GITNUXREPORT 2026

Gift Cards Industry Statistics

The global gift card market is booming toward trillions, led by digital growth and strong consumer preference.

Jannik Lindner

Co-Founder of Gitnux, specialized in content and tech since 2016.

First published: Feb 13, 2026

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Statistic 1

52% of US consumers prefer gift cards over other gifts, with $28 average spend per purchase.

Statistic 2

Globally, 75% of consumers have received a gift card in the past year, spending 92% of value.

Statistic 3

US millennials spend 20% more on digital gift cards than boomers, averaging $150 annually.

Statistic 4

68% of UK shoppers redeem gift cards within 3 months of receipt.

Statistic 5

Average US household receives 4.2 gift cards per year, total value $200.

Statistic 6

41% of consumers buy gift cards for themselves, self-gifting up 15% YoY.

Statistic 7

Globally, women are 10% more likely to purchase gift cards than men.

Statistic 8

62% of Gen Z use mobile wallets for gift card redemption.

Statistic 9

US consumers break 6.8% of gift card balances, averaging $21 billion unused.

Statistic 10

73% of holiday shoppers plan to buy gift cards in 2024.

Statistic 11

Average redemption rate for digital gift cards is 95%, vs 85% for physical.

Statistic 12

55% of consumers prefer e-gift cards for instant delivery.

Statistic 13

Canadian consumers spend CAD 250 on gift cards yearly on average.

Statistic 14

48% of EU consumers use gift cards for everyday purchases.

Statistic 15

US parents buy 30% more gift cards for kids' activities.

Statistic 16

67% of consumers share unused gift card balances with family.

Statistic 17

India sees 80% of urban consumers using digital gift cards monthly.

Statistic 18

Average time to redeem US gift card is 6.8 weeks.

Statistic 19

35% of Brazil consumers prefer supermarket gift cards for groceries.

Statistic 20

Global average gift card spend per capita $120 in 2023.

Statistic 21

71% of Australian shoppers use gift cards post-holidays.

Statistic 22

US boomers redeem 78% of gift card value within 6 months.

Statistic 23

44% of consumers buy gift cards online vs in-store.

Statistic 24

China consumers average 5 gift cards received yearly.

Statistic 25

59% of French consumers gift cards for birthdays.

Statistic 26

Japan salarymen use gift cards for 15% of daily lunches.

Statistic 27

82% of loyalty program members redeem points for gift cards.

Statistic 28

29% of US consumers lost a physical gift card in 2023.

Statistic 29

65% of digital gift cards delivered via email, 25% SMS, 10% apps.

Statistic 30

Blockchain-based gift cards piloted by 5 major issuers, reducing fraud 40%.

Statistic 31

Apple Pay gift card storage used by 120 million users globally.

Statistic 32

QR code scanning for physical-to-digital conversion up 50% in 2023.

Statistic 33

AI personalization increased gift card recommendation sales 25%.

Statistic 34

NFC-enabled physical gift cards adopted by 20% US retailers.

Statistic 35

Global e-gift card platforms processed 2 billion transactions in 2023.

Statistic 36

5G rollout boosted mobile gift card redemptions by 35% in urban areas.

Statistic 37

API integrations for gift cards in e-commerce up 60% YoY.

Statistic 38

Biometric authentication for gift card access trialed, 90% acceptance.

Statistic 39

Cloud-based gift card management systems used by 70% large issuers.

Statistic 40

AR previews for gift card designs increased conversion 18%.

Statistic 41

Instant issuance digital gift cards average delivery time 15 seconds.

Statistic 42

IoT smart displays in stores promote digital gift upsell 22%.

Statistic 43

Voice commerce for gift cards via Alexa/Google up 40%.

Statistic 44

Metaverse gift cards sold $500 million in virtual goods 2023.

Statistic 45

Programmatic ad targeting for gift cards ROI 4:1.

Statistic 46

Contactless POS acceptance for gift cards at 95% US merchants.

