst part is, with some of them they start to reduce value over time meaning all that money could go down the drain if you don't spend it soon enough. For this post I did a bit of research and found out that a quarter of all gift cards go unredeemed for a year after purchase, and about 7% never get used at all.  Shocking really! 

Thankfully these problems don't exist with the OptionsCard, as it's digital, lives in my phone wallet so I always have it and then last for ages, so I don't worry about losing money.

OptionsCard is easy to give as a gift too. It's simple to buy online, and I love the way I can add a fully giffy or video in the message to my friends.  And I can actually send someone part of my own OptionsCard as a regift - that's fantastic.  We’ve all had that last minute panic over what to give someone - problem solved! 

As a young adult I am very picky when it comes to my clothes, makeup etc. So receiving an OptionsCard gives me the choice to buy from my favourite brands, or even send a digital gift card to a friend as a present. It's the perfect gift for a young adult like me.

Over Christmas, I received two OptionsCard e-vouchers via email and text message. I immediately spent some of it a store, but I'm saving the rest so I can have a good long think about what I want. Luckily with OptionsCard I can do that as there's no pressure or time limit to spend my voucher.

So why choose OptionsCard?

Well first of all, it's online, and on your phone, meaning you'll never lose it or forget it. And because it’s all digital, there's no plastic and no waste going into landfills - a very important consideration for my generation. I bet you've never thought about where your gift card goes after you've spent it all. Did you know that Ireland alone produces just over 14 million tonnes of plastic waste every year? 

As a young adult I feel strongly about my planet and the environment I live in.  So with OptionsCard, all digital and plastic free, I feel I'm saving the world one step at a time.