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Comment by svrocks | Hacker News Reader

This was the first thought that popped into my head too. Gift cards exist because they mitigate the risk of an unwanted gift while also mostly avoiding the paradox of choice and the taboo of giving cash as a gift. A universal gift card would force the recipient to go through the hassle of getting a gift card first, albeit at a discount. Gift cards already display some laziness on the part of the gift-giver. A gift card for gift cards sorta takes that to a whole new level. Instead of saying "I don't know what you want to buy at this store that you shop at a lot", it says "I don't know where you shop at all...here's some bastardized version of a prepaid debit card...knock yourself out"

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Actually it displays intellectual understanding and rationality on the part of the gift giver:

I understand that you, and only you, knows best what you desire and that the best I can do to help you is to give you the most universally desired means of exchange.

Gift cards are a ripoff and if you give them you are (normally) doing a disservice.

Ah yes, "intellectual understanding and rationality", the two emotions I want most connected with my next birthday.

(FWIW, I actually agree with you, and I imagine there are a lot of others. The hardest part is interacting with those who don't view rationality as an appropriate filter for a celebration, especially celebrating things like 'your not dying in the time it took for the earth to complete a full rotation of the sun', or 'a family-centric federal holiday to mark an apocryphal historical event that has developed societal importance'.)

Cash is still better: if the recipient wants to buy something from CardPool at a discount, they can. Or they can take advantage of any other discount or product anywhere.

This makes me wonder: is there some way to undo the taboo of a cash gift, but retain its economic efficiency?

Perhaps, encase the cash in something that, while not very expensive, required a lot of advance thought/planning?

For example: the enclosure-with-cash needed to be ordered long in advance. And also, encased inside with the cash is some dated and/or custom artifact, such as a personalized note or recommendations of things to buy.

Overall, it sends the message: I rationally want you to buy what you want, but I didn't just thoughtlessly drop a bill in an envelope at the last minute. I've been thinking of you on this gift-giving occasion for a while.

Not quite what you are describing but http://www.google.com/search?q=cash+gift+puzzle&tbs=shop...

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