internet

Stuck for the perfect gift for your online friend or relative?  Here is a neat and easy solution that is just a mouse-click away.

If you use Amazon and have an account then you can easily use it to give Amazon gift vouchers.  Just like any gift voucher you pay your money in exchange for a voucher which can then be exchanged for goods.  Remember that to use the voucher, the recipient has to have, or be able to open, an Amazon account.

In fact, there are two ways of sending the vouchers.  First, you can have them sent out by Amazon by email which includes an email message to which you add your own words.  Second, the vouchers can be issued as real paper vouchers that are sent to you for you to pass to the recipient who then orders good from the site and types in the voucher number to get credit.

To redeem the certificate it is necessary to choose books, music or other goods and then go to the checkout page where the voucher code number (it's a fearsome 14 digit number) can then be entered.

Vouches can be used to purchase any goods that are sold by Amazon

Vouches can be used to purchase any goods that are sold by Amazon (that is, not goods sold by merchants or on the Amazon site sold by individuals).  The goods must be purchased at the UK version of Amazon so if you send them abroad the certificates can only be used to buy goods from Amazon UK.  If you want to do this, check the shipping arrangements first!

If the amount of the purchase is less than the amount of the certificate, the purchaser will have their gift account credited with the difference and so it will not be lost.  If the purchase price is more than the certificate they simply top up the amount required by credit card.

In the past, we have received and given Amazon gift certificates and this has been without problem.

On a slightly different note, Amazon gift certificates are also used as a sort of currency, and you might find yourself being offered them in return for placing advertisements on websites that you own or when entering competitions.

We think Amazon gift vouchers are a good idea since they do solve the problem of what to buy people, especially adults, and they are, or could be, an easy way to pay someone a small amount of money.  They are also perfect for things like 'Mother's Day' gifts when you can never think what to buy.

As ever, if you are interested, go to the website and check carefully the terms and conditions before you buy.

Tags: gifts, review, shopping