Appendix 4: Comparison of gift choices

Date
Factor affecting choice Cash Gift card Actual product
Difficulty of purchase N/A can be easily purchased at the issuer's store or at supermarkets or service stations the product may only be available at some retailers and may require some search
Product characteristics simple product that is well understood by the community complex product that requires some consideration as to the terms and conditions that apply can be highly complex in terms of product features that need to be considered to ensure it is an appropriate gift choice
Effort required to choose between alternatives N/A some effort required to select gift card from appropriate issuer high effort required to ensure that the gift choice is appropriate to the receiver's needs
Benefit to the receiver of high benefit as the receiver can choose a gift of their choice likely to be of high benefit as the receiver can choose a gift of their choice, but terms and conditions apply the benefit to the receiver is dependent on the gift choice being appropriate to their needs
Benefit to the giver requires minimal effort, but may not be appropriate to all gift giving situations requires some effort, and may be appropriate to some gift giving situations may require a lot of effort, however, a well-chosen gift is likely to be well received