You Hold All the Cards

What’s the most popular gift this holiday season? If it’s anything like past years, it will be gift cards. And if what follows is anything like past years, a lot of those cards will be lost, forgotten, or otherwise unused. The Hustle on the economics of unused gift cards. “In an ideal world, the gift card is a win-win: For the buyer, it’s a hassle-free gifting experience; for the recipient, it’s a cash equivalent that can be used at any store or restaurant. But gift cards aren’t always ideal. Oftentimes, they go unused — whether we lose them, forget we have them, let them expire, or fail to spend the full amount that was gifted. And when that happens, there’s only one winner: The companies that sell the cards.”

+ Quartz: Americans have billions in unused gift cards. (Sounds like a re-gifting opportunity…)