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Millions of pounds wasted on Gift Cards
Archived article dated Monday March 30th 2009
Half of gift cards are left with outstanding balances of over £1 once purchases have been made, totalling £30 million across the UK, according to research from Zebra Technologies.
The on-demand printing solutions provider also found that half of the people in the survey have up to three cards in their possession and 67 per cent take over a month to actually spend the money available on the card.
Mark Thomson, retail manager at Zebra Technologies says: “During tough economic times, I find it hard to believe that most people aren't making the most of this 'free money'. Once people have splashed the cash, they're often unaware of the monetary amount left on cards. Even if it's a matter of pounds, it soon adds up and is not earning any interest while it sits in a drawer.”
Thomson adds: “Despite clear demand, it's also interesting to hear the majority of cards are left lying around and people are in no hurry to spend them. Quite often they will be stored in drawers or lost amongst possessions - rather like crumpled five pound notes left in trouser pockets, it's a bit of a waste. People should try to make the most of what they have - my advice is to splash the cash, not stash the cash!”
Zebra helps organisations across the public and private sectors globally produce 400 million cards a year for use by retail shops, government, security and leisure sectors.
Tagged as: gift cards | zebra
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