GIFT cards are going down the gurgler with up to $300 million a year wasted on unwanted vouchers.
One in five people is given cards from stores they rarely or never visit, research shows.
And half have been caught out when a voucher's expiry date passed without using it.
The booming gift card market has hit $1.5 billion a year in Australia, but 20 per cent of those handed out by friends, family and colleagues appear to be unappreciated.
Department store, book and clothes vouchers are the most popular choices, the research says.
Cards that can be used at a variety of stores, allow a nominated dollar value, or can be bought at a discount are valued most, a Melbourne University study shows.
