Redmond, Washington — As holiday season is just round the corner, Microsoft owned Skype seems to have come up with the perfect gift for the festive season for those who are away from loved ones. Many empty-nester parents desire nothing more than to hear from their kids every now and then. The next best thing is gift cards, which Skype just launched today.
The Microsoft owned Internet calling service has put out gift cards, both virtual and physical, worth $10 up for sale already online and in stores. In fact, for distant parents, Skype is offering both digital and physical gift cards that offer $10 or more in credits.
On the other hand, these can be used either for the service’s VoIP calling or even some Skype WiFi at the airport. If you want a customizable Skype gift card, you will have to acquire one online, but if you are looking for a physical gift card, the Microsoft Store, OfficeMax and Target have them available.
Further, in a sweetened move to attract more people to use the credit service, Skype has expanded its gift card facility to cover 44 countries and are already up on the site to purchase. The physical cards are available with retailers in the US, the UK, and Mexico with more countries to be added to the list soon, according to TechCrunch quoting a source in Skype.
Besides, adding a cool festive touch to the gift cards, Skype has made the option to personalize them available on its website. While a $10 gift card may not seem like it has a lot to offer, the Skype blog says, ‘the card can go a long way in helping you keep in touch with the people you care about most.’
However, an infographic (shown below) goes on to compare things that $10 can buy you compared to calling people over Skype. According to Skype, $10 will roughly buy you 1.62 cups of beer, but it will also get you a one-month premium subscription to Skype. The deal sounds sweet if you have family or friends staying abroad who need to contact you using landlines and mobile phones, because they do not have access to the Internet.
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More importantly, for those who live overseas from their family, a Skype gift card can certainly be a great Christmas gift. While Skype-to-Skype calls are free no matter where you’re located, calling landlines and mobile phones can cost a few pennies depending on who you’re calling, so if a family doesn’t have access to a computer, a Skype gift card is great for those who are forced to use a landline or cell phone.
Among other things, adding a social peg to gifting, Skype urges shoppers to create their gift cards on Facebook and add photos, audio or video message to give the receiver the impression that it is more than a generic gift. The e-gift card will then find its way to the recipient’s inbox where he can redeem it.
Reports are swirling around that Skype is exploring at monetizing its messaging and calling platforms with the unveiling of Skype Ads for Windows 8 that will see a number of new ad formats enter the service that play on social interactivity. These will include promotions that will appear in conversation streams and ways for two people talking to each other to share sponsored content while communicating on Skype, quite like what Facebook seems to be doing these days. Though Skype-to-Skype calling is free, the gift card and Skype credits ensure that the user is exempt from advertising, something that the Microsoft owned company might be venturing into come 2013.