Canonical URL: https://giftcard.news/research-trends/canadian-shoppers-favored-gift-cards-over-cash-in-mastercard-survey-7e1abd4d8409/ --- description: The 2020 findings linked changing gift habits with contactless payments and support for local businesses. title: Canadian shoppers favored gift cards over cash in Mastercard survey image: https://giftcard.news/images/social/v1/canadian-shoppers-favored-gift-cards-over-cash-mastercard-survey-3ae2e0e034f5767a4af8fba10c315ae0.jpg --- 1. [Home](https://giftcard.news/) 2. [Research & Trends](https://giftcard.news/research-trends/) # Canadian shoppers favored gift cards over cash in Mastercard survey The 2020 findings linked changing gift habits with contactless payments and support for local businesses. By [Daniel Brooks](https://giftcard.news/author/daniel-brooks/) November 18, 2020 1 min read Share [ ](https://x.com/intent/post?url=https%3A%2F%2Fgiftcard.news%2Fresearch-trends%2Fcanadian-shoppers-favored-gift-cards-over-cash-in-mastercard-survey-7e1abd4d8409%2F%3Futm%5Fsource%3Dx%26utm%5Fmedium%3Dsocial&text=Canadian%20shoppers%20favored%20gift%20cards%20over%20cash%20in%20Mastercard%20survey "X") [ ](https://www.linkedin.com/sharing/share-offsite/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fgiftcard.news%2Fresearch-trends%2Fcanadian-shoppers-favored-gift-cards-over-cash-in-mastercard-survey-7e1abd4d8409%2F%3Futm%5Fsource%3Dlinkedin%26utm%5Fmedium%3Dsocial "LinkedIn") [ ](https://wa.me/?text=Canadian%20shoppers%20favored%20gift%20cards%20over%20cash%20in%20Mastercard%20survey%20https%3A%2F%2Fgiftcard.news%2Fresearch-trends%2Fcanadian-shoppers-favored-gift-cards-over-cash-in-mastercard-survey-7e1abd4d8409%2F%3Futm%5Fsource%3Dwhatsapp%26utm%5Fmedium%3Dsocial "WhatsApp") ![Mastercard logo from the original source article](https://giftcard.news/images/variants/v1/canadian-shoppers-favored-gift-cards-over-cash-mastercard-survey-logo-original-source-w1200.webp) Photo: Source: newsroom.mastercard.com A [Mastercard](https://giftcard.news/company/mastercard/) survey released on November 18, 2020 found 64% of Canadian respondents preferred not to give cash during the holiday season, choosing gift cards instead. Nearly half planned to send more presents directly to recipients' homes to limit personal contact. The research showed a wider shift in retailer preferences during the pandemic. Eighty percent intended to shop from local brands, while 72% planned to prioritize companies sharing their values. Most respondents also said they wanted to buy from businesses they already knew and trusted. Seventy-eight percent were likely to shop online, although 68% still planned some store visits. Among consumers considering physical shopping, contactless payments were important: 73% intended to use stores offering that option. Three-quarters aimed to begin purchases before Cyber Monday. Mastercard presented the results as evidence of changing priorities involving convenience, safety and support for businesses. The figures represented Canadian shoppers' plans for the 2020 season rather than subsequent purchase totals. ## Sources and documents ExpandCollapse * [Canadian shoppers favored gift cards over cash in Mastercard survey](https://newsroom.mastercard.com/news/press/2020/november/new-mastercard-study-reveals-motivational-shift-in-canadian-consumers-shopping-behaviour-this-holiday-season/?utm%5Fsource=giftcard.news) — newsroom.mastercard.com ## In this article ### Companies * [Mastercard](https://giftcard.news/company/mastercard/) Share [ ](https://x.com/intent/post?url=https%3A%2F%2Fgiftcard.news%2Fresearch-trends%2Fcanadian-shoppers-favored-gift-cards-over-cash-in-mastercard-survey-7e1abd4d8409%2F%3Futm%5Fsource%3Dx%26utm%5Fmedium%3Dsocial&text=Canadian%20shoppers%20favored%20gift%20cards%20over%20cash%20in%20Mastercard%20survey "X") [ ](https://www.linkedin.com/sharing/share-offsite/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fgiftcard.news%2Fresearch-trends%2Fcanadian-shoppers-favored-gift-cards-over-cash-in-mastercard-survey-7e1abd4d8409%2F%3Futm%5Fsource%3Dlinkedin%26utm%5Fmedium%3Dsocial "LinkedIn") [ ](https://wa.me/?text=Canadian%20shoppers%20favored%20gift%20cards%20over%20cash%20in%20Mastercard%20survey%20https%3A%2F%2Fgiftcard.news%2Fresearch-trends%2Fcanadian-shoppers-favored-gift-cards-over-cash-in-mastercard-survey-7e1abd4d8409%2F%3Futm%5Fsource%3Dwhatsapp%26utm%5Fmedium%3Dsocial "WhatsApp") ![Portrait of Daniel Brooks](https://giftcard.news/images/variants/v1/daniel-brooks-editorial-portrait-w320.webp) About the author ## [Daniel Brooks](https://giftcard.news/author/daniel-brooks/) Journalist — Payments, Security & PCI DSS Daniel Brooks covers payment networks, financial technology, payment security, gift card fraud and PCI DSS for Gift Card News. From reading to building ## Your next move in gift cards. Tell us what you’re building. We’ll help you explore suitable providers. [Find a provider ](https://giftcard.news/find-a-provider/) ## Related articles [Research & Trends](https://giftcard.news/research-trends/) Analysis ### [AI Can Shop for You. Can It Spend Your Gift Cards?](https://giftcard.news/research-trends/ai-can-shop-for-you-can-it-spend-your-gift-cards/) [Oliver Reed](https://giftcard.news/author/oliver-reed/) September 17, 2026 17 min [Research & Trends](https://giftcard.news/research-trends/) Analysis ### [Gift Card Fraud in the United States](https://giftcard.news/research-trends/gift-card-fraud-in-the-united-states/) [Oliver Reed](https://giftcard.news/author/oliver-reed/) September 17, 2026 66 min [Research & Trends](https://giftcard.news/research-trends/) Analysis ### [Can You Cash Out Your Gift Card? A State-by-State Guide](https://giftcard.news/research-trends/can-you-cash-out-your-gift-card-state-by-state-guide/) [Oliver Reed](https://giftcard.news/author/oliver-reed/) September 17, 2026 79 min ```json {"@context":"https://schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https://giftcard.news/#publisher","name":"Gift Card News","url":"https://giftcard.news/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://giftcard.news/brand/giftcard-news-logo.svg"}},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https://giftcard.news/author/daniel-brooks/#person","name":"Daniel Brooks","url":"https://giftcard.news/author/daniel-brooks/","description":"Daniel Brooks covers payment networks, financial technology, payment security, gift card fraud and PCI DSS for Gift Card News.","jobTitle":"Journalist — Payments, Security & PCI 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