Kindle and Amazon Gift Cards – The Pros and Cons

Gift cards are great ways to make savings on various purchases. With each passing year, gift cards have become increasingly popular. We all love to receive and give gift cards on special occasions as they enable you as the gift giver to avoid the stress of worrying about whether or not the recipient will love that purse or book you bought them. However, there are also certain cons to giving and receiving Kindle Gift Card and Amazon gift card such as the risks and hidden costs that come along with them. Pros There are 3 types of cards: store-specific gift cards, general purpose gift cards and the restaurant gift cards. The store specific gift cards such as Kindle and Amazon gift card are designed for use at the particular store and will typically be accompanied by lower hidden fees. With restaurant gift cards, you are able to enjoy a nice meal as a gift. With a general purpose gift card, you have a broader range of options on which to use your card. These types of cards are typically MasterCard, Visa or American Express and may be used anywhere where these major credit cards are accepted. The main aim of general purpose gift cards is to provide you with flexibility to use them on whatever you want or need. This may include going to eat out at your favorite restaurant, filling up your gas tank, purchasing tickets for your favorite Broadway show and anything else you desire. Cons It is important to beware that many general purpose cards come loaded with fees. In addition, some gift card programs will issue another card to you once yours expires. These replacement cards will cost you anywhere between $5.95 and $10. In the event that you order the card via phone or online, you will incur a fee of $4.95 to $8.95 in shipping and handling fees, not to mention the $3.95 to $11.95 service fee. Some gift card programs will even charge you a monthly maintenance fee if you still have a balance on your card after a period of 6 months or one year. And if you still have a balance once this period has elapsed, you will incur a further fee of $2-3. Another disadvantage of gift cards is that it is not always easy to get a replacement if yours gets lost or stolen. While some retailers will issue a new card on presentation of a receipt of your most recent purchase, others will simply cancel the card and reissue a new one at a fee.