Top Gift Card Statistics

About Gift Card Statistics

When interviewed by the media, I’m often asked to quote the size of the gift card industry, to speculate on the dollar value of unredeemed gift cards, to report on obscure gift card trends and more. While I can (and will) dig up those numbers, the stats and sources for each are nearly as vast and varied as the number of gift cards found on grocery store gift card racks.

So rather than go on a scavenger hunt each time a reporter asks me for the latest stats on gift cards, I created this collection of the most current gift card statistics I can find to save us all some time.

Gift Card Statistics by Category

I've put together a list of facts, figures and theories from Blackhawk Network's research for the following categories below:

Gift Card Fraud

Gift Card Spending
Gift Card Trends
History of Gift Cards

Reward/Incentives Gift Cards
Size of the Gift Card Industry
Unused Gift Cards

Digital Gift Cards Statistics

Statistics on virtual gift cards include research, comments, and theories on the transition from plastic or physical gift cards to electronic gift cards also known as egift cards, virtual gift cards, digital gift cards, and even mobile gift cards, although the latter would more accurately be an egift card that is presented on a mobile device. Below are the most current statistics I have found on digital gift cards.

National Gift Card Annual B2B Gift Card Report - 2018

On Preferring Physical Gift Cards – “Consumers Prefer Physical Gift Cards: Although decreasing by 3 percent over the past year, 75 percent of the volume in gift card program redemptions is still in physical cards versus 25 percent for digital gift cards (eGift cards).”

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Blackhawk Network’s State of Consumer Gift Card Preferences - 2018

On Interest in Digital Gift Cards – 55% of consumers surveyed report being interested in giving or receiving digital gift cards that can be added to a mobile app or digital wallet, especially Millenials. 55% are interested in giving and 67% are interested in receiving a digital gift card.

On Gift Cards via Social Media – When asked about a gift card sent via a social media platform, 60% of 18- to 34-year-old consumers surveyed would be interested in receiving a gift card through a social platform, like Facebook, and 54% would be interested in giving one.

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Mercator Advisory Groups, “Retail Gift Card Trends in the United States: 2016 in Review.”

Gift Card Definitions – “Prepaid card form factors can be divided into three broad categories.

Physical cards are the ones that people know best. They are usually made of plastic or coated paper and carry a magnetic stripe that encodes the value.
Virtual cards are those that are sent to a recipient in electronic form, regardless of how they are redeemed (such as through paper printouts brought into a store or a code entered on a website). These cards are usually sent via email, but they also can exist as a post on social media.
Mobile cards are those that are sent to a recipient in electronic form and require the handset or other mobile device to redeem it. These cards can be sent via an app, SMS message, or through the internet, but are linked to the phone or other device.”

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Gift Card Fraud Statistics

Statistics on gift card fraud include thoughts on security measures, best practices, gift card scams, and other aspects of the gift card industry that reputable companies are working to provide or prevent.

Ninth Annual CEB Tower Group Report - 2015

On Gift Card Mag Stripes – As mainstream debit and credit cards transition to new, more secure chip readers this year, gift card fraud may increase again because low-cost gift cards will continue to rely on the more vulnerable magnetic strips, a relatively easy access point for fraudulent activity.

Which gift cards do women prefer? Which type of gift cards are top choices for men? What about kids, gamers, baby boomers, and the elderly? When I find gift card statistics that help us understand gift card preferences, I’ll include them here in this section on gift card preferences.

Published - 2019

NRF Holiday 2019 Recap

On Being The Most Popular Gift – “For the 13th year in a row, gift cards remain the most popular items on wish lists, requested by 59 percent of those surveyed, followed by clothing and accessories at 52 percent, books/movies/music/video games (35 percent), electronics (29 percent), home décor (24 percent), jewelry (23 percent), personal care or beauty items (21 percent), sporting goods (18 percent) and home improvement items (17 percent).”

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Published - 2019

Blackhawk Network 2019 BrandedPay Holiday Shopping Preview

On 2019 Holiday Shopping – Surveyed shoppers’ holiday gift card spending is expected to increase by 7% from 2018, with shoppers spending approximately 35% of their total holiday gifting budget on gift cards. Additional findings include:

Shoppers surveyed plan on purchasing gifts for eight people on average, estimating they will spend a total of $618.93 this year.
On average, shoppers expect to spend approximately $213.49 on gift cards this year, a 7% increase over 2018.
Seventy-six percent of shoppers plan to buy at least one gift card or e-gift this season, up from 72% in 2018.

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Published - 2018

Blackhawk Network 2018 Spring Summit Research

On Where People Prefer to Buy Gift Cards – 49% of people surveyed prefer to buy their gift cards directly from the retailer or brand. This is especially true of men and Millennials (though it tends to decrease with age). For many of these respondents (40%), it feels more secure to do so, but there’s also the lure of discounts, promotions, loyalty points, and convenience store locations. For many (45%), gift cards that can only purchased in this way have a certain “exclusive” feel to them.

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