Click & save now at Walmart.com. Illustration by Rick Nease | Detroit Free Press

Finding deals on gift cards is one of my very favorite things — it’s like getting free money.

This deal by Walmart is especially nice,  it’s like cash back in your pocket and there are no hoops to jump through.

Head over to Walmart.com now and you’ll find these eGift cards on sale for 10% off:
*Domino’s Pizza $20 eGift Card (down to $18)
*Regal Movie $25 eGift Card (down to $22.50)
*Applebee’s $25 eGift Card (down to $22.50)
*Spa Week $25 eGift Card (down to $22.50)
*Logan’s Roadhouse $25 eGift Card (down to $22.50)
*Logan’s Roadhouse $50 eGift Card (down to $45)

These eCards would make great gifts, or buy one (or two…) for yourself. Each card will be delivered via email.

There’s no telling when this deal will expire, so if you’re interested make your purchase ASAP.

Photo courtesy of DRI.

Gift cards have long been a standby for family members, friends and coworkers who are tough to shop for or whose birthdays are suddenly around the corner.

Unfortunately, that $50 Amazon gift card isn’t doing anything to support the local economy. An option exists for local residents now: the Downtown Roanoke gift card.

Introduced shortly before Christmas by Downtown Roanoke Inc., the card is accepted at numerous businesses throughout the downtown area.

“Although they are not reloadable, we feel that they are still an excellent alternative to our antiquated gift certificate program,” Downtown Roanoke’s communications and program manager Matthew Klepeisz wrote in an email. The cards are available in any value between $5 and $500. Klepeisz said cards can also be issued for up to $1,000 pending verification.

He noted that the program has been a huge success so far.

In the four days before Christmas, Downtown Roanoke Inc. sold more gift cards than they did the former gift certificates over the entire holiday season in 2011. One difference is that the gift certificate program gave the leftover balance back to the customer. The gift cards retain the balance, so the money stays with downtown merchants.

Cultural organizations such as the O. Winston Link Museum and the Roanoke Symphony Orchestra accept the gift card, as well as many of the shops and boutiques throughout downtown.

A range of dining options is on board as well. Customers can use the gift card anywhere from night spots such as Cornerstone Bar and Grill, to Market Building vendors, to Billy’s or First and Sixth.

“We have seen several come through recently. We much prefer it to the former gift certificate they had,” said Victoria Taylor, co-owner of The Gift Niche. “It’s a really easy transaction. I think it’s just a lot more convenient.”

Daniel Mock, owner of Queso Southwestern Grill in the Roanoke City Market Building, also likes the program.
“I’m a big fan of it and I hope to see more of them. … I think it’s a real easy way to keep business in downtown Roanoke,” he said.

Mock added that the new program is easier on business owners, who previously had to send in the gift certificates wait for a check to be sent to them. “I think a lot of business owners don’t like having that money out in limbo,” he explained.
Hotel Roanoke is the latest business to sign on and accept the gift cards.

“This is a significant addition to the current list of businesses because it will allow the purchaser to use the gift card for a full downtown experience, including entertainment, nightlife, dining, shopping, and, now, lodging,” Klepeisz said.

A full list of participating businesses can be viewed at www.downtownroanoke.org, or just look for the window decal stating “Downtown Gift Certificates Accepted Here” at downtown businesses.

Gift cards can be purchased at the Downtown Roanoke Inc.’s office at 213 Market St. between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, or by phone at 342-2028.

I gave a warning about purchasing gift cards in my column a while back, and here’s some more information courtesy of the Better Business Bureau.

BBB’s Guide to Gift Card Giving

I have never used a Coinstar machine before because I wasn’t willing to pay the usual fee just to have my change cashed in — but this new promotion is tempting.

Coinstar now offering shoppers gift cards when they trade in their change with new “The Coin to Card” option. Better yet, there’s no fee. How convenient!

Here’s what the website says about the offer:
“Just choose Free Coin Counting and the eCertificate or gift card you’d like. Then cash in, keep it all. ”

Some of the gift cards you can choose from include Papa Johns, Gap, iTunes, Amazon, CVS, Lowes, JC Penney, Sears, Toys R Us and Old Navy.

I can never seem to find those little paper tubes whenever I’m actually in the mood to round up all of that loose change, so this might be my new go-to plan.

For more information, click here.

Starbucks is offering customers who reload an existing Starbucks card an extra $5 for free.

You must reload your card with $20 or more to get this deal, and you  must complete the purchase with the shop’s mobile app and by using your Visa card. Those are quite a few stipulations, I’ll give you that, but if you’re a tech savvy customer it shouldn’t be a problem.

This offer expires on Friday, Aug. 24.

If you haven’t done so yet, be sure to register your gift card for Starbucks My Rewards. They’re great about sending out special promotions and freebies.

There are few things I love more than a bargain on gift cards. A discount on a gift card means you’re literally getting more for your money, and who doesn’t want that?

Right now Best Buy is offering iTunes gift cards for 15% off (online only). That means you can pick up a $15 gift card for $12.75 or a $100 gift card for only $85. Plus there are various options in between.

The multipacks are also on sale — you could pick up a pack of three $10 gift cards for only $25.50.

Also, these gift cards ship for free, so that’s even more savings!

I know my dad loves receiving iTunes gift cards, so keep this in mind for your own pops on his special day (remember, Father’s Day is June 17).

There’s no word on how long this sale will last. If you’re interested, I’d recommend ordering ASAP!

Most of the time when we hear the phrase “buyer incentives,” it’s related to large purchases such as a house or a car. For those bigger investments, you sometimes can get a tax break, a special deal on your loan or some sort of cash back reward for making payments early. But flip through retail ads today and you’ll see that stores are offering buyer incentives on just about anything.

Sometimes, however, it means the buyer spends more upfront.

I don’t know anyone who would argue with a sale price. But when it comes to having to buy a product to save in the long run, things get tricky.

For example, both Kohl’s and CVS are popular retailers in our area who offer their own store rewards for select purchases.

Kohl’s offers Kohl’s Cash throughout the year when shoppers spend a certain amount. After the cash is earned, shoppers can return at a later date to use the “cash” on future purchases.

CVS has a similar deal. Shoppers earn Extra Bucks for spending a certain amount on selected products each week. These “bucks” can be used in future shopping trips.

If you are a regular shopper at a store that offers these incentives, they can be very rewarding. I’m in a cycle of shopping at CVS because I prefer to make short shopping trips when what I need is on sale as opposed to big Walmart trips. Even though the normal prices at CVS are higher than those at Walmart, I save 50 percent to 75 percent on each shopping trip thanks to my coupons and Extra Bucks.

However, if you’re enticed to pick up a product at one of these stores because of the rewards you receive with a purchase even though you rarely shop there, think twice. For retailers, part of the appeal of these incentives is that many shoppers will forget to use their rewards or not bother to return. Then you really haven’t gotten a deal at all.

Similar promotions also can be found at Target, which regularly offers free gift cards with selected purchases. The plus side to receiving a gift card with purchase is that it won’t expire like store “cash,” which usually is valid for only a month or less.

Then there is the best kind of incentive, which most of us see as an old-fashioned sale. For many shoppers, there’s not much better than a sign that reads “buy one, get one free.” The free product is indeed an incentive, but the reward is immediate.

Similar deals include “buy one at regular price, get one for a dollar,” or “buy one, get one half-off.” You may not have thought of these purchases as incentives in the past, but it’s important to start doing so to really see the value in what you’re buying.

Do you have a preference when shopping? Are you often enticed by rewards after purchase, or have you been burned by them in the past?