The holiday season is full of joy thanks to visiting loved ones, kids' fascination with Santa Claus, holiday parties, the partaking of favorite seasonal treats and time off from work and school. What is not joyful is trying to buy a gift for that difficult boss or relative.

That's where gift cards come in.

All it takes is a little investigation to find out what the hard-to-shop-for person enjoys. Then there is a bounty of gift cards available from restaurants to spa visits to department stores to discount retailers like Wal-Mart and Target.

For the teen on your holiday shopping list, a card from iTunes, or cosmetic sellers like Sephora, or clothing stores like Rue 21 or Abercrombie & Fitch should be a hit.

Recently, financial blog WalletHub released a list of the year's 24 most popular gift cards. Here are the top 5:

1. Visa Gift Card

2. Amazon Gift Card

3. iTunes Gift Card

4. American Express Gift Card

5. Netflix gift Card

Visa gift cards topped the list since they can be redeemed anywhere Visa is accepted.

While it might seem odd giving someone a gift card for on-demand Internet streaming media, Yahoo reports that the Netflix gift card is so popular many retailers have run out of supply.

Another suggestion -- you are sure to please friends and family when you give the gift of delicious caffeine beverages with a Starbucks gift card.

But what happens if you receive a gift card that you don't like? Check out these solutions:

Exchange the Gift Card for Store Credit at Wal-Mart

The Associated Press reports Wal-Mart will trade store credit for gift cards from more than 200 restaurants, retailers, and airlines.

How much store credit you get depends greatly on the type of card you are trading in. An Amazon card will get 95 percent of its value, whereas some cards will be matched with only 70 percent of their face value.

Sell the Unwanted Gift Card for Cash

CNN recommends you sell your gift card for cash via websites Raise and Cardpool, which offer gift card selling service.

The CEB TowerGroup reports that many consumers forget about their gift cards and don't spend the full balance, resulting in over $1 billion in unused store credit a year.

If you receive a gift card this holiday, be sure to use it before it is forgotten.

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