14 DAY TRIAL // With the holiday season creeping up, Amazon is launching a new way of giving your friends gift cards for the online retailer, via Facebook. The move makes a whole lot of sense, Facebook has the world's most comprehensive data on relationships between people, and greatly simplifies the process of giving a gift card on Amazon.
"We think our customers who use Facebook will be thrilled that we’ve made gift-giving more social,” Michal Geller, director of ACI Gift Cards, which handles the Amazon Gift Cards, said.
“Sending gift cards has never been easier and we’re excited to offer the Facebook option just in time for the holidays,” he added.
Using the new feature is simple enough. You have to connect your Amazon account to your Facebook one after which you'll be able to create and send personalized gifts to your Facebook friends.
Users will be able to select a gift card type and design, as always, and will be able to attach an amount of money of up to $5,000.
The gift card will show up on the receiver's Facebook Wall and can be scheduled up to one year in advance. This new option comes as an alternative to the regular mail, print or email options available until now.
Senders can choose whether others are allowed to see the Wall post with the gift card or just the receiver. The amount of money gifted or the claim code will only be visible to the the friend you sent to gift to.
In order to get things going, Amazon is running a limited promotion. The first 10,000 people who send a MP3-themed gift card to at least five of their Facebook friends will receive a $5 credit for Amazon MP3 downloads.
Amazon already has a partnership with Facebook enabling users to get recommendations based on what they and their Facebook friends like and are interested in.