When the first credit card was conceived, birthed and delivered into the hands of the American public, the sport of shopping was forever changed and a new state of shopping euphoria quickly emerged. As thousands upon thousands of enthusiastic customers sang, "Charge It!" the true art of shopping was born.

Today, most consumers cannot go a single day without being bombarded, if not pummeled, by a plethora of credit card applications wherever they turn. Whether it is Visa, Mastercard, American Express or their pygmy cousin Discover, the opportunity for appropriation of unneeded material items is forever available to the American public. Unfortunately, in addition to snazzy new possessions, this "shop 'till you drop" mentality also brings with it the acquisition of unwanted and often irreversible debt.

Appearing now though, within America's favorite chain stores, is a newer and more user friendly type of little plastic card. With the onset of these "Gift Cards", customers now have the luxury of using plastic to spend money they they actually do have, which other credit cards simply can't provide. The Gap, JCrew and Tower Records have all wowed their shoppers with the emergence of their own unique versions of the "Gift Card," by minimizing the onset of buyers' remorse.

Keeping a constant finger on the pulse of America, these stores have given up the traditional paper gift certificate of yesteryear for a more modern substitute. Seen as much more convenient for the customer as well as being environmentally friendly, these cards boast aesthetically pleasing designs and varying rainbow color motifs.

"In years past if a gift certificate was lost or stolen, there was no way to track down the original piece of paper or its balance. However today with the Gap's computer technology, shoppers can report any lost or stolen gift cards with a guarantee of reimbursement," says one Gap Executive. Additionally, with the individual tracking number on the back of each card, customers can find out their remaining card balance by simply calling 1-800-GAP-STYLE. Reloading the card with funds is also not a problem because Gap Gift Cards can be used over and over again and even passed along to other people. The future of Gap shopping is clear: everybody in vests, cords and leather--with a card to match.

--A.B. OSCEOLA