Gift-card gotchas.(Brief article)

Gift cards eliminate the headache of choosing a perfect present, but the recipients might find some cards a pain in the neck. Many come with enough fees and restrictions that you might be better off giving a check.

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

Most annoying are expiration dates and maintenance or dormancy fees, which can drain a card's value. Case in point: You can't use the BankFirst iCard Visa Gift Card after six months, yet it's still charged maintenance ($25 every six months). If you ask for the remaining money as a check, you'll pay even more fees.

Gift cards come in two flavors: Retail cards, from stores and restaurants, are valid only at the retailer named on the card. Bank cards are good at any merchant (and sometimes ATMs) that accepts the credit-card logo shown on them. But bank cards are especially apt to have fees.