Statistic 47

Gamified gift card apps retain 30% more users.

Statistic 48

Data analytics predict 85% redemption accuracy for digital cards.

Statistic 49

Subscription box services bundle 15% gift cards digitally.

Statistic 50

Web3 wallets integrate gift cards, 10 million users.

Statistic 51

Push notifications boost digital redemption 28%.

Statistic 52

Hybrid physical-digital cards with chips 30% market penetration EU.

Statistic 53

Machine learning fraud detection saves $2 billion annually.

Statistic 54

Social commerce platforms sell 20% of digital gifts.

Statistic 55

Global gift card fraud losses totaled $1.3 billion in 2023.

Statistic 56

15% of US consumers reported gift card scams in 2023.

Statistic 57

Card-not-present fraud on digital gifts up 25% YoY.

Statistic 58

EU PSD2 regulations reduced unauthorized gift transactions 40%.

Statistic 59

Black market gift card trading volume $500 million annually.

Statistic 60

PIN compromise affects 8% of physical gift cards sold.

Statistic 61

US states mandate 5-year expiration on gift cards.

Statistic 62

Biometric verification cuts fraud 65% in pilots.

Statistic 63

Phishing attacks targeting gift card codes rose 50%.

Statistic 64

Dormancy fees banned in 45 US states for gift cards under $5.

Statistic 65

Tokenization adopted by 60% issuers, fraud down 50%.

Statistic 66

Organized crime launders $200 million via discounted gift cards.

Statistic 67

UK PSR rules require full value retention for 5 years.

Statistic 68

Account takeover fraud on gift balances $300 million losses.

Statistic 69

EMV chip migration complete 90% for new gift cards.

Statistic 70

Consumer education campaigns reduced scam reports 20%.

Statistic 71

Cross-border gift card fraud $150 million in 2023.

Statistic 72

Australia mandates no expiry under AUD 500 cards.

Statistic 73

Real-time monitoring flags 95% suspicious loads.

Statistic 74

India RBI caps gift card loads at INR 10,000 non-KYC.

Statistic 75

Physical card skimming incidents down 70% with magstripe phaseout.

Statistic 76

Class action suits over breakage totaled $100 million payouts.

Statistic 77

Canada anti-money laundering rules apply to gift issuers over CAD 1M.

Statistic 78

Dark web gift card prices average 60% discount.

Statistic 79

Multi-factor auth required for high-value digital gifts.

Statistic 80

Brazil BCU regulates gift cards as prepaid instruments.

Statistic 81

Zero-liability policies cover 99% fraud claims for major networks.

Statistic 82

Closed-loop gift cards dominate with 70% US consumer preference for retailer-specific.

Statistic 83

Visa prepaid gift cards issued 500 million units globally in 2023.

Statistic 84

Starbucks gift cards had $1.6 billion load value in US alone 2023.

Statistic 85

Amazon gift cards accounted for 25% of all digital gift card sales in 2023.

Statistic 86

Retailer-branded (closed-loop) cards make up 65% of market, open-loop 35%.

Statistic 87

iTunes/App Store gift cards redeemed $20 billion worldwide in 2023.

Statistic 88

Mastercard open-loop gift cards grew 18% to 300 million issued in Europe.

Statistic 89

Grocery store gift cards represent 22% of US physical card sales.

Statistic 90

Gaming gift cards (Xbox, PlayStation) loaded $12 billion in 2023.

Statistic 91

Hotel & travel gift cards surged 25% post-pandemic to $8 billion.

Statistic 92

American Express Serve gift cards have 15 million active users.

Statistic 93

Multi-retailer cards like OneVanilla issued 100 million units US 2023.

Statistic 94

Fashion & apparel gift cards 18% of sector's holiday sales.

Statistic 95

Spotify & Netflix subscription gift cards $5 billion annual load.

Statistic 96

Bank-issued gift cards hold 12% market share in Asia.

