Using gift cards to compensate study subjects for their participation is fairly common among studies that offer reimbursements for time and inconvenience. The IRB does not require too many specifics about what kind of gift card will be offered in submissions. The IRB will typically accept language along the lines of “a $25 gift card” as sufficient, without spelling out what kind of gift card will be involved. But we do encourage PIs and study teams to think about what kind of gift card they plan to offer and if it’s appropriate for the target population. For example, someone once proposed offering participants what they called a “gas card” for study participation. However, that kind of reimbursement would probably be meaningless to someone who doesn’t drive, or didn’t have to pay for their own gas. When deciding what kind of gift card to use, keep in mind the specifics of your population and what kind of products and services would be appropriate for them. And, as always, keep in mind that the compensation amount should not be so great that it could potentially unduly influence a decision to participate.