The Insider Picks team writes about stuff we think you’ll like. Business Insider has affiliate partnerships, so we get a share of the revenue from your purchase.
Gift cards are an ideal gift in a lot of ways. For instance, you get to give them exactly what they want – in the color, style, and exact model that they want it – without polling their closest friends, family, and private online wish lists. They also typically don’t expire.
Below, you’ll find 40 of the best ones to give. If you want more options, there are also lots of restaurant gift cards on Amazon and plenty of other brands here. Otherwise, you might opt for stores like Best Buy with free in-store pickup.
Below, you’ll find 40 of the best gift cards to give this year:
Looking for more gift ideas? Check out all of Insider Picks’ holiday gift guides for 2018 here.
Brooklinen
Buy a Brooklinen gift card
Brooklinen makes the best high-end sheets at the best price on the internet. Have a gift card delivered digitally, or in a gift card box. You can find a full review of Brooklinen's sheets here.
Amazon
Buy an Amazon gift card
An Amazon gift card is a more polite version of giving them cash - with it, they can buy pretty much anything they've had on their wish list - whether it's new and exciting tech or completely utilitarian home basics. You can also buy it in a gift card box.
Spotify
Buy a Spotify gift card on Amazon or Best Buy
They probably already have a Spotify account, but that doesn't mean they won't appreciate not having to pay for it for a while. A Spotify gift card lets you fund the next few months of something they love and use multiple times per day.
Starbucks
Buy a Starbucks gift card on Amazon, Target, and Best Buy
You may not be there every morning, but this is one of the easier ways to buy them a hot cup of coffee each day. There's also a gift card for Dunkin' if they're a different kind of loyalist.
Airbnb
Buy an Airbnb gift card on Zola or Amazon
Let them select the location and the company, but you'll foot the bill of their next great local or international adventure.
Journy
Buy a Journy gift card
Journy acts like a personal travel concierge for $25 per day. An expert takes into account your preferences, plans, and feedback and designs the ideal trip - including booking hotels and making dinner reservations.
Netflix
Buy a Netflix gift card on Target, Best Buy, and Amazon
Pair it with a bottle of wine, popcorn, and some warm and fuzzy socks for a perfect night (and month of January) spent inside and out of the cold.
Uber
Buy an Uber gift card on Best Buy, Target, and Amazon
Whether it's a necessary last-minute ride to the airport or a helpful splurge so they don't have to walk outdoors in the January chill, Uber gift cards are one of the most convenient gifts you can give.
Sephora
Buy a Sephora gift card
They already have their personal beauty favorites. This will just help them cringe a little less when they order them. Have it delivered digitally or mailed.
Nike
Buy a Nike gift card
Nike also lets you pick from a swath of gift card designs, including team themes for the Lakers and Knicks.
Nordstrom
Buy a Nordstrom gift card
If you want to buy them a sweater you know they'll love, let them pick the sweater.
REI
Buy an REI gift card
Whether you're outfitting them for their next snowy hike or an afternoon spent in a ski lodge, you get to ensure they'll be able to get exactly the make and model of the boot or sweater they want along on the trip.
Away
Buy an Away gift card
Away's carry-ons are so popular because they're incredibly convenient. They come with an ejectable external battery that can charge a smartphone five times over, have 360-degree wheels, and only weigh seven pounds. It's a great gift - you just let them pick out their own color with a gift card.
Fandango
Buy a Fandango gift card
What's a better gift than a trip to the movies - especially with the release of so many blockbusters around the holidays? If you want to be extra generous, pick up the tab for the large popcorn as well.
Patagonia
Buy a Patagonia gift card
Whether they spend this on one of the many Patagonia cult-favorites or not, you can be sure they'll get something great that'll last them for years.
Everlane
Buy an Everlane gift card
Everlane is a cult-favorite retail startup that is committed to conducting transparent business. They're especially loved for their $100 cashmere sweaters. You can find 13 of our favorite Everlane pieces to wear every day here.
Allbirds
Buy an Allbirds gift card
Allbirds makes the world's most comfortable shoes out of sustainable materials like merino wool, eucalyptus leaves, and foam made from sugar cane. They're especially popular in hubs like New York City and Silicon Valley.
Hulu
Buy a Hulu gift card on Target or Best Buy
Gift them a Hulu gift card so they can binge watch The Handmaid's Tale and Project Runway in peace and from under a pile of blankets this winter.
ClassPass
Buy a ClassPass gift card
ClassPass makes it easy to visit top-rated boutique studios and gyms for about half the typical drop-in rate ($15 or less per class). Users can use their ClassPass membership for bootcamps, cycling, Pilates, yoga, and more.
