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Gift cards are more versatile than they seem.
Sumala Chidchoi / EyeEm / Getty Images
Gift cards seem simple, but they’re the perfect solution in many situations.
They can spoil someone who won’t spoil themselves, or support an interest or hobby you know nothing about.
They can also support a small business, keep up with kids’ interests, and give the same gift to a group.
Compared to big boxes wrapped in shiny paper and frilly ribbon and stockings overflowing with goodies, gift cards may not look like the most exciting presents to unwrap.
But even beyond the ability to get them quickly and easily, they make ideal gifts for many — and with good reason. You can use a gift card to:
1. Treat people who won’t prioritize themselves
Gift cards force selfless people to prioritize themselves and actually follow through on practicing self-care. If I give my sister-in-law, a busy working mom, a gift that might catch my young niece’s eye, that gift is going to my niece.
But if I give her a gift card for a massage or facial, she has to use it herself. I want her to treat herself, and she deserves some much-needed “me time,” so giving her gift cards for items or experiences that only she could benefit from is my way of doing that.
2. Support interests and hobbies you know nothing about
Gift cards are also perfect for that person in your life with extremely specific interests that you know nothing about.
My best friend is an aesthetician who’s always trying out new skincare products that he might be able to recommend to his customers — everything from moisturizers to sunscreen to acne treatments and skincare accessories like jade rollers, comedone extractors (pimple poppers, for the uninitiated), and face massagers.
He’s tried so many different products over the years that I’d never be able to guess one that he hasn’t tried already. And worse, I’d hate to guess wrong and get him a product that he tried and didn’t like. Plus, because his passion for skincare is related to his job, he needs to try things quickly, so even if he told me something specific he wanted, it would seem silly to make him wait until the holidays to get it.
So I get him gift cards to Sephora, Ulta, or other stores where he can get the latest and greatest items on his list.
3. Keep on top of kids’ changing interests
I feel similarly about giving my young niece gift cards. She’s six and her interests change lightning fast. One minute she’s obsessed with dinosaurs and the next she’s moved on. One day it’s Frozen and the next it’s Encanto.
Since I live several states away, it’s hard to keep up with what toys she already has and the franchise du jour. But if I give her a gift card to the Lego store or the Disney store, she can choose what she likes at that moment and is guaranteed to love it.
4. Make sure kids get the presents they want
Kids and young adults of all ages can benefit from gift cards, especially if you’re worried about their parents taking the money if you were to give them cash. Growing up, my parents took any cash my grandparents gave me, and when that happened, it felt like I was robbed of my present.
This can still happen if you give the child a generic gift card like Visa, Amazon, or Target, but — similar to why gift cards are perfect for my best friend and niece — that’s less likely to happen if you give the kid a gift card to a specific store they like. Maybe that’s Urban Outfitters, American Eagle, Hot Topic, GameStop, or wherever else Gen Z is shopping these days.
5. Tactfully give money to people who need it
If parents are taking their children’s cash gifts, it could be because they really need the money. Gift cards can be a thoughtful way of providing for someone you love in need without being so blunt (and possibly offensive) by giving them cash.
A generic gift card to somewhere like Walmart or Target can help them get essentials or much-needed quality-of-life upgrades without you having to point out that you know they’re struggling. Gift cards can be a tactful way to give generously without embarrassing the recipient.
6. Give everyone in a group the same thing
Additionally, gift cards are great if you’re buying for multiple people who might all be opening presents together at the same time.
With gift cards, it’s easy to make it look like everyone is getting the same gift, but since many gift cards don’t state the denomination on the card, you can give anywhere from $5 to $500 and the recipients won’t know how much they got in the moment.
This is perfect if you want to give some people more than others without folks being aware of any favoritism.
7. Support small businesses you love
Giving gift cards as presents is also a fantastic way to support the small businesses close to your heart.
By buying gift cards from small businesses, you’re essentially front-loading sales and guaranteeing income that they might not otherwise receive. It’s an opportunity to introduce people you love to stores you love and help those shops earn new, and hopefully lifelong, customers.
Even if the recipient doesn’t use their gift card for some reason, the small business still gets that likely much-needed money.
Sometimes the most thoughtful gift is letting the recipient get what they really want — and didn’t know to ask for.