Popcorn tin or Amazon gift card?  Amazon wins hands down.
What's that?  You forgot to get a gift for the cousin that you never see but who will be present at the holiday gathering?  You pulled Bob's name in Secret Santa and you know nothing about Bob?  You detest shopping?  Look no further than this handy ten pack of Amazon gift cards.<br /><br />Here are some facts about the gift cards:<br /><br />1)What would I be handing to my gift recipient?  These gift cards are the traditional plastic kind.  Also note that Amazon sells gift cards in various formats.  You can get gift certificates that you print at home, e-gift cards delivered via Facebook, and e-gift cards delivered by email.<br /><br />2)How are the gift cards packaged?  You get a stack of ten cards that come in a single, fully closed (non-zipper) plastic bag that must be torn open in order to remove the cards.  My stack of gift cards arrived in a nondescript bubble wrap mailer.<br /><br />3)Does the buyer receive envelopes or greeting cards? You receive no envelopes and you receive no greeting cards.  Amazon does have an option where you can buy a  single gift card that comes with an envelope and greeting card.  Look here: [[ASIN:BT00CTOUNS Amazon.com Gift Cards - In a Greeting Card - Free One-Day Shipping]].  If you want a pack of gift cards that also come with multiple envelopes, Amazon has that, too.  Look here: [[ASIN:B005Z3E8NC Amazon.com Gift Cards, Pack of 10 Cards in Greeting Cards - Free One-Day Shipping]]<br /><br />4)What designs are available? I chose the generic design with the "a" because this enables me to use the cards beyond the 2011 holiday season.  The designs on the gift card vary.  For this ten pack, Amazon presently offers relatively limited card designs.  There is a generic snow globe and a card that says "Happy Reading" and another that says "Thank You".  If the look of the plastic card is important, you will have more options to choose from by purchasing one of the single card options here: [[ASIN:BT00CTOUNS Amazon.com Gift Cards - In a Greeting Card - Free One-Day Shipping]].<br /><br />5)How quickly do the gift cards arrive? These cards come quickly.  I ordered on a Saturday night and they arrived on Monday.<br /><br />6)How much money is loaded on each card?  Each of the ten cards is loaded with $10.  If you want gift cards that are loaded with more money, Amazon has a couple of gift card pack options of different monetary amounts.  Do you need a smaller pack of gift cards?  More than one but less than 10?  You can get packs of three cards preloaded with $15, $25, $50, and $100 by looking here:[[ASIN:B005Z3D5OU Amazon.com Gift Cards, Pack of 3 Cards - Free One-Day Shipping]].  Note: the three pack does not presently come with envelopes.<br /><br />In sum, you cannot go wrong with these cards.  Keep a stash of these cards in the preloaded monetary amount of your choosing so you are always prepared when you need to provide a gift and don't have time and/or the desire to shop.
Rating: 5 stars