Gifting Advice

Why Gift Vouchers Feel Lazy (And What to Send Instead)

April 10, 2026

Why Gift Vouchers Feel Lazy (And What to Send Instead)

We've all received one. A generic gift voucher, tucked into an email or handed over in a thin envelope. The message it sends? "I didn't really know what to get you, so… here."

And yet, companies spend billions on them every year. HR teams send them to employees. Sales teams send them to clients. Managers send them to teams they barely know. Everyone knows they're a bit lazy — and nobody's found a better option.

Until now.


The Problem With Vouchers

Gift vouchers have three core problems:

  • They feel transactional. A voucher says "I valued you at £50." That's not a relationship. That's a payslip.
  • They're often wasted. Studies suggest up to 20% of gift cards are never redeemed. Money burned, goodwill not created.
  • They're limited. A Marks & Spencer voucher only works for someone who shops at Marks & Spencer. A Deliveroo credit is useless in a city where Deliveroo barely operates.

For companies sending to diverse, global teams or clients in multiple countries, vouchers create winners and losers.


The Better Alternative: Choice Gifting

Choice gifting flips the model. Instead of picking one brand or one item and hoping for the best, you send a curated gift collection — and your recipient chooses what they actually want.

With SendAChoice, that collection might include fashion brands, beauty products, tech accessories, wellness items, or dining experiences. Your recipient sees what's available, picks their favourite, and gets it delivered to their door.

The result? They feel genuinely considered. Not processed.


Who Wins With Choice Gifting

HR Teams — no more ordering 200 of the same thing and hoping it lands. Every employee gets something personal at the same budget.

Sales Teams — client gifts that feel premium and thoughtful, without you ever having to know their home address or their favourite brand.

Event Organisers — send attendees a post-event gift that they'll remember, not a tote bag they'll leave behind.


The Voucher Isn't Going Anywhere — But It Should Be

The gift voucher will always exist. But the companies that stand out — the ones whose clients renew, whose employees stay, whose partners remember them — are the ones that replace routine sends with moments that feel personal.

Choice gifting is how you do that, at any scale.


Try SendAChoice for your next corporate send at sendachoice.com/corporate-gifting