Gone are the days where people showed up with traditional gifts and exquisite objects to commemorate a special occasion like weddings or birthdays. As Australia progresses towards a more connective society that is based solely on internet and media communication, the art of giving gifts has also taken a subtle turn. Instead of buying gifts and handing them out, guests can now opt for gifts cards or contribute to a birthday registry or a gift card registry. With Australia’s gift card markets growing strong as more and more customers take to online transactions, the government is encouraging citizens to spend more to boost the country’s e-commerce market.
Why A Gift Card Registry?
It’s not surprising to find that most people aren’t exactly happy with the type of gifts that they receive. It’s not resentment towards the gift bearer but rather a personal interest towards a specific likeness to which many individuals can relate. To avoid such minor setbacks, a gift card registry helps the person find the right gift according to their needs and preferences. Not only is this beneficial for the individual but it is also the best choice for the people as they don’t have to go through a plethora of confusion when rummage through different gift options.
Advancements in online transactions and finance have allowed companies to set up gift card registries for special occasions such as weddings, graduations or birthdays. With secure gateways for transferring money, the person (or the couple if it’s a wedding registry) can buy a gift of their own without harbouring any judgement for their guests for a poorer choice of gifts.
What’s more beneficial is that the registry once saturated can allow guests to shop for unlimited options across the country in all retailers that support these services. This means that a customer isn’t stuck with a specific set of options that usually comes with traditional gift registries but instead, they can purchase any item or service that supports card payments. Owing to these quick benefits, it is easy to see why gift cards have been growing in significance in the last few years. It’s easy, convenient, doesn’t require much hassle and works favourably for both parties.
How Does One Set Up A Registry?
- Identify the event with which the gifts are associated, which includes, but is never limited to, wedding registries, graduation or commemoration registries and even a birthday registry.
- Individuals can set up their accounts free of cost with a small fee for credit card payments (Some companies may charge differently) and administration of the registry.
- Any number of guests can contribute to this registry by leaving tokens of appreciation, money or special messages.
- Once the registry closes at the date specified by the individual, the administration teams get to work by loading all the credit into the gift card and making a viable card under a recognised brand (MasterCard is the most popular) so that owner can avail different products or services under a wide range of shops and stores across Australia.
- Customers can activate their cards after they receive them and start purchasing the gift of their preference.
Many registries have the option of notifying their customers as to who contributed and how much but owners can opt-out of it if they want. What customers need to realise is that this is not an ATM card so don’t use it to withdraw cash. Moreover, these cards also have an expiry of a year or less for security purposes so use them within the stipulated time.