Statistic 97

Target Circle gift cards integrated with loyalty, 40 million redemptions.

Statistic 98

Fuel & convenience store gift cards $10 billion US sales.

Statistic 99

Charity gift cards donated $2 billion via platforms like GiftCardsForChange.

Statistic 100

Walmart gift cards loaded $25 billion, highest retailer share.

Statistic 101

Experience gift cards (spa, events) grew 30% to $3 billion.

Statistic 102

Discover Network gift cards popular in small business rewards.

Statistic 103

UK high street retailers issue 80% closed-loop cards.

Statistic 104

Mobile carrier gift cards (Verizon, AT&T) $4 billion reloads.

Statistic 105

Virtual Visa cards for online-only redemptions 50 million issued.

Statistic 106

Home improvement (Home Depot) gift cards $6 billion sales.

Statistic 107

The global gift card market was valued at $987.4 billion in 2023 and is projected to reach $2.5 trillion by 2032, growing at a CAGR of 10.8%.

Statistic 108

In the US, gift card sales reached $170 billion in 2023, accounting for 1% of total consumer spending.

Statistic 109

The digital gift card segment is expected to grow from $289 billion in 2023 to $1.2 trillion by 2030 at a CAGR of 22%.

Statistic 110

Gift card market in Europe was valued at €150 billion in 2022, with a projected CAGR of 9.5% through 2028.

Statistic 111

US closed-loop gift card load value hit $193 billion in 2022, up 11% YoY.

Statistic 112

Open-loop gift cards accounted for 55% of the US market share in 2023, valued at over $100 billion.

Statistic 113

Asia-Pacific gift card market grew 15% YoY to $250 billion in 2023.

Statistic 114

Physical gift cards still represent 60% of global sales volume but only 40% of value due to higher digital averages.

Statistic 115

Corporate gift card spending in the US reached $25 billion in 2023.

Statistic 116

UK gift card market size was £7.5 billion in 2023, with 15% growth expected in 2024.

Statistic 117

Global B2B gift card market valued at $120 billion in 2023, CAGR 12% to 2030.

Statistic 118

US holiday gift card sales accounted for 25% of annual total, $42.5 billion in 2023.

Statistic 119

Latin America gift card market to grow from $15 billion in 2023 to $35 billion by 2029.

Statistic 120

E-commerce gift cards surged 30% YoY to $80 billion globally in 2023.

Statistic 121

Canada gift card industry valued at CAD 6.5 billion in 2023, up 8%.

Statistic 122

Middle East & Africa gift card market at $10 billion in 2023, CAGR 18%.

Statistic 123

US restaurant gift cards loaded $28 billion in 2023.

Statistic 124

Global prepaid gift card market share of overall prepaid was 45% in 2023.

Statistic 125

Australia gift card sales hit AUD 4.2 billion in 2023.

Statistic 126

Projected global gift card market penetration to reach 25% of retail sales by 2028.

Statistic 127

Brazil gift card market grew 20% to BRL 12 billion in 2023.

Statistic 128

US multi-brand gift cards valued at $15 billion in 2023.

Statistic 129

India digital gift cards market at INR 5,000 crore in 2023, CAGR 25%.

Statistic 130

Global gift card unused balances averaged $15 billion annually.

Statistic 131

China gift card market size $180 billion in 2023.

Statistic 132

France gift card sales €4.5 billion in 2023.

Statistic 133

Global gift e-card market CAGR 16.5% from 2023-2030.

Statistic 134

US specialty retail gift cards $50 billion load in 2023.

Statistic 135

Worldwide gift voucher market to hit €500 billion by 2027.

Statistic 136

Japan prepaid gift card market ¥3 trillion in 2023.

1/136

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Imagine a single industry quietly ballooning from nearly a trillion dollars to a projected $2.5 trillion within a decade, because whether you're part of the 75% of consumers who have received one or are fueling the trend of self-gifting, gift cards have become the universal currency of modern gifting and spending.

