Here Are the Best Holiday Gift Cards in Minnesota

It's not a surprise that gift cards are shaping up to be an incredibly popular holiday present again this year in Minnesota. And we now know just which cards are the best to give... or get!

Once again this year, Americans are set to spend billions of dollars on gift cards this holiday season, making them one of the hottest presents out there. "We see over and over every holiday season, gift cards is a top-tier gift," Bruce Nustad, president of the Minnesota Retail Association, said in this CBS News Minnesota story.

And holiday sales could be record-setting this year in the Land of 10,000 Lakes, with Minnesotans spending more than we ever have before. That's the word from a new holiday shopping survey from the National Retail Federation (NRF) which says consumers here in Minnesota and across the country are going to shell out an average of $902 per person this holiday season.

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That amount is about $25 per person more than last year and $16 higher than the previous record set in 2019, the NRF said. And much of that money here in the Bold North will be spent on gift cards. But not all cards are created equal.

That's why the number-crunchers over at Wallet Hub just put out a list of the Best Gift Cards for the holidays this year. Their study compared gift cards affiliated with the country’s 50 most popular retailers in five categories, including gift card popularity, average buyer discount, average resale value, retailer rating, and shipping or purchase fees.

And the result? Here are the Best Gift Cards for 2024 per Wallet Hub:

1. Amazon
2. Target
3. Sephora
4. Walmart
5. Starbucks

Wallet Hub also determined the Most Popular Gift Cards in 2024:

1. Visa
2. Amazon
3. Target
4. Sephora
5. Walmart

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As well as Wallet Hub's list of the Gift Cards With the Best Resale Value for 2024:

1. Costco
2. Home Depot
3. Best Buy
4. Disney
5. Whole Foods

In addition to gift cards being the most popular item on Minnesotans' lists this year,  the NFR survey said clothing and accessories, books and other media, and personal care or beauty items are also hot items this year.

SEE ALSO: These Familiar Winter Warnings Are Now Extinct in Minnesota

Now if you're going to head out and do some shopping this season, many Minnesotans will include a trip to the Mall of America, which is always festively decked out for the holidays. Just be sure you DON'T bring along any of the following items because they've been banned from MOA!

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