Consumers now have more protections with gift cards

Gift cards have become very popular in the past several years. These cards allow the recipient to “get what he or she really wants.” Universal or “general use prepaid” gift cards are the most frequently purchased gift cards and allow the recipients to go just about anywhere they want to make their purchase including retailers and restaurants. Examples include mall gift cards contained on a plastic card or other electronic payment device and redeemable at the unaffiliated stores throughout the mall.