I think it’s because people think giving pure cash is thoughtless and basic.
This idea needs to die. I’d rather have $10 cash that I can stash away to save up for something that I actually want than a $25 gift card that locks me in to a single store.
I’m at a stage in my life where I can generally buy little things when I want to. But my wife and I don’t make enough to regularly drop hundreds or thousands of dollars on non-essentials, and my other family members can’t do more than $25 or maybe $50 for birthdays or Christmas.
It took me years to convince my parents and wife to just give me cash. When I finally did, it enabled me to save up for a $1k guitar over several years.
I’d much rather have one awesome gift every 5 years than a steady stream of $35 gift certificates to various stores and restaurants.
Not giving someone what they’re actually asking for is far less thoughtful than cash.
Oh my, if only there were someone with the resources and authority to do something about it.