2023 Gift Card Trends Study
Gift Card Granny has been surveying users since 2016 to gain insight on gift card usage and trends for the upcoming holiday season. Over 4,000 US-based consumers who have visited www.giftcardgranny.com responded this year. Read below for topics such as the most requested gift cards for 2023, eGift card trends and trends on gift card purchasing.
Results from the 2023 Holiday Gift Card Study
Most Requested Gift Cards
- Amazon won the popular vote for the fourth year in a row at 76%.
- Visa was in second with 51%.
- Walmart came in third at 47%.
- Starbucks tied Target in fourth for the first time this year with 34% each.
Gift card popularity was based on what respondents preferred to give or receive as a gift.
eGift Card Trends
- 66% of respondents indicate they have used a mobile app to purchase a gift card.
- 82% of respondents have purchased an eGift card or digital gift card.
Top 5 Retailers for 2023 Holiday Shopping
For the sixth year in a row, Amazon remains the favored retailer for holiday shopping at 43%, while the following merchants are still preferred for holiday shopping among consumers: Walmart (14%), Visa (13%) and Target (7%).
Gift Card Purchasing and Usage
When asked about the number of gift cards purchased per year, 26% of consumers said they typically buy seven or more gift cards a year for gift-giving occasions like birthdays, wedding and holidays. What’s more, 17% of respondents said they buy seven or more gift cards a year for their personal use.
Fifty-three percent of consumers admitted to buying a gift card based on promotions such as extra reward points, cashback rewards, or buy one, get one offers. This number is up from forty-one percent in 2022.
What’s interesting to note is that last year 40% of respondents claim to have lost a gift card, and this year 51% of respondents claim to have a lost a gift card.
Virtual Gift Card Trends
eGift card popularity continues to grow in 2023 with 82% of respondents confirming that they have purchased an eGfit card, which is up from 78% last year. As far as which type of gift card people prefer in 2023, 53% of respondents prefer digital gift cards over physical, while 23% prefer physical and 25% have no preference.
Up thirteen percentage points from 2022, sixty-six percent of respondents indicate they have used a mobile app to purchase a gift card. Additionally, 39% of respondents indicated that they have used a card linked offer, which is up from 35% in 2022. Meaning they have linked their Visa, Mastercard or Amex to receive discounts from websites like Dosh and others.
Gift Card Fraud
In 2022, 13% of respondents confirmed that they have been a victim of fraud related to gift card scams and criminal activity. This rate continues to climb into 2023 with 22% of respondents confirming they have been a victim of fraud related to gift card scams.
Survey Methods
Results for this Gift Card Granny poll are based on survey responses from October 10, 2023 – October 24, 2023, with a sample of adults aged 18 and older who have visited www.giftcardgranny.com. For results based on the total sample 4,137, the margin of sampling error is two percentage points at the 98% confidence level.
