According to Amazon.com’s press release, Amazon.com customers are now able to connect to their Facebook account on Amazon.com and create a personalized electronic gift card that will be sent to their Facebook friend’s Facebook Wall on a specified date (up to a year in advance). The sender can select which gift card design they want to send to their friend, and specify the amount of the gift card (up to $5,000), and include an optional gift card message to go with it that will be displayed on their friend’s Facebook Wall.

As reported in Trading Markets, “We think our customers who use Facebook will be thrilled that we’ve made gift-giving more social,” said Michal Geller, director of ACI Gift Cards, Inc., the exclusive issuer of Amazon.com Gift Cards. “Sending gift cards has never been easier and we’re excited to offer the Facebook option just in time for the holidays.”

To jumpstart this new method of gift card giving, Amazon.com is offering a promotion aimed specifically at MP3 downloads. The promotion says, “Give $1 MP3 Themed Amazon.com Gift Cards to 5 Facebook friends and get $5 in Amazon MP3 music downloads for yourself (while supplies last).” Most of the MP3s on the Amazon.com store are only 99 cents, and many best seller albums are under $5.

This Amazon.com promotion is limited to the first 10,000 Amazon.com users that give at least $1 to 5 different Facebook friends and have it delivered to their Facebook friend’s Facebook Wall or through e-mail on or by November 30, 2010. The MP3 design must also be chosen as the gift card’s image. Limit one per Amazon.com account, and users are unable to “gift” themselves the other $1 gift cards.

Amazon.com Gift Cards do not expire and may be redeemed by MP3s or any of the other millions of items on the website. The $5 that you get for giving the gift cards is not redeemable on anything on the website. The $5 you receive back is only able to be used towards Amazon MP3 music downloads. The MP3 downloads through Amazon.com work on virtually any MP3 player (including the iPhone and iPod). Amazon has a MP3 library of over 13 million songs in a wide variety of genres.

Amazon (NASDAQ: AMZN) Now Lets Users Send Gift Cards Via Facebook was created by and is property of American Consumer News.

Charity gift cards are similar to traditional gift cards. You decide how much money you want to spend when purchasing the card, however instead of the recipient using the card for their own purchases, they can choose which charity will receive the “balance” loaded on the card. If there are people on your gift list that you aren’t sure what to buy, a charity gift card is a great way to show your appreciation during the holiday season. It is one of the gifts that literally “keeps on giving”.

Erik Marks is the founder of TisBest.org, a Seattle based website that sells charity gift cards. Marks company sold 15,000 gift cards last year and he anticipates this number will double this year. Here we take a closer look at how TisBest charity gift cards work.

• Charity gift cards can be loaded with any dollar amount from $10 to $5,000.

• You can choose to have your gift card physically delivered, sent by email or print the card from your computer. There is no charge for standard shipping.

• There is no expiration date.

• A three percent transaction fee is charged up front and the company receives $1.95 per purchase. The remaining balance goes directly to the charity.

• Recipients choose which charity will receive their “gift”. They can choose from 250 non-profits half of which are familiar names, the other half newer, less known charities.

Charity gift cards are not exactly new but they are gaining in popularity in recent years. If you are looking for the perfect gift for your boss or a friend who seems to have it all, this is a great option to ensure your money is well spent. This year as many non-profits struggle to continue their work due to fewer donations, giving the gift of charity is a great way to share the holiday spirit with those closest to you and the causes they support.

Give The Gift Of Charity This Holiday Season was created by and is property of American Consumer News.

The fees and penalties may have become a standard part of the gift card industry, but many consumers were clueless about the extent of rules with gift cards. They assume that by buying a card at face value, nothing besides an actual purchase could take away the value amount. However, for many consumers who set cards aside after the holidays and found them during the next holiday season, there was dismay when the monthly charges and penalties were discovered without ever having used the card.

The new rules are coming into play as the Federal Reserve was increasingly criticized for not protecting consumers when it came to the unfair practices of gift cards. The new rules proposed include  limiting fees for not using the card and allowing gift cards to remain active and not expire for at least a 5 year period after purchase. These rules would also apply to gift certificates, retailer gift cards, and prepaid credit cards. Regulations would require that dormancy fees be clearly explained and applied only after at least one year from the date of purchase and only at the rate of one time per month.

