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By Michael McKinstry, CardTrak.com

While solid figures on holiday gift card sales are not available, the consensus is that Americans will purchase between $15 billion and $20 billion this holiday season. The estimated average gift card purchase has an even wider range, from $88 to $339, based on surveys conducted by various research firms. A survey conducted by BIGresearch for the National Retail Federation found that gift card sales will total $18.48 billion and that the average consumer will spend $88.03 on gift cards this holiday season. Stored Value Systems says its survey shows that Americans will spend an average of $248 on gift cards during the upcoming holiday season. American Express released a survey that shows 57% of Americans plan to purchase gift cards this year, spending on average $339. Deloitte says gift cards will remain the #1 gift purchase this year, with 67% of nationwide respondents indicating that they will purchase an average of 4.9 cards, compared to 64% and 4.7 cards last holiday season. A new poll by Chase for the "Disney Rewards VISA" determined that 68% of parents plan to purchase a store-branded gift card this year. Another Stored Value Systems survey found that four out of five parents say that they have purchased a gift card for their child or that their child has received a gift card with an average value of $29. First Data Prepaid Services' ValueLink found that 59% of American adults, an estimated 131 million people, either purchased or received a gift card in the previous 12 months, up 23% from 2001.