Daily Harvest
Buy a Daily Harvest gift card
Daily Harvest is a healthy-eating startup that sends you delicious, nutritious meals and smoothies that are pre-packed in cups and take as little as 30 seconds to make. Recipes are designed by a chef and nutritionist, and all cups are under $10. Find a full review here.
Chipotle
Buy a Chipotle gift card on Target, Amazon, or Best Buy
Nothing says "I love you" like four Chipotle visits in which the recipient doesn't have to second-guess adding guacamole.
Xbox
Buy an Xbox gift card on Amazon, Target, or Best Buy
They can spend it on the latest games and entertainment like movies, TV, music, apps, and more.
Bark Box
Buy a BarkBox gift card
For the dog people, the best gift may just be gifts for their dog. Barkbox will send them a box of toys and treats every month.
Another good option for pet owners is a Petco gift card - if you think they (or their pup) may like picking out their own toys.
PlayStation
Buy a PlayStation gift card on Amazon,
With this, they can download the latest games and add-ons, watch movies, and more from their PlayStation 4.
Sling
Buy a Sling gift card
For $25 per month, users get access to 25 of the best channels, like CNN, ESPN, AMC, Disney, and the Food Network. With it, they'll never miss another episode of "This Is Us" again.
Best Buy
Buy a Best Buy gift card
Gift them all conceivable forms of tech, and let them choose the personal details like color and model.
Framebridge
Buy a Framebridge gift card
Let them custom frame one of their best memories. It's something they'll probably never shell out for on their own, but they'll love having around the house.
Macy's
Buy a Macy's gift card
Macy's has just about everything you could need for life or home, and they can stop by in person to shop or surf the selection at home on the couch.
Visa
Buy a Visa gift card on Amazon or Target
This actually is the way to just give them money. You can leave it up to them to find the purchase that will make their life better, and you can feel good knowing you made it happen.
SoulCycle
Buy a SoulCycle gift card on Zola
SoulCycle has become its own cultural movement in recent years. If they absolutely love going to spin classes, it's more thoughtful to make it easier to do an activity they already love than buy something new that they may never use.
Whole Foods
Buy a Whole Foods gift card
Especially if they're a student, or if food is a big expense, they'll appreciate the help in a practical area of their life - especially if it's to a spot like Whole Foods where they can use their Prime benefits for extra savings on fresh food that's already pretty affordable.
Delta or Southwest airlines
Buy a Delta gift card on Best Buy or Target
Buy a Southwest gift card on Best Buy, Target, or Amazon
Perfect for frequent travelers, and even better for family members who see trips home as opportunities to score more miles on their go-to airline. It's also easier than booking a trip for them yourself.
If they travel by train most frequently, there's also an Amtrak gift card.
Groupon
Buy a Groupon gift card on Target
Groupon's daily deals include everything from pottery classes to beauty services to travel and fitness.
StubHub
Buy a StubHub gift card on Target
Make sure they keep going to see live music, plays, and sporting events by grabbing them a gift card to the place that houses all those tickets.
J. Crew
Buy a J.Crew gift card on Amazon
J. Crew has some of the best quality and style for the price for the basics. It also has frequent sales, meaning they may get more value out of their gift card.
CharityChoice
Buy a CharityChoice gift card on Zola
This is an easy way to empower someone else to give to a charity close to their heart. You can designate the funds for up to three charities of your choice from the online list of over 250 major charities and many local causes (totaling over 1,000 in all). For ease of navigation, they're categorized into main themes like disaster relief, hunger and poverty, and the elderly, among others.
L.L.Bean
Buy an L.L.Bean gift card
Gift cards for apparel are particularly useful, since you may not know imperative details like shoe size. If you know they love a brand, or have been pining after their own bean boots, this is a nice way to make it happen without tipping them off.
HelloFresh
Buy a HelloFresh gift card
HelloFresh is a meal kit delivery service that drops off fresh ingredients for delicious home-cooked meals. It makes week time prep easier, and it helps amateur and experienced cooks conveniently expand their repertoire.
Firstleaf
Buy a Firstleaf gift card
Firstleaf is a wine subscription service that delivers wines from top vineyards around the world for only $13 per bottle. Let them explore great wine without worrying about the expense. Plus, its introductory box of three wines is only $15, and it sets the wheels in motion for the service to learn more about your tastes and preferences as they evolve.
MOUTH
Buy a MOUTH gift card
MOUTH sends delicious small-batch, indie food products to help small businesses grow and make it more convenient for the average person to discover the best new goods.