1. Gaming gift cards: what to know before you buy one

   Console stores, PC launchers and in-game currency work differently. Region locking is stricter here than anywhere else.

   2 min read

2. Streaming gift cards: the subscription trap to avoid

   Many streaming services cannot take a gift balance for an existing subscription. Check before you buy, not after.

   2 min read

3. Shopping gift cards: the marketplace exclusion nobody mentions

   General retail cards are the most flexible option, right up until the item is sold by a third-party seller.

   2 min read

4. Food and drink gift cards: franchises are the catch

   Coffee chains, restaurants and delivery apps each behave differently, and franchised branches often refuse group cards.

   2 min read

5. Music gift cards: streaming plans versus buying tracks

   Two different products sold under one name. One pays a subscription, the other buys downloads you keep.

   2 min read

6. Travel gift cards: useful, but read the booking rules

   Airline, hotel and rail credit all come with date, route and refund rules that ordinary gift cards do not have.

   2 min read

7. Mobile top-up cards: the most network-specific gift there is

   Top-up credit is tied to one network in one country. Get the network right and it is genuinely useful.

   2 min read

8. Software gift cards: subscriptions, licences and the difference

   A perpetual licence and a yearly subscription cost similar amounts and behave completely differently.

   2 min read

9. Books and audiobooks: credits and money are not the same

   Audiobook services sell credits, not balance. One credit buys one book whatever it costs, which changes the maths.

   2 min read

10. Fashion gift cards: sizing is the reason these work

    Clothing is the category where guessing goes worst, which is exactly why a gift card is the considerate option here.

    2 min read

11. Grocery gift cards: the most practical gift on this list

    Unglamorous and genuinely useful. Also the category with the most restrictions on what the balance can buy.

    2 min read

12. Experience gift cards: check the booking fees first

    Cinema, events and days out. The credit usually covers the ticket and not the fees, which can be a fifth of the price.

    2 min read

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