Gift Cards for Kids

Do you recognize this picture? It’s a cool new gift card from Target—and it’s one of a whole bunch of styles designed for kids.

When I was a kid, I would have been heartbroken to receive a gift certificate for Christmas. (That’s right, certificate, because up until only a few years ago they were paper and they were often more hassle than they were worth.) I definitely would have preferred cash (or presents) every time.

But as with just about everything else in the known universe… things have gotten easier for everyone. Today’s kids will never have to experience the look on a cashier’s face when you hand her a certificate with a loooong list of instructions on how to use it. Few have expiration dates, many work online, and your balance carries over on your card. Simple.

But I don’t have to tell you what a gift card is—you’ve seen them. What do they mean to a tween? If most kids are like my young cousins, it boils down to freedom and power—they all received at least one gift card this year, and they were excited just to sit together and gush about all the things they could spend it on.

Most also look like credit cards, which they’ve seen their older siblings whip out before. This makes their experience even more aspirational than it already was—they get a chance to shop like a teenager. Pick out your video game, slap the card on the counter—mom doesn’t even have to help out.

How many companies are embracing the tween demographic with their gift cards? There's more than just "money to be made" here-- there are relationships to be built!