2009 gift card comparison table

By CreditCards.com staff

Times are tough, but gift cards will continue to be a popular present during the 2009 holiday season. Use this chart to find the gift card that's best for you.

Never expires	No dormancy or maintenance fees	Loss & theft protection
PIN available	Reloadable      eCard available	Online balance check
New for 2009

Retail stores
Kmart
Meijer
Target
Wal-Mart
Supermarkets
H-E-B
Kroger
Publix
Department stores
Bloomingdale's
JCPenney
Kohl's
Macy's
Sears
Convenience stores
7-Eleven
Pilot Travel Center
Clothing
Banana Republic
Gap
Old Navy
Restaurants
McDonald's
Olive Garden
Panera Bread
Red Lobster
Starbucks

Never expires	No dormancy or maintenance fees	Loss & theft protection
PIN available	Reloadable      eCard available	Online balance check
New for 2009

Pharmacies
CVS
Rite Aid
Walgreens
Electronics
Best Buy
Radio Shack
Home improvement
Home Depot
Lowe's
Office supply
Staples
Office Depot
Books
Barnes & Noble
Borders
Toy stores
Toys R Us
Bulk
Costco
Online-only
Amazon.com
Overstock.com
General purpose
American Express
Discover
Fifth Third Bank MasterCard
Harris Bank MasterCard
KeyBank MasterCard
Chase Visa
U.S. Bank Visa
Wells Fargo Visa

New for 2009
Never expires	No dormancy or maintenance fees	Loss & theft protection
PIN available	Reloadable      eCard available	Online balance chec

Can't find the card you want? Check out GiftCertificates.com and Gift Card Mall to shop hundreds of gift cards for stores not listed here.

See related: Gift cards: Everything you need to know, The 11 golden rules of practical gift card giving, Collectible gift cards: practical but fun, 13 ways to get gift cards for less, How to replace a lost or stolen gift card, 10 creative ways to wrap gift cards

Published: November 8, 2009

	Three most recent Emerging payment systems: Prepaid, debit, gift cards stories: Debit card users now more protected from fraud, study says – Debit card users at the nation's 25 largest banks have fraud protection that's long been reserved just for credit cardholders, a new study reveals: They no longer have to pay a cent if fraudulent charges are made on their debit card ... Fed issues rules restricting gift card fees, expiration – Clearer disclosures of gift fees terms and conditions are also included in the rules that take effect in August 2010 ... Fed: Consumers must opt in to debit card overdraft fees – Consumers must opt-in to debit card overdraft fees, new Federal Reserve rules say. Congress is still pushing ahead on a more-sweeping overdraft law. ...

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