Comment by kelnos

Oof. Of course Patrick is right that paying by gift card isn't always a scam, but I think less-technically-savvy people are better off just believing that it is. And hell, as a technically-savvy person, I will just believe that it is as well, because it's less effort to do so, and won't hurt me to believe that. If someone wants you to pay for something by gift card, find the same or a similar product somewhere else, where they'll take credit/debit cards, checks, cash, whatever is actually legal tender and is appropriate for the situation.

But from Patrick's description, it feels like the situations where it's (usually) not a scam are instances where paying by gift card is an option, not something the "seller" is pushing you hard to do, or even requiring you to do. That seems... okay? I personally would still pay with a credit card, but mayyyybe it's ok for someone who can't get a credit card to go the gift card route. But I would still be wary.

If you're dealing with an unbanked business that cannot take credit/debit cards or checks due to the legal climate around their business or product, then you probably already know what you're getting yourself into. (But still, bit of a red flag if they don't accept cash or even cryptocurrencies, as much as I find those scammy as well.)

> The people of the United States, through their elected representatives and the civil servants who labor on their behalf, intentionally exempt gift cards from the Reg E regime in the interest of facilitating commerce.

This sort of phrasing about things kinda annoys me. Yes, "through their elected representatives...", technically true, but "the people of the United States", no, not really so much. I'm sure most people don't even know about these sorts of differences, and I'm sure the majority of people who are in favor of these sorts of protections on credit/debit cards would want them to apply to gift cards as well.

The problem with this sort of phrasing implies that the American people actively chose this, or even had any choice in the matter. We are limited in the political options that are put before us; we don't get a big menu of policy positions, check off the ones we like, and then a politician appears that matches all our preferences. Some people might -- very reasonably! -- prioritize other policy positions over gift card protection regulation, even if they want the latter as well.