Survey: Gift card purchasing continues to rise
Increased cost pressures are leading consumers to rely more on gift cards when it comes to both gifting and self use.
More than three-quarters (77%) of U.S. consumers plan to purchase gift cards in 2026, according to new survey data from branded payment solutions platform Blackhawk Network (BHN). The number of consumers planning to purchase gift cards for self-use as part of a spending strategy nearly doubled year over year, rising from 31% in 2025 to 56% in 2026.
Physical gift cards remain consumers’ preferred format overall, but nearly one-third of those surveyed prefer having both physical and digital options. Around seven-in-10 Gen Z and millennials and one-in-three Gen X and baby boomer respondents plan to purchase gift cards during a social channel streaming event this year. This represents a 19% increase for younger generations and a 120% increase among older generations compared to 2025.
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Gift cards deliver a notable increase in spending for retailers, according to the data. Nearly 60% of shoppers would spend beyond the original value of gift cards when redeeming them. Average upspend totaled $73, up $5 since 2024, and average upspend on gift cards valued at $50 or more has increased nearly 10% since 2024. The denominations most likely to drive upspend were $50 and under, with 74% of respondents willing to spend more than the value of a $10 card.
“Years of economic pressure have driven consumers to become much more intentional about how they spend, and gift cards have emerged as powerful budgeting and inflation-fighting solutions,” said Brett Narlinger, chief revenue officer at BHN. “Gift cards continue to be popular and budget-friendly options for gifting, but the majority of consumers are intentionally purchasing and using them to establish financial guardrails while spending power is stretched thin. Our research shows people want control and flexibility across physical and digital shopping channels, as well as more ways to fund purchases, including loyalty points and rewards programs.”
Additional highlights from BHN’s survey includes the following:
- Grocery and dining prices rank as a top concern among 72% of respondents. Fuel price concerns experienced the most dramatic spike with a sharp 30% increase year over year.
- Nearly half of younger consumers reported using artificial intelligence tools for gift shopping, with the most common uses including comparing products or brands and finding the best prices.
- Eighteen percent of consumers reported purchasing gift cards using loyalty points, up four percentage points since 2024.
BHN’s 2026 global gifting research was conducted in January 2026 among consumers across 24 countries. The U.S. findings referenced in this release are based on a survey of 2,138 American adults ages 18 and older.
