How to STOP wasting money on unwanted Christmas presents

• For Good Causes, a fintech start-up working to unlock the UK £7bn of unused loyalty points, cashback and airmiles so consumers can donate them to a charity they love, have turned their attention to the gift card market this Christmas.
• The For Good Causes digital charity gift card introduces a "present with purpose" that will always be appreciated and your money never wasted.

Some people are so easy to buy Christmas presents for. You know exactly what they value. It’s a pleasure choosing a gift for them. And you always want to be there when they open it, just to see their face light up.

Then there are the others. The difficult ones. That’s where our money gets wasted. And, when you add-up how much we squander as a nation, the sums are vast.

£1.4 billion is set to be squandered

According to one recent survey, 60 million unwanted gifts are set to be received this Christmas[i]. Another reckons that around £1.4 billion will be wasted[ii]. (£1.4 billion, by the way, is HUGE. Consider that, in its entire 30-year history, Red Nose Day has raised just over £1 billion[iii]. So, the money squandered on unwanted gifts this Christmas alone could fund 42-years’ worth of Red Nose Days).

Conventional gift cards aren’t always the answer

Of course, one option is to resort to gift cards or tokens. That way, the recipient can pick out their own present. But, even so, your money could still be wasted.

Around 7 million people have been caught out. They’ve failed to use their gift card before it’s expired or the retailer has gone bust[iv]. That number is only going to grow larger.

And, according to the UK’s gift card industry’s own trade association, around 10% of value on cards goes unused, with upwards of £300 million being squandered each year[v].

There’s no risk of any money being wasted with the universal charity gift card

A great alternative is the universal charity gift card from For Good Causes. You can buy one online, load it up with as much money as you want, and give it to anyone. They can then donate the funds to any UK registered charity.

If they forget to use it, For Good Causes, won’t keep the money. Instead, at the end of the year, the money will be donated to a nominated charity. So, whatever happens, you can be sure your money will always go to a good cause.

The For Good Causes campaign currently running on Smooth London now offers an added incentive with a competition to win an Apple Watch[vi]. So, if you buy a charity gift card as a Christmas present this year, it could be a classic case of doing well by doing good.

"It's the first and only universal charity gift card in the UK with 14,000 on our platfom to choose from" said Wendy Martin, Chief Marketing Officer at For Good Causes. "Enabling someone to support a cause they are truly passionate about, something that is really close to their heart, is a truly inspired gift. We call it the gift of giving".

Click here to personalise and send a For Good Causes gift card www.giftcloud.com/uk/choose/gift/value

- END -

About For Good Causes

For Good Causes is a fintech start-up and a for-profit, with purpose social enterprise, working to unite brands, consumers and charities around a common theme - Empowering Generosity. Launched in March 2018by a group of loyalty, payment and technology executives who were frustrated by the waste of loyalty points in the UK, For Good Causes is working to create new and better digital ways to give to a charity of choice, often without any need for the consumer or employee to put their hand in their pocket. Currently more than 14,000 UK registered charities are enabled on their platform.

For Good Causes are keen to democratise giving and ensure access to the platform and our digital giving capabilities can benefit large, medium, small and micro charities alike. We currently offer loyalty redemption, gift card and donate by thumb capabilities today. For Good Causes will shortly announce its next investment round to move from start-up to scale-up with a number of leading brands set to join the platform in 2019.

Personalise and send your For Good Causes charity gift card here www.giftcloud.com/uk/choose/gift/value

Corporate Site: www.forgoodcauses.org

Donation Site: my.forgoodcauses.org

Personalise and send Charity Gift Card: www.giftcloud.com/uk/choose/gift/value

Social Media: Facebook, Instagram & Twitter @ForGoodCausesUK

Campaign: #RecycleMyRewards

Contacts

Crispin Rogers, Founder & CEO – crispin.rogers@forgoodcauses.org

Steve Wilks, Co-Founder & COO – steve.wilks@forgoodcauses.org

Lawrence Williams, CTO – lawrence.williams@forgoodcauses.org

Wendy Martin, CMOO – wendy.martin@forgoodcauses.org

[i] From research commissioned by the amazing charity Send a Cow, and conducted by YouGov (https://www.sendacow.org/uk-set-to-waste-60-million-presents-this-christmas/)

[ii] From research commissioned by the fundraising platform GoFundMe and cited by the Daily Mirror (https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/brits-three-bad-christmas-presents-13652323)

[iii] As reported by Comic Relief (https://web.archive.org/web/20131217224256/http://www.comicrelief.com/about-us/red-nose-day/past-red-nose-days)

[iv] From research commissioned by comparison website, GoCompare Money, and cited by YourMoney.com (https://www.yourmoney.com/money-tips/when-does-your-gift-card-expire-six-million-brits-leave-it-too-late/)

[v] From figures released by the UK Gift Card & Voucher Association and cited in the Daily Mirror (https://www.mirror.co.uk/money/great-gift-card-rip-retailers-9589136)

[vi] Anyone who buys a charity gift card from For Good Causes between 3 December and 24 December 2018 will automatically be entered into a prize draw to win an Apple Watch Series 3 (https://www.forgoodcauses.org/give-the-gift-of-giving-this-christmas/)