Apple, Target, Nike, Shopbop, MasterClass

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There’s enough pressure shopping for gifts for your favorite and hardest-to-shop-for people. Why take a wild guess and risk a re-gifting situation (or worse, a post-gifting return and exchange trip), when you can make it easy on both of you by getting them something they’ll actually use? Yes, we’re talking about gift cards, but it doesn’t have to be as impersonal as it sounds.

How to Choose the Best Gift Cards

You could stock up on generic restaurant gift cards and call it a day, but that might not go well for those with picky palates (read: foodies) or people who live in areas where said eatery isn’t available. Gift certificates to retailers with online and brick-and-mortar shopping is an easy way to please the most particular pals on your list.

The best gift cards don’t have to be wrapped or even delivered in person. All of our picks on this list offer e-gift cards that can be purchased, sent and redeemed online. These online gift cards are great if you don’t feel like braving the crowds at the mall or if you have a recipient who may not be a store-bought-gift-type. A bonus: e-gift cards make for a great last-minute gift too.

What Are the Best Gifts Cards Online?

Here, we’ve rounded up ideas for the best online gift cards to buy for a range of recipients, from foodies and fitness fanatics to friends and family who are thirsty for knowledge (and wine).

1. FreshDirect Grocery Card

Give someone the gift of home cooking this season with a gift card to FreshDirect. A digital card gets them access to over 15,000 fresh foods and pantry items that they can order all at their fingertips.

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What we like: your recipient can choose from a variety of grocery options, from local in-season produce and farm share boxes, seasonal prepared essentials for family holidays, as well as alcohol (in New York State) to send straight their door. The also offer same-day Express Delivery (available in certain zip codes), so your giftee can whip up a full meal in just a few minutes to put on the table. 

FreshDirect gift cards, delivered electronically, are the easiest way to buy a friend, coworker or loved one dinner — and breakfast, lunch, and snacks, too.

Want other food and meal delivery options? If you’ve got a picky recipient, HelloFresh offers 40+ weekly recipes that they can choose from, along with a la carte options. See their current deals here.

GreenChef, meantime, offers more than 50 weekly meal options, and it’s a great pick for not only people with specific diets (vegan, vegetarian, keto, etc.) but also people trying to reduce their carbon footprint: Green Chef offsets 100% of the delivery emissions to your door and 100% of the plastic in every box, creating less waste that grocery stores. See their current deals here.

2. Gold Belly E-Gift Card

Foodies and travel fans alike will love a gift card from Gold Belly, which delivers food and merch from hundreds of restaurants, bakeries and celebrity chefs from across the country. Loved that barbecue you had in Kansas City? You can get ribs and brisket (and burnt ends) delivered. Want authentic Chicago deep dish pizza? Gold Belly has that available for delivery too. It’s not just quick eats either – we’ve ordered baked goods from Bouchon and Balthazar, pork belly buns from Momofuku and fried chicken from Blue Ribbon.

There are a ton of gift ideas from top chefs as well: think everyone from Jose Andres and Daniel Boulud to Nancy Silverton and Stephanie Izard (of Girl and the Goat). And you can order cookies from Ina Garten (a.k.a. the Barefoot Contessa), vegan cheesesteaks from drummer Questlove and that iconic chocolate cake from “Ace of Cakes” star Duff Goldman.

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Send a one-time gift card with denominations of your choice, or sign your recipient up for a monthly subscription ($85) which gets them a delivery of top eats and special merch each month. Everything ships fresh or frozen in secure, food-safe packaging and is delivered straight to your door.

Buy Gold Belly E-Gift Card $25+

3. Cash App Gift Card

Everybody loves Cash App for the way it makes it easy to send money, invest money and invest in stocks and bitcoin. Now, the app is launching a Gift Card feature, that lets you send gift cards to places like Grubhub and Ulta just like you’d be sending cash.

What we like: instead of having to keep track of physical cards, these are digital cards that are tied to your recipient’s Cash App balance, which makes it easier to track everything in one place. And, just like regular Cash App, everything can be conveniently sent in seconds with no hold up.

Buy Cash App Gift Cards $10+

4. Amazon Gift Card

One of the most versatile gift cards available online, an Amazon gift card lets you purchase everything from music downloads, to electronics, home goods, food and more. Send a gift card by email, and your recipient can redeem it instantly online at Amazon.com. Choose from more than a dozen designs for every occasion, from festive celebrations to a birthday or “just because.” You can also order a physical gift card that will be delivered to your recipient by mail.

This is one of our favorite gift cards to send to someone because Amazon is bound to have something they want; whether it’s for a colleague, neighbor, friend or family member, an Amazon gift card is always appreciated.

Buy Amazon Gift Card $25+

5. Apple Gift Card

Few things are as universally beloved as music and, when it comes to gift giving, few things are as appreciated as Apple Gift Card. One card provides endless possibilities, with your recipient able to redeem it for Apple Music subscriptions, apps and even physical products like the latest iPhone or AirPods Pro.

Select your gift starting at $10 and choose to send a physical card or have Apple Gift Card delivered by email.

Buy Apple Gift Card $10+

6. DoorDash Gift Card

The great thing about a gift card from DoorDash is that your recipient can use it to get everything from food to drinks to desserts straight to their door. DoorDash currently delivers from more than 310,000 restaurants, in 4000+ towns and cities across the country.

You don’t need to use your DoorDash account to order and send a gift card either if you prefer to keep your information private. Just head over to DoorDash.com to select your gift card design and denomination ($25-$200), and enter your recipient’s email address and the day and time you want the card delivered. You can also choose to have the gift card sent in the mail too.