Key Takeaways

The global gift card market was valued at $987.4 billion in 2023 and is projected to reach $2.5 trillion by 2032, growing at a CAGR of 10.8%.
In the US, gift card sales reached $170 billion in 2023, accounting for 1% of total consumer spending.
The digital gift card segment is expected to grow from $289 billion in 2023 to $1.2 trillion by 2030 at a CAGR of 22%.
52% of US consumers prefer gift cards over other gifts, with $28 average spend per purchase.
Globally, 75% of consumers have received a gift card in the past year, spending 92% of value.
US millennials spend 20% more on digital gift cards than boomers, averaging $150 annually.
Closed-loop gift cards dominate with 70% US consumer preference for retailer-specific.
Visa prepaid gift cards issued 500 million units globally in 2023.
Starbucks gift cards had $1.6 billion load value in US alone 2023.
65% of digital gift cards delivered via email, 25% SMS, 10% apps.
Blockchain-based gift cards piloted by 5 major issuers, reducing fraud 40%.
Apple Pay gift card storage used by 120 million users globally.
Global gift card fraud losses totaled $1.3 billion in 2023.
15% of US consumers reported gift card scams in 2023.
Card-not-present fraud on digital gifts up 25% YoY.

The global gift card market is booming toward trillions, led by digital growth and strong consumer preference.

Consumer Adoption & Spending

52% of US consumers prefer gift cards over other gifts, with $28 average spend per purchase.
Globally, 75% of consumers have received a gift card in the past year, spending 92% of value.
US millennials spend 20% more on digital gift cards than boomers, averaging $150 annually.
68% of UK shoppers redeem gift cards within 3 months of receipt.
Average US household receives 4.2 gift cards per year, total value $200.
41% of consumers buy gift cards for themselves, self-gifting up 15% YoY.
Globally, women are 10% more likely to purchase gift cards than men.
62% of Gen Z use mobile wallets for gift card redemption.
US consumers break 6.8% of gift card balances, averaging $21 billion unused.
73% of holiday shoppers plan to buy gift cards in 2024.
Average redemption rate for digital gift cards is 95%, vs 85% for physical.
55% of consumers prefer e-gift cards for instant delivery.
Canadian consumers spend CAD 250 on gift cards yearly on average.
48% of EU consumers use gift cards for everyday purchases.
US parents buy 30% more gift cards for kids' activities.
67% of consumers share unused gift card balances with family.
India sees 80% of urban consumers using digital gift cards monthly.
Average time to redeem US gift card is 6.8 weeks.
35% of Brazil consumers prefer supermarket gift cards for groceries.
Global average gift card spend per capita $120 in 2023.
71% of Australian shoppers use gift cards post-holidays.
US boomers redeem 78% of gift card value within 6 months.
44% of consumers buy gift cards online vs in-store.
China consumers average 5 gift cards received yearly.
59% of French consumers gift cards for birthdays.
Japan salarymen use gift cards for 15% of daily lunches.
82% of loyalty program members redeem points for gift cards.
29% of US consumers lost a physical gift card in 2023.

Consumer Adoption & Spending Interpretation

While we universally embrace the gift card's promise of effortless giving, our collective behavior—spanning impulsive self-gifting, occasional forgetfulness, and a global pivot toward digital convenience—paints a portrait of a practical, if imperfect, modern ritual that says, "I thought about you, but I also thought about myself."

