Do you have a gift card on your holiday wish list? So do many people. The National Retail Federation says that it still tops the list of presents that gift recipients are asking for this holiday season.

But just because you want a gift card to your favorite clothing store or restaurant doesn’t mean you will get it.

According to a survey by the NRF, shoppers are expected to again pull back on buying gift cards this year in favor of getting more for their buck with discounted merchandise.

• The average person is expected to spend $139.91 on gift cards this holiday season, compared with $147.33 last year.

• Total spending on gift cards is expected to reach $23.63 billion.

• The problem with gift cards is that, unlike other merchandise this holiday season, they won’t be going on sale.

However, some retailers are offering other incentives on gift cards, including providing a wider range of gift card prices.

For instance, Simon Property Group — which operates the Boynton Beach Mall and Town Center at Boca Raton — announced last week that it is offering a new gift card that can be purchased in any denomination between $20 and $500 — not just the usual $25, $50 or $100.

Indeed, according to the NRF, gift recipients can expect cards with lower monetary values this year.

• The average value per card this year will be $39.80, compared with $40.54 in 2008.
Says the NRF news release:

• Department store gift cards will be the most popular, with 38.4 percent of gift-givers planning to give at least one card from a department store.

Other popular gift cards according to the NRF:
• restaurants (33.4%)
• bookstores (24.4%)
• electronics stores (18.8%)
• discount stores (16.3%) were also among shoppers’ favorites.