If I were the AARP, I'd go further.

"Don't buy gift cards. Full stop."

The general scamminess around gift cards is far too high from all angles.

Anyone asking you to pay them in gift cards is a problem. The gift card processors have all manner of ways to preserve the float by flagging "fraud" in order to suspend your gift card until you waste time and give them personal information. The company behind your gift card can go bankrupt (see: Bed, Bath and Beyond and Fry's). And, finally, as we found from Apple, even redeeming a card can cause you problems.

Give cash. In spite of some hoity-toity nitwits who consider cash to be gauche for gifts, at no point in my life have I ever be disappointed to be given cash.

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exmadscientist 3 hours ago | parent [-]

> In spite of some hoity-toity nitwits who consider cash to be gauche for gifts, at no point in my life have I ever be disappointed to be given cash.

If you are one of those people afraid to give cash, here's what you do: go to the bank and ask for fresh bills. (You can also iron them yourself, I think.) I know of absolutely no one who would turn their nose at a fresh, crisp $100 bill, and it's not like $20s or $50s are much worse even if the $100 is king. They're just really satisfying when they're brand new.

Trust me, no one will complain.

	▲	bluGill 2 hours ago \| parent [-]
		when my boss gives me money that is taxable and requires paperwork to ensure they are paid. My boss can give a gift card for small amount though (small is important)