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There is a tradition of giving 10% of one's income to charity. Suppose someone receives a gift card as compensation for his work. Should that person separate 10% of the value of the gift card to charity?
What about a person who returns an item from a store for store credit? Does that credit count toward the amount from which one must tithe? Does it matter whether the item was given as a gift, purchased with his own money, or earned as compensation for working?
I asked Rabbi Yitzchak Breitowitz, and he said according to the prevalent practice to give maaser on receiving gifts of cash (or checks, whatever, something that can be spent anywhere) but not goods, a gift of a gift card would not need maaser.
If you're paid by your job in gift cards? Same as if you were paid in potato chips, I guess. Not sure how we'd treat that.
