Published on October 21, the report draws on 2,469 consumers surveyed in September. It offers card issuers and distributors a view of intended assortments and delivery formats, while leaving important details about individual question bases undisclosed. [S1][S2]

Gift cards lead the reported gift categories

reported % of holiday shoppers

Source

InComm Payments 2026 Holiday Report

U.S. survey conducted in September 2026 for the 2026 holiday season; 2,469 consumers in the full study. Recruitment, survey mode, exact fieldwork days, item-level bases and uncertainty are not disclosed. The publisher says respondents balance to AC24 Census data without detailing the procedure. Stated intentions, not completed purchases, spending shares or a sales forecast. Category choices overlap and must not be added. The exact base for this question is not published. Source: report page 4.

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Intended holiday purchases in three gift categories (reported % of holiday shoppers)
Category	Reported purchase intention
Gift cards	60 reported % of holiday shoppers
Apparel	51 reported % of holiday shoppers
Toys	41 reported % of holiday shoppers

The survey’s leading categories combine choice for the recipient with familiar retail purchases. A gift card commits value to a brand or redemption network while leaving the specific item to be chosen later. That gives a card distributor a different merchandising task from a retailer selling one particular product: the available brands, formats and denominations become part of the offer.

InComm supplies physical and digital gift cards and supports brand distribution and retail programs. Its research therefore comes from a commercial participant with an interest in the category. The reported lead for gift cards is a result within its survey, rather than independently measured holiday sales or proof that a particular program will gain revenue. [S3]

The methodology says respondents balance to “AC24 Census data” and that only adults were surveyed. It does not disclose recruitment, survey mode, exact fieldwork dates, item-level sample sizes or uncertainty estimates. Those omissions limit population-wide conclusions and close comparisons between percentages. [S2]

Purchase plans span several card types

Gift cards lead the holiday shopping list in InComm Payments ’s new U.S. survey: 60% of shoppers said they expected to buy them, ahead of apparel at 51% and toys at 41%. The findings describe plans for the 2026 season, before the purchases and redemptions that would establish actual demand. [S1][S2] Published on October 21, the report draws on 2,469 consumers surveyed in September. It offers card issuers and distributors a view of intended assortments and delivery formats, while leaving important details about individual question bases undisclosed. [S1][S2] Gift cards lead the reported gift categories Intended holiday purchases in three gift categories The three leading categories disclosed in the original report. Reported purchase intention Gift cards: 60 reported % of holiday shoppers Apparel: 51 reported % of holiday shoppers Toys: 41 reported % of holiday shoppers U.S. survey conducted in September 2026 for the 2026 holiday season; 2,469 consumers in the full study. Recruitment, survey mode, exact fieldwork days, item-level bases and uncertainty are not disclosed. The publisher says respondents balance to AC24 Census data without detailing the procedure. Stated intentions, not completed purchases, spending shares or a sales forecast. Category choices overlap and must not be added. The exact base for this question is not published. Source: report page 4. InComm Payments 2026 Holiday Report The survey’s leading categories combine choice for the recipient with familiar retail purchases. A gift card commits value to a brand or redemption network while leaving the specific item to be chosen later. That gives a card distributor a different merchandising task from a retailer selling one particular product: the available brands, formats and denominations become part of the offer. InComm supplies physical and digital gift cards and supports brand distribution and retail programs. Its research therefore comes from a commercial participant with an interest in the category. The reported lead for gift cards is a result within its survey, rather than independently measured holiday sales or proof that a particular program will gain revenue. [S3] The methodology says respondents balance to “AC24 Census data” and that only adults were surveyed. It does not disclose recruitment, survey mode, exact fieldwork dates, item-level sample sizes or uncertainty estimates. Those omissions limit population-wide conclusions and close comparisons between percentages. [S2] Purchase plans span several card types

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