Gift cards and vouchers have gained a lot of popularity in recent years. Not only are they among the best gift ideas, but they can also give you a great opportunity to save money! More and more businesses are offering gift cards as a form of a marketing strategy and you as a consumer should take advantage of it. Virtual vouchers can be used online and generate savings you’ve never been aware of. Here’s how you can save money by spending it on gift checks.
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Gift Cards & Vouchers vs Coupons
Gift cards and vouchers shouldn’t be mistaken for coupons. They have an actual monetary value, which allows you to spend it on anything you want. Coupons, on the other hand, are discounts and other special offers, and can usually be used on particular items.
Therefore, if you use a coupon such as the noon discount code by VoucherCodesUAE, you can expect to get a price reduction on eligible products, and such offers are usually time-limited. When it comes to vouchers and gift cards, they can be treated as actual money and spent any time and on any item from a particular store.
Where to Buy a Gift Card / Voucher
One of the most obvious places to get a gift card or a voucher is a physical retailer or a supermarket where you can find a variety of such checks. However, instead of going anywhere, you can simply purchase one online.
You don’t need to visit the official pages of every single shop you can think of. There are websites that list retailers, restaurants, services, so you can simply choose one without having to spend hours on research.
Another way is to visit websites that offer unwanted gift cards. When people are presented with a voucher they know it’s not going to be used, they can re-sell it online for cheaper. It’s becoming a trendy practice and more and more consumers are using it as a great opportunity to save some money.
Ways to Save Money with Gift Cards and Vouchers
Before we list various ways of saving money with gift cards, you need to bear one thing in mind: in order to make any savings, you have to purchase vouchers for stores or restaurants you would shop anyway. Otherwise, you’ll end up spending more and that’s not the point. So here’s how to maximize your gift checks.
Buy Discounted Gift Cards
Sometimes brands and businesses offer discounted gift cards. Always look for such rare occasions and purchase a voucher for cheaper. You may also use websites that offer unwanted gift cards that other users wish to sell. But pay extra attention to scammers. There are numerous fake resellers with unverified vouchers. Avoid purchasing anything on websites that don’t offer buyer protection.
Purchase Vouchers Regularly
Yes, creating a schedule of your voucher purchases can be beneficial. Instead of paying with your credit card, use digital gift cards where possible. This way you will have a limit of spending set every time you shop online and you will avoid adding extra items to your basket.
Shop During Sales
In order to make savings, you should start shopping online when there’s a special offer running. If you have already purchased a discounted voucher, you will save even more money as some items are on sale. This can be tricky though. Sales usually fool customers by having them think they need to buy something just because it’s cheaper, which brings us to the next point.
Keep Track of Your Budget
Buying cheaper is tempting but you will never be able to save any money if you keep purchasing things you don’t need. Therefore, you should always keep track of both your budget and needs. Try to discipline yourself and use vouchers and gift cards on necessary things. This is the only way you will save money.
Double Your Savings with Rewards
What’s better than savings? Double savings! If you stack your gift card with other rewards, you will be able to save more money. The best option is to purchase a voucher with a card that offers a cash-back option or loyalty points. You can get a couple of percent off of every purchase. PayPal offers a credit card with a cashback of 2%. But there are companies where you can get up to 10%!
Use Vouchers as Soon as You Get Them
How can you save any money if the voucher you purchased months ago is not valid any longer? That’s why you should always use it as soon as you buy them. A lot of people tend to forget about their gift cards and they end up being disappointed. Retailer-customer 1:0. Never let your vouchers rest in drawers or they R.I.P. forever.
Find Gift Cards You Can Use in More Than One Store
A little effort and you can find vouchers and gift cards that are eligible to be used in several places. How? Look for brands that have a sister or a parent company and their policy clearly allows customers to use vouchers in any of those associated brands. Sometimes you may come across better terms and conditions than the original store offers.
Set up Alerts
Never miss a special offer and turn on the notifications. Of course, this option might not be available on certain websites, but if there is, you should enable it. Alternatively, subscribe to several newsletters and expect regular emails with special offers and discounts. Once, you find the best time to use your vouchers, go ahead and do it. Some website can even notify you about new gift cards available.
Conclusion
There are various ways on how you can make some extra savings with your gift card. Some of them are probably easy to think of, while others happen to be quite a surprise. Next time you are given a voucher or purchase one, you will know how to use it efficiently. Thanks to gift certificates, maximizing your savings is easier than ever. Who would have thought that a voucher can provide you with so many money-saving opportunities?
