If this is in line with what you're talking about, you should probably vote for this on the wishlist if you haven't already.

https://www.gog.com/wishlist/site/gift_cards_available_at_retail_stores_worldwide

http://store.steampowered.com/digitalgiftcards/

so it will be here in a couple of years...

Yes, they really need to offer gift cards at major retailers (Best Buy, Target, Walmart, etc.) and on Amazon.com -- just as Steam does -- since there's currently no direct way for someone without a GOG account to give a gift (either a game or funds) to someone else's account. And I've found that many generic Visa gift cards will not work with GOG here in the U.S. since they will not allow purchases to a foreign country.

What do I think? I think this thread comes up every year around Xmas, so you're not alone.

Not sure what's involved but it might be quite complicated. Getting store display space might be tricky, too.

I'm one of those weirdos who doesn't like to spread his credit card info all over the net. I use paysafecard for my purchases on GOG, Steam and Origin. You buy it with hard cash and you get a code that you can use to pay online. Pretty simple and a good solution for most of the cases you mentioned (except gifting "GOG credit").

nvm

Gift cards are an insecure form of payment. Gift cards offer very little in the form of fraud protections for the consumer.

If someone where to steal my credit card number, it isn't a big deal (comparatively not as big of a deal). I am protected from fraudulent purchases. It is a bit of a hassle, of course. I'd obviously like it if nobody ever stole my credit card number (and thus far nobody ever has). But the process of reporting fraudulent purchases and having it resolved is fairly straight forward. In many jurisdictions there are laws to ensure that the credit card holder will have zero liability for fraudulent purchases. So if my credit card number is ever stolen, I am reasonably sure that everything will be okay in the end.

If someone were to steal my gift card... I probably should consider that money gone forever. The chances I'll ever see that money again are fairly low.

If you go to Steam and view their information about their gift cards, they have a whole page dedicated to Steam Wallet Gift Card scams:

(I can't post any links right now. I guess new forum users can't post links right away. But if you Google "Steam Wallet Gift Card Scam" you will find the web page.)

If you are the victim of gift card fraud, maybe you can get a refund if the thief hasn't already redeemed the gift card. Maybes and ifs. No guarantees. None at all.

I know using your credit card online can sometimes be worrisome, but it is a more secure way to transact online than gift cards. If something does happens, you'll be thankful for your zero liability credit card fraud protections. And using PayPal will a credit card can add an extra layer to keep your payment information safe online.