American Express gift cards are no bargain at , where up-front fees range from $4.64 to $5.64. A $50 AmEx card costs $54.64, for example, and a $100 card is $105.64. Unlike with standard credit cards, users can’t dispute purchases they've made with an AmEx gift card, which has and never expires.

One of the most egregious fees comes from retailer Ikea, which adds an $11 shipping charge for all gift cards purchased over the phone. (You can’t buy an Ikea gift card online.) Why the usurious charge? Ikea ships its cards via FedEx 2Day service, and no cheaper option is available. On the plus side, if you buy an Ikea gift card at one of the furniture giant’s retail stores, you pay no additional fee.

This year brought new protections for gift card users, including a series of that took effect in August 2010 as part of the . The regulations cover both store gift cards (Best Buy, Ikea, Target), and those with an American Express, Discover, MasterCard, or Visa logo.

Among the new rules: