Gift cards ranked No. 3 on holiday wish lists this year, as the average shopper spent $88 on them. Shoppers found it saved time.

Many Best Buy customers didn't need to carry cash or credit card Monday because of the gift cards they received.

Adam Copenhaver combined Christmas gift cards with birthday ones to buy a video game and controller.

Return lines were much shorter Monday than check-out lines at Best Buy, which is not a usual occurrence for the day after Christmas.

"I'd say 50-60 percent of people are using full or partial payment with a gift card," said Kelly Lease, a Best Buy cashier.

The National Retail Federation estimates that gift card sales will account for more than $18 billion this holiday season -- up seven percent from a year ago.

It doesn't seem to matter whether the store specializes in electronics or clothes.

"That's a lot of what today is," said Mike Bliven, a Kohl's department store manager.

Much of the business there Monday centered on early bird specials and slashed prices on holiday merchandise, which is reminiscent of the day after Thanksgiving rush.

Retailers love gift cards because they're easy to stock and put on display.

It takes the guesswork out of giving for the rest of us, but puts some uncertainty on the store's bottom line.

Businesses can't count it as a purchase until the gift card is redeemed.

While many retailers are moving away from expiration dates and depreciation fees, some customers say they're more apt to spend gift cards right away.