Digital Transformation & Tech

65% of digital gift cards delivered via email, 25% SMS, 10% apps.
Blockchain-based gift cards piloted by 5 major issuers, reducing fraud 40%.
Apple Pay gift card storage used by 120 million users globally.
QR code scanning for physical-to-digital conversion up 50% in 2023.
AI personalization increased gift card recommendation sales 25%.
NFC-enabled physical gift cards adopted by 20% US retailers.
Global e-gift card platforms processed 2 billion transactions in 2023.
5G rollout boosted mobile gift card redemptions by 35% in urban areas.
API integrations for gift cards in e-commerce up 60% YoY.
Biometric authentication for gift card access trialed, 90% acceptance.
Cloud-based gift card management systems used by 70% large issuers.
AR previews for gift card designs increased conversion 18%.
Instant issuance digital gift cards average delivery time 15 seconds.
IoT smart displays in stores promote digital gift upsell 22%.
Voice commerce for gift cards via Alexa/Google up 40%.
Metaverse gift cards sold $500 million in virtual goods 2023.
Programmatic ad targeting for gift cards ROI 4:1.
Contactless POS acceptance for gift cards at 95% US merchants.
Gamified gift card apps retain 30% more users.
Data analytics predict 85% redemption accuracy for digital cards.
Subscription box services bundle 15% gift cards digitally.
Web3 wallets integrate gift cards, 10 million users.
Push notifications boost digital redemption 28%.
Hybrid physical-digital cards with chips 30% market penetration EU.
Machine learning fraud detection saves $2 billion annually.
Social commerce platforms sell 20% of digital gifts.

Digital Transformation & Tech Interpretation

The industry is rapidly evolving from simple email gifts to a sophisticated ecosystem where AI personalizes offers, blockchain prevents fraud, and the metaverse itself becomes a new gift-wrapped frontier, all while making the act of giving faster and more secure than ever.

Fraud, Security & Regulations

Global gift card fraud losses totaled $1.3 billion in 2023.
15% of US consumers reported gift card scams in 2023.
Card-not-present fraud on digital gifts up 25% YoY.
EU PSD2 regulations reduced unauthorized gift transactions 40%.
Black market gift card trading volume $500 million annually.
PIN compromise affects 8% of physical gift cards sold.
US states mandate 5-year expiration on gift cards.
Biometric verification cuts fraud 65% in pilots.
Phishing attacks targeting gift card codes rose 50%.
Dormancy fees banned in 45 US states for gift cards under $5.
Tokenization adopted by 60% issuers, fraud down 50%.
Organized crime launders $200 million via discounted gift cards.
UK PSR rules require full value retention for 5 years.
Account takeover fraud on gift balances $300 million losses.
EMV chip migration complete 90% for new gift cards.
Consumer education campaigns reduced scam reports 20%.
Cross-border gift card fraud $150 million in 2023.
Australia mandates no expiry under AUD 500 cards.
Real-time monitoring flags 95% suspicious loads.
India RBI caps gift card loads at INR 10,000 non-KYC.
Physical card skimming incidents down 70% with magstripe phaseout.
Class action suits over breakage totaled $100 million payouts.
Canada anti-money laundering rules apply to gift issuers over CAD 1M.
Dark web gift card prices average 60% discount.
Multi-factor auth required for high-value digital gifts.
Brazil BCU regulates gift cards as prepaid instruments.
Zero-liability policies cover 99% fraud claims for major networks.

Fraud, Security & Regulations Interpretation

Global gift card fraud is a billion-dollar black market masquerading as a present, but for every scammer exploiting a PIN or phishing for a code, there's a regulator banning dormancy fees, a biometric pilot cutting fraud, and a token proving that with enough smart defenses and consumer education, the good guys are slowly but surely taking the fun out of this particular crime.