The measure is based on the credit card legislation already approved by Congress and requires that the Federal Government make an approval on the gift cards by February 2010 with the rules becoming effective in mid-August 2010. Any gift card sold before the August date would not have to adhere to the new rules.

As consumers regularly purchase gift cards as gifts for others, it is important for both the giver and the receiver have an understanding of what, if any, fees would be part of a gift card purchase. As a buyer, double check with the card issuer to be that you understand the fee structure and any expiration dates associated with the card. In many cases, the cards or accompanying paperwork does not clarify these points. When you do exchange a gift card that has limits or fees, be sure the receiver has a full understanding of those issues as well. Encourage them to use the card as soon as possible to avoid losing monetary value due to charges and penalties.

New Regulations for Gift Card Holders was created by and is property of American Consumer News.

Kids moving on to college or a working life will appreciate practical gifts that help them start their new, adult life. Here are some ideas that will help get the grad you love started off on the right foot.

Gift Cards – You can choose the denomination you wish to give and the student gets to use the card to help afford school supplies, a new career wardrobe, or gas for their car to get them to their summer jobs. Gift cards are always the right size and rarely need to be returned.

Theme Basket – Collecting practical items for a student going away to school is not only thoughtful but also appreciated. The more creative you are, the better. Here are some themes you could use for your basket.

• Postal Package – Assemble items such as stationary, computer printer paper, postcards, postage stamps, envelopes, pens, and stickers.
• Laundry Basket – Assemble items such as detergent, fabric sheets, bleach, laundry pen, stain remover, mesh laundry bag, and put it all in a sturdy laundry basket.
• Cleaning Basket – Assemble glass and other cleaners, sponges, cloths, candles, air fresheners, potpourri, and other “smell good” items and present them in a large plastic bucket.
• Car Care Basket – Any grad who received a new car for a gift would appreciate a basket full of car care cleaning supplies such as wash, wax, windshield wash fluid, oil, and other essentials.
• First Aid Kit – Fill a convenient carrying case with bandages, gauze, antiseptic ointment, itch cream, burn cream, and other essentials to take away to college.

Memory Keepers – Graduation time will no doubt bring a ton of photos. Purchasing quality photo albums, photo frames, scrapbooking materials, coupons or gift certificates for film developing, photo printing paper, and the like will help your grad preserve the memories forever.

College Merchandise – If you know the school the graduate will be attending in the fall, you may be able to browse the school store online and buy some school-spirit merchandise. Sometimes such items are over-priced so you can look for an alternative vendor or purchase a gift certificate from the school to help students with on-campus expenses.

While cash is always welcome, using some creativity will not only save you money but it will make your graduation feel extra-special because you designed a gift with them in mind.

Get Useful Gifts for High School Grads was created by and is property of American Consumer News.

It’s referred to as “escheat”, when the unused funds are reverted into the state’s funds- but the actual time limit and laws vary from state to state. Each of the states has an act that involves unclaimed property- the escheat laws. Things like unclaimed gift cards, unclaimed safety-deposit boxes, uncashed checks, bank accounts that no one is using and the owners can’t be located, etc- all of these unclaimed property and monies eventually are given to the state- and apparently, there has been a huge revenue created by these unclaimed gift cards and such- to the point that the escheat laws are being re-examined within the states.

Some gift cards have expiration dates written on them, so it’s pretty easy to determine when you need to redeem the card by in order to ensure you keep your money. But what about the major retailers that have stopped printing expiration dates on their gift cards? Cards for stores like JC Penny, Home Depot, Costco, Wal-Mart and Target are issued with no expiration date. Doesn’t that mean you can redeem it anytime?

Actually, no.

Depending on the state you live in, you could very well show up at Wal-Mart with your gift card a few years after receiving it (maybe you lost it and didn’t find it until four years later when you re-arranged your living room and it was discovered hiding under the big screen tv or something) only to find out the card is no longer useable. The money on unclaimed gift cards is deposited into the state’s bank on the time table determined by the state.

There are a handful of states with no escheat laws- meaning you can redeem your gift cards 20 years after you receive them and you get to use the money because the retailers were not required to provide the money to the state. California, Massachusetts and Washington do not have escheat laws.

Find out about the state escheat laws in your own state regarding gift cards so you don’t miss out on your gift card redemption- or, run out the same day you get those gift cards and use them up!

Use The Gift Card Now or You’ll Lose it to the State’s Piggy Bank was created by and is property of American Consumer News.