Something to watch out for (in Canada and the US at least). Many small stores use gift cards from their credit card processors. They pay for the physical cards

Something to watch out for (in Canada and the US at least). Many small stores use gift cards from their credit card processors. They pay for the physical cards in advance, and may not actually get the funds from purchases into their bank account until they are used. So buying a card now nets some money for their processor, but nothing for the store (when they need it).