Best Buy card enables group-gifting

Wish lists are a familiar feature on many e-commerce sites, but usually require that a gift-giver purchase a whole item for the recipient. Now bringing more flexibility to the equation is Best Buy’s new Pitch In Card, which lets consumers donate the amount of their choice towards the recipient’s purchase plans. Similar in many ways to DreamBank’s crowdfunded model of gift-giving, the Pitch In Card allows friends and family to contribute any amount between USD 5 and USD 9,999.99 to a consumer’s account, whenever the mood strikes them. Creating a card is free for the recipient, and there’s no expiration date; it can be reloaded and used again on the next gift-giving occasion. Donors, meanwhile, can add funds to the account online or at an in-store kiosk; each time they do, the recipient receives an email to let them know. Once they have enough funds on their card, they can use it to shop at a Best Buy store or BestBuy.com. Though undoubtedly a useful option for gift-givers and recipients alike—not to mention Best Buy itself—it seems surprising that there are no built-in discounts or rewards for users of the Pitch In card. Sears’ like-minded Christmas Club card, for instance, rewards cardholders with an extra 3 percent on all contributions made in advance of the holiday season. Alternatively, how about incorporating some kind of charitable donation as an added incentive, the way DreamBank does? Either way, of course, it’s further evidence of the increasing use of the crowdfunding model. Make it easy for gift-givers to spend at your store, and you’ll receive some sweet little gifts yourself! 😉 (Related: Making birthday parties charitable & green — Gift-giving simplified through a prepaid plan — Prepaid MasterCard for teens adds a social twist.) Spotted by: Susanna Haynie