Best gift cards for 2021 holiday season

SALT LAKE CITY — It’s that time of year when you have to buy a present for that hard-to-shop-for friend or relative, so the gift card selection might interest you to make it easy.

WalletHub released a list of the best gift cards this year, along with some tips to get the most out of any cards you might get for Christmas.

According to things like popularity, fees, average buyer discount, resale amount and a retailer store, Starbucks came out on top — in a virtual tie with Target.

Nike came in third place just edging out Chick-fil-A — which actually has a higher resale amount.

Rounding out the top five was iTunes.

Gift Cards can be a waste of money for the buyer and the seller, though, so here are the top 5 pieces of advice from WalletHub:

• Look for a discount — you don’t always have to pay face value so look for sites that’ll save you money.
• Avoid cards like Visa, Mastercard or Discover as you’ll get hit with fees right away.
• Don’t accidentally buy a prepaid card if you mean to buy a gift card. The former is a rechargeable card that charges fees versus the one-off.
• Look out for cards you get through a loyalty program — they might expire without any notice.
• Don’t feel stuck with a drawer full of cards you’re never going to use. Resale is always an option.

KSL’s Dan Spindle will be talking a lot more about the resale sites for gift cards after the holiday season when your purse or wallet or junk drawer is filling up. You don’t want to just let them sit there because it could be a source of cash for you.