Canonical URL: https://giftcard.news/research-trends/ --- description: Market research, spending data, consumer behavior and industry forecasts. title: Research & Trends — Gift Card News image: https://giftcard.news/images/social/v1/publication.jpg --- 1. [Home](https://giftcard.news/) 2. Research & Trends # Research & Trends Market research, spending data, consumer behavior and industry forecasts. [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/) What Statista data, merchant checkouts and payment protocols reveal about AI shopping with gift-card balances you already own. [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/) Gift card fraud is more than a demand for a code. Explore 32 mechanisms, a detailed 50-state evidence map, the money behind the cases and the controls that matter. [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/) Can the last dollars on a gift card become cash? A sourced guide to all 50 states, exact thresholds, digital-card exceptions and official issuer routes. [Oliver Reed](https://giftcard.news/author/oliver-reed/) September 17, 2026 79 min [Research & Trends](https://giftcard.news/research-trends/) Analysis ## [A Bank on the Card, a Licensing Question Before It](https://giftcard.news/research-trends/us-virtual-card-licensing-mtl-msb-50-states/) A bank on a virtual card does not settle every licensing question before issuance. Explore all 50 states, federal MSB rules, bank-agent exemptions and the customer-funding gap. [Oliver Reed](https://giftcard.news/author/oliver-reed/) September 16, 2026 86 min [Research & Trends](https://giftcard.news/research-trends/) Analysis ## [Israel’s Virtual Gift Card Economy](https://giftcard.news/research-trends/israels-virtual-gift-card-economy/) Inside Israel’s virtual gift-card economy: BUYME’s acquisition, employer rewards, twelve provider profiles, new voucher rules and the practical value of the final shekel. [Oliver Reed](https://giftcard.news/author/oliver-reed/) September 16, 2026 28 min [Research & Trends](https://giftcard.news/research-trends/) Analysis ## [Inside Asia’s Digital Gift Card Economy](https://giftcard.news/research-trends/inside-asias-digital-gift-card-economy/) From messaging gifts to employee rewards, Asia’s virtual gift cards follow different rules. Explore 20 providers, 13 markets, consumer research and the fate of small balances. [Oliver Reed](https://giftcard.news/author/oliver-reed/) September 16, 2026 31 min [Research & Trends](https://giftcard.news/research-trends/) Analysis ## [Europe’s Digital Gift Card Divide](https://giftcard.news/research-trends/europes-digital-gift-card-divide/) A digital gift crosses borders faster than the rules behind it. Explore European gift-card providers, currencies, expiry, fees and the rights to remaining value. [Oliver Reed](https://giftcard.news/author/oliver-reed/) September 16, 2026 28 min [Research & Trends](https://giftcard.news/research-trends/) Analysis ## [Who Powers Virtual Gift Cards on Shopify?](https://giftcard.news/research-trends/who-powers-virtual-gift-cards-on-shopify/) A source-backed directory of 18 Shopify app relationships, six provider groups, virtual Visa and Mastercard routes, software fees and the rights to unused value. [Oliver Reed](https://giftcard.news/author/oliver-reed/) September 16, 2026 38 min [Research & Trends](https://giftcard.news/research-trends/) Analysis ## [Gift Card Breakage - The money left behind](https://giftcard.news/research-trends/gift-card-breakage-the-money-left-behind/) What happens to gift card money that goes unspent? An investigation across 14 companies, consumer surveys, Statista data, accounting rules and academic research, with 24… [Oliver Reed](https://giftcard.news/author/oliver-reed/) September 16, 2026 51 min [Research & Trends](https://giftcard.news/research-trends/) Analysis ## [What people want when they check a gift card balance](https://giftcard.news/research-trends/what-people-want-when-they-check-a-gift-card-balance/) Why do people check gift card balances? US survey data reveal demand for simpler checks, reasons balances stay unused, and the payment rules that shape the next step. [Oliver Reed](https://giftcard.news/author/oliver-reed/) September 16, 2026 29 min [Research & Trends](https://giftcard.news/research-trends/) Analysis ## [US E-commerce Gift Card Research 2026: Customer Experience and Profitability](https://giftcard.news/research-trends/us-ecommerce-gift-card-research-2026-customer-experience-profitability/) A US-focused study of ecommerce gift card experiences, platform rules, merchant case studies and the full-cycle economics behind program profitability. [Oliver Reed](https://giftcard.news/author/oliver-reed/) September 15, 2026 30 min [Research & Trends](https://giftcard.news/research-trends/) Analysis ## [US Gift Card Market 2026: Growth, Digital Demand and B2B Distribution](https://giftcard.news/research-trends/us-gift-card-market-2026-growth-digital-demand-b2b-distribution/) The US gift card market is forecast to reach $246.91 billion in 2026\. Our research examines digital and physical demand, employer rewards, redemption economics and what issuing… [Oliver Reed](https://giftcard.news/author/oliver-reed/) September 15, 2026 16 min 1. [1](https://giftcard.news/research-trends/) 2. [2](https://giftcard.news/research-trends/page/2/) 3. [3](https://giftcard.news/research-trends/page/3/) 4. 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