A gift card is a prepaid stored-value money card, usually issued by a retailer or bank, to be used as an alternative to cash for purchases within a particular store or related businesses. It can also be given out by employers or organizations as rewards or gifts and may be distributed by retailers and marketers as part of a promotion strategy. Gift cards are generally redeemable only for purchases at the relevant retail premises and cannot be cashed out. They may have an expiry date or fees, and some can be reloaded for multiple uses. There are two main types: store gift cards, designed for specific merchants, and general-use prepaid gift cards, not affiliated with any specific merchant
. Another source defines a gift card as a prepaid debit card that contains a specific amount of money available for use for a variety of purchases. Store gift cards are designed to be used at specific merchants, while general-use prepaid gift cards are not affiliated with any specific merchant and can also be used to withdraw cash at ATMs