Once your recipient receives their gift card, they can add it to their account and choose how they want to spend the money, whether to treat themselves to dinner, or to get dessert delivered for a sweet date night treat.

Buy DoorDash GIft Card $25

7. Target Gift Card

You can’t go wrong with a gift card from Target. The mass retailer has something for everyone in need of restocks, from home essentials like furniture by celebrity interior designers and non-toxic cleaning products to stylish closet staples and office supplies. You can send a Target gift card via email, snail mail, or even text.

Buy Target Gift Card $5+

8. Backcountry eGift Certificate

Outdoorsy types will be eager to restock their wardrobes for winter and spring (and perhaps take advantage of the end-of-season sales), so a gift card to Backcountry will come in handy. The online retailer offers a range of apparel, footwear, accessories, gear, and more for your adventure seeker’s favorite activities, be it climbing, hiking, camping, cycling, and beyond.

Buy Backcountry eGift Certificate $25

9. Shopbop Gift Card

If you believe the old Yves Saint Laurent adage, “Fashions fade, style is eternal,” then you know that whatever sartorial gift you buy this season might be buried in someone’s closet before the year ends. For the stylish, designer-loving people on your list, a Shopbop gift card is one stylish solution, and recipients can shop menswear and womenswear from a cool roster of cult-favorite luxury labels and streetwear brands ranging from Coach and Champion to Levi’s and Lacoste, to name just a few.

It’s not just clothing either: we love Shopbop for its range of stylish accessories, home decor items and luxe bath and beauty products too for an instant #Shelfie upgrade. What we like: you can pair your Amazon Prime account to Shopbop to take advantage of fast, free shipping on most items on the site.

Buy Shopbop Gift Card $25

10. Nike Gift Card

For the friend that pushes themselves to work out harder and smarter every year, or the sneakerhead who’s always ready to stock up on new kicks, a Nike gift card can cover their latest high-performance gear or their AF1 addiction. You can choose digital gift card designs ranging from the classic swoosh to the logo of your recipient’s favorite team.

Buy Nike Gift Card $25

11. Parachute Gift Card

Breathable, comfortable bedsheets might not be the first essentials that people think to splurge on, but everybody wants some R&R, so give the gift of luxurious sleep to your favorite folks who could use some good shut-eye. We love snoozing on Parachute‘s soft-as-a-cloud linens, but the L.A.-based company also make cozy towels and other home goods that will elevate your giftee’s abode. With a gift card, your recipient gets to choose.

Buy Parachute Gift Card $50

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12. MasterClass Subscription

If your giftee’s mantra is “knowledge is power,” contribute to their brain matter fund with a one-year, all-access pass to MasterClass. The online learning platform features classes helmed by the who’s who of across a range of industries, meaning subscribers can get schooled in photography by Annie Leibovitz, business strategy by Bob Iger, filmmaking by Martin Scorcese, and science by Neil deGrasse Tyson, among many, many other courses from over 90 celebrities, industry leaders and yes, “masters.”

Buy MasterClass Annual Subscription $180

13. Steam Gift Card

Shopping for a gamer? Rather than picking up something they’ve already played (and won), let them choose their own adventure — whether it be action, sports, an RPG, or even an oddly soothing game about a goose  — and get them a gift card from Steam.

Buy Steam Gift Card $20

14. Nintendo Switch Online Membership

“Animal Crossing: New Horizons” was the unexpected mid-pandemic video game hit of the year — and if your loved one’s still building away on their virtual island (or maybe they’re more of a Mario Kart fan), they’ll likely appreciate another year of Nintendo Switch Online. See latest Nintendo Switch prices here.

Buy Nintendo Switch 12-Month Subscription $19.99

15. Wine Insiders Gift Card

Even if you don’t agree on which varietal is superior, you can still send a thoughtful gift to your beloved oenophile with a subscription to Wine Insiders. The vino delivery service sends an intro box of 15 reds, whites, or a mix, and then 12 more bottles about every three months until you (or your giftee) decides to cancel. If that’s too much of a commitment, you can also shop exclusive selections curated by celebrity partners including Martha Stewart and Iron Chef Geoffrey Zakarian — think everything from Mediterranean-made chianti and sauvignon blanc to California classics.

Buy Wine Insiders Gift Card $89

16. Atlas Coffee Subscription

If you’re stumped on what to get your favorite third-wave coffee connoisseur (hint: ditch the Starbucks gift card), earn cool points and get them an Atlas Coffee subscription. Whether they prefer a fruity-meets-chocolate dark roast or single-origin beans, home baristas can personalize their delivery and receive a curation of single-origin coffee from over 50 countries. The service sends a six- or 12-ounce bag of whole or ground beans each month. A three-month subscription is just $60.

Buy Atlas Coffee Subscription $60

17. ClassPass Gift Card

Another popular activity right now: getting in shape — and if your fitness junkie prefers to switch up their sweat routines (whether it’s boxing, CrossFit, Pilates, or yoga), then a gift of ClassPass can help them change up gyms while meeting their workout goals. The online wellness booking platform offers an expansive network of boutique fitness studios across the world and allows users to book in-person and virtual classes as well as skin and body treatments.

Buy Class Pass Gift Card $50

18. VinylMePlease Gift Subscription

Give the vinyl collector on your list something to look forward to with a VinylMePlease subscription, a record-of-the-month club that ships exclusive LPs straight to their door. You can gift a three-month, six-month, or 12-month membership, and members can choose the genre they want from there, from classics to new releases alike.

Buy VMP Gift Subscription $128+