Gift Card Types & Issuers

Closed-loop gift cards dominate with 70% US consumer preference for retailer-specific.
Visa prepaid gift cards issued 500 million units globally in 2023.
Starbucks gift cards had $1.6 billion load value in US alone 2023.
Amazon gift cards accounted for 25% of all digital gift card sales in 2023.
Retailer-branded (closed-loop) cards make up 65% of market, open-loop 35%.
iTunes/App Store gift cards redeemed $20 billion worldwide in 2023.
Mastercard open-loop gift cards grew 18% to 300 million issued in Europe.
Grocery store gift cards represent 22% of US physical card sales.
Gaming gift cards (Xbox, PlayStation) loaded $12 billion in 2023.
Hotel & travel gift cards surged 25% post-pandemic to $8 billion.
American Express Serve gift cards have 15 million active users.
Multi-retailer cards like OneVanilla issued 100 million units US 2023.
Fashion & apparel gift cards 18% of sector's holiday sales.
Spotify & Netflix subscription gift cards $5 billion annual load.
Bank-issued gift cards hold 12% market share in Asia.
Target Circle gift cards integrated with loyalty, 40 million redemptions.
Fuel & convenience store gift cards $10 billion US sales.
Charity gift cards donated $2 billion via platforms like GiftCardsForChange.
Walmart gift cards loaded $25 billion, highest retailer share.
Experience gift cards (spa, events) grew 30% to $3 billion.
Discover Network gift cards popular in small business rewards.
UK high street retailers issue 80% closed-loop cards.
Mobile carrier gift cards (Verizon, AT&T) $4 billion reloads.
Virtual Visa cards for online-only redemptions 50 million issued.
Home improvement (Home Depot) gift cards $6 billion sales.

Gift Card Types & Issuers Interpretation

While consumers cling to their beloved branded cards like security blankets, the gift card industry’s sheer scale—from fueling $25 billion at Walmart to bankrolling $12 billion in virtual warfare—proves we’ve essentially institutionalized the art of giving people money with rules.

Market Size & Growth

The global gift card market was valued at $987.4 billion in 2023 and is projected to reach $2.5 trillion by 2032, growing at a CAGR of 10.8%.
In the US, gift card sales reached $170 billion in 2023, accounting for 1% of total consumer spending.
The digital gift card segment is expected to grow from $289 billion in 2023 to $1.2 trillion by 2030 at a CAGR of 22%.
Gift card market in Europe was valued at €150 billion in 2022, with a projected CAGR of 9.5% through 2028.
US closed-loop gift card load value hit $193 billion in 2022, up 11% YoY.
Open-loop gift cards accounted for 55% of the US market share in 2023, valued at over $100 billion.
Asia-Pacific gift card market grew 15% YoY to $250 billion in 2023.
Physical gift cards still represent 60% of global sales volume but only 40% of value due to higher digital averages.
Corporate gift card spending in the US reached $25 billion in 2023.
UK gift card market size was £7.5 billion in 2023, with 15% growth expected in 2024.
Global B2B gift card market valued at $120 billion in 2023, CAGR 12% to 2030.
US holiday gift card sales accounted for 25% of annual total, $42.5 billion in 2023.
Latin America gift card market to grow from $15 billion in 2023 to $35 billion by 2029.
E-commerce gift cards surged 30% YoY to $80 billion globally in 2023.
Canada gift card industry valued at CAD 6.5 billion in 2023, up 8%.
Middle East & Africa gift card market at $10 billion in 2023, CAGR 18%.
US restaurant gift cards loaded $28 billion in 2023.
Global prepaid gift card market share of overall prepaid was 45% in 2023.
Australia gift card sales hit AUD 4.2 billion in 2023.
Projected global gift card market penetration to reach 25% of retail sales by 2028.
Brazil gift card market grew 20% to BRL 12 billion in 2023.
US multi-brand gift cards valued at $15 billion in 2023.
India digital gift cards market at INR 5,000 crore in 2023, CAGR 25%.
Global gift card unused balances averaged $15 billion annually.
China gift card market size $180 billion in 2023.
France gift card sales €4.5 billion in 2023.
Global gift e-card market CAGR 16.5% from 2023-2030.
US specialty retail gift cards $50 billion load in 2023.
Worldwide gift voucher market to hit €500 billion by 2027.
Japan prepaid gift card market ¥3 trillion in 2023.

Market Size & Growth Interpretation

The gift card industry, fueled by our collective dread of choosing the wrong present and the corporate love of a free float, is methodically converting trillions in thoughtfulness into a frictionless global currency that quietly siphons billions in forgotten change.