Why do people gift gift cards instead of money?

Isn't it funny how we sometimes prefer giving gift cards over just plain cash? I mean, cash is king, right? You can buy anything with it. But a gift card… it just feels different. For example, last Christmas, I was struggling to find a gift for my super picky sister. Cash felt impersonal, like I hadn't put any thought into it. So, I grabbed a gift card to her favorite bookstore. It was so much easier to wrap than awkwardly folding up some bills, and, let’s be honest, it looked way prettier under the tree! Plus, it kind of showed I knew her, you know? Like, "Hey, I know you love reading, so go crazy!" I think she appreciated that it was specifically for books, even though technically, she could have bought books with cash, too. It just felt more thoughtful. I've also read somewhere that people tend to spend more freely with gift cards and maybe even treat themselves to something a little more luxurious than they would with cash they’d probably stick in their savings account. It's weird, isn’t it? How a piece of plastic can feel so much more valuable than actual money? Maybe it’s the presentation, or maybe we just like the nudge towards a particular treat. Who knows?