Hallmark has new greeting cards for the lazy gift giver who cares

Hallmark announced new physical greeting cards that include digital gift cards inside. The "Gift Card Greetings" line means you can hand someone a real card, paired with the convenience of not needing to tape on an extra piece of plastic. It's a little bit more personal than buying someone an e-gift card and having a code land somewhere in their email inbox.

The gift card comes in the form of a QR code printed on the inside flap of Hallmark's card that is used for both loading and redeeming its value. The new cards are an expansion of Hallmark's other digital-gift-in-a-physical-card idea that lets you include cash via Venmo, so you don't have to go to the ATM.

For the new cards, the buyer peels off a sticker to reveal the QR code, and the recipient will then scratch off a line that reveals a code to enter on their smartphone for redemption. And just in case your gift recipient secretly tosses their greeting cards in the trash the same day, there's a "digital gift card inside" banner at the top to remind them there's more than just your heartfelt thoughts inside that envelope.

The digital gifts are provided by The Gift Card Shop, which gives options for over 100 retailers, including Best Buy, DoorDash, Home Depot, Nordstrom, Sephora, Ulta, and Xbox. The cards are available to purchase now for $4.99 on Hallmark's website, its Gold Crown physical stores, and select retailers.