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#Post#: 21364--------------------------------------------------
Gift Cards - Should They Cover It All?
By: DaDancingPsych Date: December 13, 2018, 9:00 am
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Whenever I purchase a gift card for a restaurant, I typically
try to make the amount enough to cover a full meal. If the
establishment's average meal is $15 per plate, then I purchase a
gift card for at least that. (If possible, I try to cover two
meals, as it is always nice to dine with a companion.) If they
want to order drinks or dessert, the gift card may not cover
that, but I figured those were extras. If I had only planned to
spend $10 on that person, then I typically select a restaurant
with meals priced closer to that. I am not sure if my logic
falls within etiquette or if I picked up a strange habit!
I am asking due to a gift that I would like to purchase for my
brother's family. I would like to give them a gift card for the
local zoo so that they can purchase an annual membership (or
they can use it for a single trip and splurge in the gift shop.)
I had budgeted $100 for his family, but the membership is $150.
I cannot decide if the proper thing to do is to proceed with the
budgeted $100 and let them add the extra $50 if they want the
full membership. Or if should find a different gift within
budget (or increase my budget.)
Does anyone know what etiquette really says? Outside of
etiquette, does anyone have any thoughts?
#Post#: 21368--------------------------------------------------
Re: Gift Cards - Should They Cover It All?
By: gramma dishes Date: December 13, 2018, 9:31 am
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If you can afford $100 and that's what you planned to spend,
then make it for that amount and let your brother and his family
decide how to allocate it. That's a very generous gift and I'm
sure it will be much appreciated regardless of how they choose
to 'spend' it.
#Post#: 21370--------------------------------------------------
Re: Gift Cards - Should They Cover It All?
By: STiG Date: December 13, 2018, 9:38 am
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As long as the card can be used for something without the
recipient having to put in more money, I think it is fine. If
they choose to add to it, that's on them. So if your $100 buys
them a day at the zoo and a few things at the gift shop? You're
fine. If they decide they'd rather have the membership and
choose to add the $50, that's fine, too. But if your gift card
wasn't enough for a day at the zoo for all of them without them
adding more money to it, then you should choose something else.
The exception, in my mind, is someone who says that they are
saving for [big ticket item] and they'd appreciate gift cards to
[store that sells big ticket item]. Then you give them the
amount you can afford.
#Post#: 21374--------------------------------------------------
Re: Gift Cards - Should They Cover It All?
By: lowspark Date: December 13, 2018, 10:12 am
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I think that gift cards almost always end up requiring the
receiver to kick in some amount of money in order to use them
all up, because they are almost never the exact amount someone
is going to need.
Even in the case of a restaurant gift card for example. If the
restaurant's average price is $15, well, there's always tax and
tip right? Or the person wants to order the $17 dish. Or they
order the $10 dish and end up with extra money still on the card
which they will either have to order more and go over, or use it
another time to supplement that meal.
So worrying about whether the $100 should be $150 is probably
futile.
If you want to gift them with a zoo membership, then you should
just get them that if it is within your budget. If you want to
gift them with passes to the zoo for one day, then get them
that. If you want to give them a $100 gift card then the idea is
for them to apply it as they see fit, whether it be towards a
membership, admission and fun in the gift shop, or to be applied
toward admission for multiple trips.
#Post#: 21376--------------------------------------------------
Re: Gift Cards - Should They Cover It All?
By: DaDancingPsych Date: December 13, 2018, 10:19 am
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[quote author=STiG link=topic=873.msg21370#msg21370
date=1544715531]
As long as the card can be used for something without the
recipient having to put in more money, I think it is fine. If
they choose to add to it, that's on them. So if your $100 buys
them a day at the zoo and a few things at the gift shop? You're
fine. If they decide they'd rather have the membership and
choose to add the $50, that's fine, too. But if your gift card
wasn't enough for a day at the zoo for all of them without them
adding more money to it, then you should choose something
else.[/quote]
Yes, the $100 would get them in for the day with some left over
(not enough for the family to return a second time, though.)
#Post#: 21378--------------------------------------------------
Re: Gift Cards - Should They Cover It All?
By: Rose Red Date: December 13, 2018, 10:52 am
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Will they go to the zoo enough times to justify the cost of
membership? If you can cheerfully afford an extra $50, then go
for it. If not, $100 is very generous.
To answer your question, etiquette says that you're fine. You
are giving enough to cover tickets for everyone and that's the
important part. Extra money is a bonus and can go towards snacks
or at the zoo gift shop.
#Post#: 21379--------------------------------------------------
Re: Gift Cards - Should They Cover It All?
By: Betelnut Date: December 13, 2018, 11:01 am
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For Christmas, I always give people on my team (I supervise
them) $25 gift cards. I try to personalize the type of cards so,
for example, I gave the movie buff a Fandango card for $25. Now,
we all know that $25 would barely cover two movie tickets and
certainly not snacks too. But, you know what? That's okay. MOST
of the movie is on me so it's all good, as far as I'm concerned.
You give what you can afford to give and let the chips fall
where they may, basically.
#Post#: 21380--------------------------------------------------
Re: Gift Cards - Should They Cover It All?
By: Hmmm Date: December 13, 2018, 11:18 am
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I think the $100 gift card is fine. They can choose to put
another $50 towards a full membership or use it for a one day
outing that would pay for tickets and probably snacks or
souvenirs for the family while they are there.
#Post#: 21388--------------------------------------------------
Re: Gift Cards - Should They Cover It All?
By: DaDancingPsych Date: December 13, 2018, 12:03 pm
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[quote author=Rose Red link=topic=873.msg21378#msg21378
date=1544719965]
Will they go to the zoo enough times to justify the cost of
membership?
[/quote]
Yes, I think so. Last year I purchased them a membership to a
local children's museum. The membership paid for itself within
two visits and they went at least six times that I know of.
(Plus, their membership got me a discount on my ticket when I
went, as well as other guests that they brought along.) Rather
than simply renewing the museum membership, I am offering my
brother several options (the zoo being one of them obviously.) A
few memberships are within the budgeted $100 and a few, like the
zoo example, are outside of it. However, I would want my brother
to select the membership that he feels that they would use and
enjoy the most, but I could not decide what to do about those
activities that were out of my budget (take them off the list or
include them with a note that he may need to add money or pay
more than I really want to.) Either way, this is a lot of
background information that I didn't think was needed, but I am
confident that they will use whatever membership that is
selected.
#Post#: 21426--------------------------------------------------
Re: Gift Cards - Should They Cover It All?
By: TootsNYC Date: December 13, 2018, 9:17 pm
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If the amount of money that's left after using the gift card (or
gift certificate) is small, like less than 4%, I don't feel too
bad, especially if it's something in a category that I know they
typically spend money on anyway.
Or if it's a purchase that they have declared they want, like
they're saving to buy a camera at a certain store, I might get a
gift certificate from that store even if it won't cover the
whole thing. Taking the edge off a planned purchase is totally
OK.
If the gift card can be used anywhere, it's just a gift card.
But in your case, the money they'd need to raise is 50% of your
actual gift card, so I don't think it's a good idea.
I mean, you can give them $100 in cash or in a neutral gift
card, but that's not a zoo membership, and it would be weird to
say, "here's $100; I hope you will use it to buy a zoo
membership, which is half again as much money."
I'd either grit my teeth for the zoo membership, find someone
else to go in on it with me, even if they only put in the
missing $50, or drop the idea and find a different gift.
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