Barnes & Noble will soon accept its gift cards as payment for purchases made in its eBook store, the book retailer announced on Monday. Not only will both physical and online gift cards be accepted online, but also through Barnes & Noble's own nook e-book reader and other wireless devices compatible with the B&N eReader software.

The newfound ability will come into effect in mid-December, which, incidentally, should line up with the delayed release of the nook reader itself. In comparison, Amazon has gift cards that can only be redeemed online for its range of e-books.