Consumer Behavior

US holiday shoppers reaching for gift cards given tight budgets

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October 9, 2026

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Gift cards will play a significant role in holiday shopping this year as 93% of U.S. shoppers who have set a spending budget plan to buy gift cards.

That's a top finding of a Blackhawk Network research report that also revealed shoppers are using the gift cards to keep spending within budget and using loyalty points and promotions to extend spending power. The annual study of 2,307 shoppers found 82% are setting a holiday budget, according to a press release.

Shoppers plan to spend an average of $721 on holiday gifts, down 3% from last year.

"With everyday costs putting pressure on holiday budgets, shoppers are being more deliberate about how they spend," Brett Narlinger, chief revenue officer at BHN, said in the release. "They're putting loyalty points, promotions and other value they've already earned toward holiday purchases, while also thinking more carefully about how much they spend on each gift. Gift cards help with this by letting shoppers set a clear amount while giving the recipient flexibility over how to use it."

The BHN 2026 Holiday Branded Pay Study was conducted online July 23–28, 2026. BHN operates a direct-to-consumer gift card marketplace, Giftcards.com.