One possibility is a Prepaid Mastercard. It's a debit card with whatever amount preloaded on it that you choose and it's available in Euros.

It's the same as a gift/rebate debit card (if you've ever gotten one here), just available in a couple of foreign currencies. Not Swiss francs but Euros would be equally useful.

snidely, thank you. That's a great idea. I know it's a little crass to send money, but that's essentially what a gift card is and I have no idea what kind of gift she'd really appreciate.

For family in Australia, I picked a nice store in the area after doing research online. Then emailed the store asking how to buy and send a gift card. I ended up charging the gift card on my credit card, and the store sent the card directly to the recipient.

Linelle, hope you don't mind if i ask about the gift card idea.

Snidely, where do you get a gift/ debate rebate card. I need to give a gift for my SIL surprise birthday party in a few weeks and we have already given her things for Christmas.

This post was edited by ellendi on Sun, Dec 28, 14 at 19:41

In my area (and I'm sure most everywhere) you can buy a Visa prepaid debit card at the grocery store.

Look carefully into the pre-paid visa cards..
They cost about $5 to purchase and charge a monthly maintenance fee between $2-5 .

Our bank sells the prepaid Visas to people with accounts there, and there are no additional charges or monthly maintenance fees on the card.

I don't know what sort of accounts she uses, nor have I a clue about stores she likes in Zurich. I do know that when she's here she can't get enough of Target. :)

debra, that's a really great idea. Except...all the photos worth keeping are already on Facebook.

Are you sure there is not an amazon in Switzerland? There is one in Germany and we have used it and sent a gift card to that site to a person in Germany.

Hmm I guess not. I had remember that we had done so in Austria too, but I guess we were just lucky.

Here is a link that might be useful: Amazon Countries

Facebook photos are only seen briefly. If you like the idea I would pursue it. I'm noticing that people seem to be giving actual photos in frames as gifts. This Christmas I know of almost ten people who got a framed photo or scrapbook of photos as gifts (not the same people) and they all loved it! My teenage daughter took a photo I posted on facebook of her and I and had it done in a canvas print that now hangs in the living room. It was inexpensive.

How about a gift card AND a photo book!

I have made many photobooks using My Publisher. I also have used Blurb and Walgreens. I like My Publisher best. I don't know if it is simply easier to use, or if I've already gotten past the learning curve. If you decide to do the photo book, PhotoBookGirl has lots of information and she lists the current promotions for various photobook companies.

Here is a link that might be useful: PhotoBookGirl

"For family in Australia, I picked a nice store in the area after doing research online. Then emailed the store asking how to buy and send a gift card. I ended up charging the gift card on my credit card, and the store sent the card directly to the recipient."

+1!

You can also shop on line at many stores and have them send the gift out, sometimes by their own truck. Even fresh food picnic baskets, of all things. Beats those vague "gift" cards and beats Amazon hands down. We did this with a case of wine from Harrod's. E Z P Z.

Don't get me wrong, I love the idea of photos as gifts, but we all took a crapload of the same photos the few days we were together. Ordinarily I would pick the best and frame it, but it just won't work this time.

I'm not sure now. I just assumed Amazon would have store in most of western Europe.

What's wrong with a prepaid Amex card?

marcolo, Amex is my card of choice. If that would work for my Swiss SIL, I'd jump on it. Would I just go through my own Amex account?