"People returning merchandise without a receipt to stores with their own cards usually end up with a store card in the amount of their return."

Actually I recently returned a gift that we got for Laird from the Gap. As there was nothing there that we wanted at the time I opted for store credit. They didn't give me a card, just a flimzy paper reciept that I was sure I would lose. The sales person told me that the Gap cards are only for gifts. Maybe they were thinking about the waste.