Traditional vs. digital gift cards

[pk1]

What do you guys think about traditional versus digital gift cards for restaurants? Recently I've been reading more about digital gift cards, such as those by GiftRocket. I just moved to San Francisco from New York and want to send some of my friends back in NY some gifts to our favorite spots (such as Babbo, ABC Kitchen, and Minetta Tavern). Trying to decide between going through and ordering traditional plastic gift cards versus using digital gifts that they can redeem on their phones. The digital ones are a lot easier for me since I don't have to wait for mailing the cards and all that - but it's nice for people to get something they can hold! What do you guys think? Would also be interested in any perspectives from the folks who actually work at restaurants.

[Mjx]

It depends on the person getting the gift certificate: If they're the sorts of people who tend to save the cards and letters they get, they'd probably prefer traditional gift certificates; people who tend to toss these items would probably love you to death for not giving them something else they'll eventually toss out.

[pk1]

Yeah I completely agree. Most of my friends are pretty tech-savvy...and also not particularly organized - so something they can't lose might be nice. Plus from my perspective it's just so much easier given that I'm in San Francisco now to send a digital one than dealing with mailing it and all that. I don't know though it's still a foreign concept to me. Anyone else have general thoughts on the pros/cons?