Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT)’s Skype Takes Its Gift Cards International

Those of you in search of gifts for family or friends now have another option: Skype gift cards.  The Microsoft Corporation(NASDAQ:MSFT) -owned Internet calling giant Skype is expanding its Gift Cards and will now be available online in 44 countries.

The company is also gearing up to expand its push in physical stores. Physical Gift Cards are available for purchase with retailers in the U.S., UK and Mexico as of now and more countries to be announced soon. The move to begin offering Skype Gift Cards in physical stores was first announced earlier this month. In the U.S. users also have an option to buy gift cards via social networking site like Facebook.

The Pricing for cards begins at $10. In the U.S. retailers include Target, OfficeMax and Microsoft retail stores. In the UK retailers include Walmart-owned Asda, Currys, PC World, WHSmiths and the supermarket Sainsburys.

While Skype-to-Skype calls are free no matter where you’re located, calling landlines and mobile phones can cost a few pennies depending on where you’re calling, so if a family doesn’t have access to a computer, a Skype gift card is great for those who are forced to use a landline or cell phone. The cards can serve as a not-so-subtle cue to kids away at college or a friend in a foreign.