Retailers may lose a revenue lever to pull this upcoming holiday shopping season ... and it could be a big one. The number of shoppers expected to opt for gift cards rather than traditional purchased goods is likely to increase this year, as nobody wants to waste money on a loser present in a tough financial environment.

Gift cards make that problem go away, but flexibility isn't free. Retailers have tacked on a variety of fees to bring in a bit of extra cash from gift card sales, but if the U.S. Federal Reserve gets its way, these fees will be forced sharply lower.

As I'm a Starbucks Corporation (NASDAQ:SBUX) shareholder (a very very minor one), I get an annual "bonus" -- a special-edition Starbucks gift card with a little less than $4.00 in value, good for one grande almond latte (or thereabouts). The gift cards are pretty, and seem special, so when I have a little cash in my bank account and get the urge I'll refill it -- then, when I'm totally out of cash and dying for a sticky-sweet cup of milky caffeine, presto! Starbucks.

My friend takes it to a whole new level. She and her husband are both self-employed, and they've set a strict budget that ensures they'll live within their monthly invoices. So she buys a Starbucks card every week or so, on Monday when her spending budget for the week begins anew. That way, if she spends all her cash by Thursday? She can still hang out with me and our boys at Starbucks on Friday afternoon.

It's a hedge against brokeness.

A report in the AP indicates that 12% of all sales at Starbucks are through these refillable gift cards -- that's one in eight lattes. There are many theories about why the cards are so popular, but I'd just like to stake my claim on the concept that buying gift cards ensures that you'll still be able to buy coffee and 'Top Pot' chocolate doughnuts when you've spent all your money!