gift cards

GiftCardRescue, a company that lets visitors buy gift cards at a discount, is trying to reassure customers by offering bankruptcy protection on all cards.

Turns out what people want from Starbucks is the caffeine jolt and maybe a morning bun. The country's largest coffee chain is giving up on much of its music offering, including the iTunes gift cards.

Taxpayers this week will start receiving payments from the federal government that are supposed to help stimulate the weakening economy.

Some stores are offering special deals to consumers who swap their payments for gift cards.

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Feel like a sucker for buying an HD DVD player?

Well, if you happen to have bought it at Best Buy, you're in line to get a $50 gift card from the retail giant as part of its pity program for HD DVD owners.

OK, I'm kidding about

...

Best Buy said Wednesday that it will send a $50 gift card to any poor soul that bought a HD-DVD player. The tally will run about $10 million in gift cards, says Best Buy in a statement.

So if you bought an HD-DVD player before Feb.

Sales of gift cards are forecast to exceed $26 billion this holiday season.

One tiny, but growing type of card is the charity gift card. It is meant to address a yearning for more socially conscious giving and receiving.

The funds on the card go to a charity of the recipient's choice.

Gift cards are the great fallback when you can't figure out what to get the kids, or Aunt Susie for the holidays.

American consumers are expected to buy $35 billion worth of gift cards this year, up 25 percent from last year.

How big are gift cards this time of year? According to one study, sales of gift cards will soon top $100 billion.

But for some people gift cards are the gift that is rarely used.